The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1917-02-24
John III. Ctack

. H0tl 'Hf caption. aNhi I've sN'tA~a
appears iu this issue rTibute TO IN"
man WHOSE name heads this article
John ~ CIE~R. sheriff 81 West Felic-
+ lana Parish. and mar Who stands Ia
the forefront Ia point % popularity. A.
/ tested ia NOR" than one election. John
/ -. CIack was born August Is, ls47. on
/ PanoIa Plantation. which - nov a
! part ct the state penal farm, Angola "
He studied 49, most country boys do ia
tho home school and N" ciVil var
coming on. when he Was only thirteen
years old. he Was early acquainted
v th the alarms and pTtNattous Incl
dent to that period, aud when scarcely
. sixteen he answered the cell 1f the
Coufcderacy and served during the
remainder Of the war a. private in
the Third Louisiana Regiment. Capt
John Keller. lie saw service ia Louis
lana aud Alabama.
Returning home. he found his father
old and broken up by the war: and
facing the situation. the Young ex-
soldier took hold of the HON" place.
pursuing the duties 1T hand a. a
farmer and A. q citizen. Later he lived
. ia the sixth Ward He vas "a alive To
the needs OF his home parish and
people throughout the troubled years"
and though d" had never previously
aspirsd to leadership. Vet hts honesty
aud courage had been So WslEsstab lish-
ID iu public rstiugatiou. that ia the
campaign OF lsag hs vas selected by
the auti-IoEtory faction a. its caudi-
date for sherin. to which position h."
was duly elected. and which ne has
hIlDd ever since. A. b. ssid iu another
place. his reelection has occurred ia
spite OF his failure iu health and the
rivalry. iu several campaigns. 80 can
didat"s. young and popular.
u j. interesting to note Why this has
been the case. - hts health has in-
capacitatcd him from actty" service in
the sheriff. officr. for q number Of
years. but such is the clean. strong
moral force of his character. tts in
hsrent impartialIty and justice that he
has been able Ia Undue his deputies
With the same ideas and principles in
the administration uf the business of
the shrievsIty. His sway has been
mild but firm. and West Feliciana. once
uuruIy. has become one Of the most
psaceabIc and law abiding parishes In
the state. Hts chief deputi"s are his
son. John ~ Ciack Jr-. and Fred e.
/ wiicox. son-in-iaW.
Mr. CIack has been twice married.
His first wife was Mise Elizabeth y.
White daughter OF l. L. White Of
I Tunie.a. this parish. Mrs.. p. &. Wilcox
and John n. Jr. are his children by his
first marriage Tits second wife. Miss
Lizzie Cox of Franklin. La. died in
1911 Their children are Miss Emma
and Frank
nv CIgck - knight Of Pythias
member of BsyoH sara Lodge No. Is
for about thirty years. and an odd
/ Fellow. member Of Bayou sara Ledge
No 50 for shout - years. commu-
meant Of the Roman Catholic Church,
h shows himself tn every respect a
Christian gentleman. He has had ~
perieHC.E In ~. conduct 81 his Once
on a par with som" of the most stirring
acts ct heroism iu history. For eN-
ample. when la the a"'s, a negro was
suspected OF making 81 mUrdsTUus At
tack on one Of the fery most citizens OF
the parish. aud men from all over West
FeIictaua had ASSEMBLE d At the gentle
mans plantation home. there vas. iu
the hot-heatad tactics of that day. q
strong disposition 20 give the suspect
short shrifr bat Nj Clark- sheriff
faced tn. sNclt.d crowd and said.
Boys. y0u cant do &c." and they a.d
frof. Again. VS. hen hiz Own beloved son
had bet ks'Ind. ha assured d" fhg S}ay-
sr fulI projection under Tho Iav. such
act-. though clearly To- che Iig" Of duty.
are no lees heroic. ard mark fh" man
y, no docs them as one 81 Gods noble
men
A-
The marcel ru-r uH kya fr ErrH ole. To-