The Weekly Gazette for Middlesbrough, Stockton, Hartlepool and Cleveland District. — 1879-12-13 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

EUGENE ARAM.  A criminal, with whose name all readers of English literature must be familiar, was closely connected with York Castle. Eugene Aram was by birth a Yorkshireman ; he came of good family, which had, however, declined in prosperity, so that Aram's father was employed as gardener by Sir Edward Blackett. The young Aram exhibited early that remarkable taste for learning which subsequently gained him an honourable name, and his precocious tastes were fostered by his father's master. By sixteen Aram had already acquired muoh erudition, which increased from year to year, mastering not only Latin and Greek, but Hebrew also, with extraordinary speed and ease.. To these, while engaged as usher or tutor in various parts of the kingdom, he added Chaldaio and Arabic, with botany, heraldry, and many of the sciences. He was living, married, at Knaresborough, in Yorkshire, from 1743, where a Mr William Norton was his patron, and afforded him the assistance necessary for the pursuit of his studies. But while thus engaged, Aram appears to have fallen in with evil associates. He becarr e especially intimate with one Houseman, a , flax-dresser, and the two entered into a confederacy with another man named Clarke, who wa,s.to borrow plate and other valuables from his frieuds, and defraud them of them. Clarke was enabled to do this on the credit of a reputed fortune, which was to come to him with his wife; but he bought also, and pretended in this respect to act as agent for a London merchant, who wished to send the goods abroad. Suddenly Clarke disappeared ,and was heard of no more. Aram and Houseman, who had been his associates, were suspected of oomplicity in the fraud, but although the houses of both were searched, little was found to incriminate them. A little later Aram also left Knareeborough, and nothing more was heard  of him till he was found 18 years afterweeds an usher in &school at Lynn. Nothing twee would have been heard of Clarke had sot a labonror discovered, when digging at a place called Thistle Hill, near Knaresborongh, the skeleton of a body, which bad evidently been buried double, and which pointed clearly to some foul play'. Suspicion arose that this keleton was that of Daniel Clarke, audit was now remembered that Aram's wife—whom he had deserted —had hinted years before that I:er husband and Honseman had made away with Clarke. Search was made for Houseman. Hu was fonnd, turned Ring's evidence, and directly accused Aram of the murder. ills story went that he awl Aram With* house of the latter in company with Clarke, and that on reaching a place ' culled St. Robert's cave Houseman saw Aram strike Clarke " several thrive over thu levied and head, and saw him fall lie if he were dead, upon which lie came away and left them." lie added later that Clarke"it body was buried in the cave, when,, in effect, it was subsequently found. An enquiry was now set on foot for Aram, who was eventually found at Lynn. He Was qnestioned, but denied that he had ever been it Kuareshorough, or that he had ever known a man limed Daniel Choke, John Barker, a constable of Knaresborough, identified him, and he was apprehended and conveyed to York Castle, where he was tried in August, 1759. In his defence ho argued so ably, and with so much specious cleverness, that the judge characterised his speech as one of the most iogouieux pieces of reasoning which had ever falleu under his notice. He pleaded find hie kuown studious habits, aid his hitherto unblemished life. " My days," he said, "were honestly laborious ; my MOAN intensely studious." Ho urged that Clarke's disappeariug was no proof that he wart dead, and he quoted the ease of the prisoner Thompson, who had escaped two years previously from York Castle, and of whom nothing more had been heard. He pointed out that human bones were NO constantly discovered that there could be nothing extraordinary in the appearance of those in St. Robert's Cave. Lastly, he deprecated the soceptance of cit.. ournstantial evidence and King's evidence, cinoting many instances where both had been subooquently proved utterly false, Nevertheiese he was fonnd guilty, and was sentenced to death. After his conviction he acknowledged the justice of his sentence, and confessed to the clergyman who administered to him that be had actually murdered Clarke. His excuse was that he suspected Clarke of having intrigued with Mrs Aram. Bulwer, In his novel " Engene Aram" which though one of his masterpieces, gives a flotitione Interest to Aram's character by invoeting it with many fine traits, makes his hero declare that he Was led to murder Clarke in the hope of obtaining money to carry out some groat scientific discovery. The novelieil deals as he pleases with his story; but tbe fads clearly ShOW that Aram was solely In. nuanced by greed. Aram was executed at the Tyburn, York, hut he nearly cheated the gallows. The morning of the execution, when roused to have his irons remove!, he was found too weak t rise. On examination it was dis• covered that he had opened a vein in his arm with a raaor which he had concealed in his cell. He was, however, promptly tended, and so far restored that he stood the journey to Kne.vesmire, and there met his end. After execution his body was hung in chains in Knaresborough Forest. A paper was found in his cell, written, as It Was aupposed, just before he out his arm with the razor. It was a rhapsodiesl excuse for his attempted suicide, and en led as follows :  " I slept soundly till threo o'olook awnked, then wrote these lines :  " Como pleasing net, Martial slumber fall, Seal mho that onoo mutt aeal tha eyos of RU; Cohn mid composed my /miller journey toksia, No guilt that trouble', and no boort that Rohm Adieu I thou elm, MI bright like her Arlan ; Adiou I fair friend, and all I hat's good and who, —From the " Reoortie of York Castle.'