The star-progress. (Opelousas, La.) 1917-1921, 1921-07-13
GRIM DEATH CALLS
AND JOHN W. CLARK
TAKES SILENT TRIP
Fourth Ward Alderman At
tends Meeting and Dies
That Night
MYSTERIOUS DEMISE IS
CAUSE OF CONJECTURE
Dead Many Hours When
Discovered i'll Bathroom
Wednesday

w. Clark, alderman from the fourth
city ward and prominent jeweler and
fraternal order member, passed into
the silent shades of death, myster-
iously and without helping hand IN
natures fight against the gripping
fingers of the Grim Reaper. His pass
ing is mystery unsolved and hu-
man curiosity has been stirred to its
very depths as to the direct or indi-
rect cause of his untimely end.
Mr.. Clark attended the regular
meeting of the board of aldermen
Tuesday night, being the last mem
Der to show up for the proceedings.
He had closed his store at the usual
hour of 6 o'clock, repaired home, par
taken of supper and then returned to
town where he was due for the coun-
ell meeting scheduled for 1880 p. m.
When he entered the city hall sew
eral noted that he had a drawn and
haggard look about his face, and his
unusual ouietness and failure to take
much part in the proceedings, coup'-
ed with the fact that he made fire.
ouent trips to the ice water cooler
was noted by a number of his close
friends who little dreamed at the time
that within a few short hours his life
less body would be all that would re
mind his friends that he had lived.
Following the meeting of the coun-
Gil he went to the Candy Kitchen on
Landry street, in company with
friend, where he partook of some soft
/ drink, the fever that was evidently
consuming his interior anatomy seem,
| ing to call necessarily for something
cooling. He returned home between
I 1O:30 and II o'clock, and that was the
last seen of him alive.
Wednesday it was noted that his
place of business was not opan as
usual but no one thought 4nything
strange of the occurrence. One Ct
his neighbors, Mr.. Butler, who re sid IS
next door to the Clark home IN South
Union street, noted his absence from
the jewelry store and inquired OF
Mrs. Clark where her husband was
This query was made several times
during the day, and finally she told
Mr.. Butler "if you want him You'll
find him in the bathroom"
Mr.. Butler proceeded to the bath
room and found the lifeless body, clad
only in night clothes, jammed be
tween wall and bathtub. The dis
eovery was made at o'clock in the
evening of Wednesday, and from the
condition of the body it was esti
matd that he had been dead any
where from twelve to fourteen CT
fifteen hours, having passed away dur
ing the night before around the mid
night hour
The alarm was given and with al
haste due attention was given tht
remains and a hurried but thorough
investigation of any and all causes
that might have brought on death SC
suddenly and without warning. Tht
body was badly bruised about the
head and ants in large numbers
swarmed over the entire anatomy
whether the bruises we're broughI
about by the dying man falling be
tweetnhtube
between the tub, and wall and injur
ing himself in the convulsions. is diff
cult to say. A cornoer's jury was EN-
paneHed and an Investigation held
4 under DR.. LitteIl, the coroner, the yer
dict being that death was brought OF
by heart failure. An autopsy was al
so held and the internal organs re
moved for chemical analysis. Whethel
this analysis has shown anythint
strange or not has not been giveI
out.
Mrs. Clark has been suffering from
mental arrangement for many year.
and only recently was brought hom'
from an asylum where she had spen
many months. Apparently she wa
either thoroughly well or on the wa,
to full recovery. Mr. Clark was de
votedly interested in her condition
and welfare and to that end did no
hesitate to spend his substance h
having her mental affliction treater
by the best specialists in the land.
John Clark was native Of Missis
sippi, and the date of his death wa
almost - years of his age. He ha'
resided in and around 0pelousa
from early boyhood, He has an olde
brother, Roland W. Clark, who reside
at Palmetto. His aged father, VIII
once resided here, is now a citizen 0
Mississippi, having returned ther
many years ago. Mrs. Clark was