East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1920-02-18


I CLARK, found suffering from a buIle
wound in the temple in local hote
| late yesterday. died shortly afterward
Z The police had been searching fo
/ him since yesterday, when his wifi
! was found dead at the Clark home.
Written on postcard received
/ through the mail last night by Mat
/ Clark, father Of young Clark, a las
| message left by his son reads:
/ Dad. 1 tried; honestly / did. Goo
forgives me and know you and
mother wiil.-Russell."
The postcard has been mailed some
time Monday afternoon
Russell Clark. supposedly the slayer
Of his wife in the Clarkhurst tragedy.
first attempted to poison himself with
chloroform before he fired the shot
into his right temple. according to
evidence at the inquest in Portland
yesterday.
The gun he used, whose report is
said not to have been heard by any
one in the hotel was not the same
weapon with which Clark is supposed
To have killed his wife. but was almost
Identical and was of the same calibre.
A bank book found in Clarks pos
session showed that since January Fl,
he had deposited $780, in the First
National bank.
Sends Note to Police
''I have killed myself on Kings
heights read a postcard received
by Chief of Police Jenkins and signed
by Russell Clark. Sheriff Huriburt
received a similarly worder letter.
The search on the heights was
abandoned when a bottle of laudanum.
another of chloroform and a towel and
some cotton were found about 100
yards west of an old real estate office
some distance from the Pittock home.
Another theory, that Clark had been
found out in a possible attempt to get
away with a large sum of money. was
advanced by his partner, f. E. Man |
chester. and Distrist Attorney Evans
yesterday afternoon, on discovery that |
Clark had drawn some s35 600 or $45,
600 within a few days. 1t WAS inti- |
mated further that other sums gained /
through advances on automobile con-
tracts for machines to be delivered |
later might be involved in the affair.
Money Is Missing
1t is not considered likely that he
had this money in his possession when
last seen. 1t is understood that tho
method he used to obtain the money 1
wa to utter number Of forged ware
house receipts on a fictitious ware
house or firm and with these as
security he would borrow money. The
receipts usually contained certified
record of deposit of goods in ficti-
tiCns warehouse.
Manchester would say nothing con-
H. -.
the offices of the firm in the Yecn
He did say, however. that
Clark had managed to procure a sum
If approximately SS5 goo recently.
McCargar, Bates & Lively insurance
who are understood to be
,nonr the heaviest losers through
1Iark, would make no statement about
he transactions
1t is now believed that Mrs. Clark
lad learned Of his shady business
and reprimanded him for
hem, on the morning of her death.
May Have Caused Quarrel
This is thought to have caused the
atal quarrel.
Matt Clark. father of Russell. he K;
ieves that financial worries were re- /
ponsihle for the killing. Ii
"Russel made money fast and an
,arently spent it fast Two or three
-eefs ago he asked me for check for y
1900 which 1 gave him. I learned
lter that he bought a truck with the
Money. He repaid me. but a few days Q
1ter exchanged checks with me for
1850.
''ETis check. I learned, was no good.
'ut within few DAYS he repaid me.
"Never did my boy and his wife
uarrel that T know Of. Our friends
fteu remarked that they seemed un- :
usually happy.
my belief is that financial worries ,
1ade him Respondent. Not wishing
o imuroverish his wife or cause her d
rouble, he Killed her.
Clark formerly was n salesman for
e. IT, Wallingtord. automobile dealer.
.ater he became the oregon agent for !
he Liberty motor car n
Agencies Are Established !
He established an agency in Pendle- :
IN and it is said that he established :
gencics also at The Delles, Troutdale :
nd Astoria. Y
He returned SUNDAY night from PEN I
Teton via .airplane. having spent sew /
raj daVS on business. His wife
1llowed him 20 Eastern oregon. but
eturp~d sunday night by train and
OF with her husband.
Arrived in Portland the couple went
, Clark's fathers home. where they
,ok dinner about . u. m. leaving for
'eir beautiful home. Clarkhurst. near
resham.
'I don't know why Russelrs wife
anter TO follow him to Pendleton." \
aid Matt Clark. "She came to my
'fice and 7 gave her money to GO
That there was no particular signif-