CLARK, Lemuel R. 1862 - 1884

CLARK

Posted By: Joey Stark
Date: 5/25/2021 at 20:23:28

"The Fairfield Tribune"
Thursday Morning, March 20, 1884
Page 3, Column 3

STABBING AFFRAY.--Last Monday evening about eight o'clock, a stabbing affray took place at the passenger depot of the C. B. & Q. R. R., which came near costing L. R. CLARK his life. CLARK is baggage master for the company at this place and also has charge of the depot buildings, it being his duty to keep the waiting rooms free of loungers and loafers. On this particular evening Mr. CLARKE (sic) ordered the boys who had been in the habit of staying there to go away and not to be seen there any more. At this George Huffman, it is said, took offense, whereupon a scuffle ensued between CLARK and Huffman, the latter of which drew a knife and made several attempts to stab him, in which he finally succeeded, cutting a gash over an inch deep in Mr. CLARK's neck and two gashes in the muscle of his arm, which so seriously affected him that he was taken to the Jones House, where he is making his home. Drs. Worthington and Eugene Campbell dressed his wounds, after which Dr. Worthington, who is Mr. CLARK's regular physician, took charge of the case. In the meantime Huffman was arrested, placed in the county jail, and had a preliminary trial before justice Russell the next day. R. J. Wilson and G. A. Rutherford appeared for the state and Ratcliff & McCoy for the defendant. The evidence was conclusive, and Huffman was placed under a bond of $800 for his appearance before the grand jury next week. As he has not given the amount required for his bail, he is still in jail. CLARK was badly hurt, but will probably recover.

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"The Fairfield Ledger"
Wednesday, April 9, 1884
Page 3, Columns 6 and 7

DEATH OF YOUNG CLARK,
Who was Stabbed at the C., B. & Q. Depot a Few Weeks Ago.

On the night of the 17th of March, Lemuel R. CLARK, baggageman at the C., B. & Q. depot in this city, was stabbed in three places by George Hoffman, a lad about 16 years of age, whom he had ejected from the waiting room of the depot. After the stabbing occurred, CLARK was taken to the Jones House, where he boarded, and his wounds were dressed by Drs. Campbell and Worthington. It was not thought at the time that they were necessarily fatal. The first few days CLARK rested very comfortably. Then inflammation in the wounded arm ensued. He became worse gradually, and died Sunday about midnight. Hoffman was arrested for the crime, waived an examination, and was lodged in jail. He was indicted for assault with intent to commit murder by the grand jury, and his bond was fixed at $2,000 and in default he still lies in jail. Being notified of CLARK's death Judge Johnson telegraphs that should the bond be tendered the clerk must accept it, but advised the filing of an information for murder so that the question of bond may be raised on the new charge.

for the last week, or since CLARK's condition has been dangerous, the matter has been pretty thouroughly discussed in this city, and because of the doubt as to the precise cause of death, it was thought best by those most directly concerned that a coroner's inquest be held. Monday afternoon a jury, Messrs. D. R. Beatty, Saml Zeigler and N. Rosenberger, was empaneled and the taking of testimony began. A "post mortem" examination of CLARK's body was also made the same afternoon by Drs. Worthington, Woods and Mohr. The testimony is too voluminous to present in full, but we give herewith some of the more important portions of it.

A. N. Daily is agent of the C. B. & Q. in this city. CLARK worked under him; one of his duties was to keep the depot free of loafers; the order came from the superintendent and roadmaster, and was to apply especially to Fairfield, where the company had been greatly annoyed; thought it necessary to enforce the order, even to the extent of ejecting objectionable parties; knew nothing of the assault on CLARK; deceased was a quiet, peaceable man.

Arthur Moroney was a witness to the difficulty in which deceased was wounded; Hoffman was in depot and CLARK asked him his business; the boy said he was there to meet friends; CLARK said he had been there too often for that purpose; CLARK took him by the arm and led him to the door; did not see CLARK abuse him; when on the south platform Hoffman told CLARK to go to hell; a scuffle ensued; saw no blows; did not see CLARK strike Hoffman; saw the latter have no knife; when CLARK put Hoffman out Hoffman followed him back toward the door; saw CLARK's wounds; always liked him.

Dr. E. Campbell assisted in dressing CLARK's three wounds and described them; three blows were struck to produce them; blood poison was most to be feared in such wounds; would not think them likely to produce rheumatic trouble; they might bring it out; recovery should have followed in two weeks with no complications; some symptoms of blood poisoning are similar to low fever; it comes by absorption of pus into the blood; it affects the joints similar to rheumatism, except as to swelling; in rheumatism early indications would be near the wounds.

Wm. Huff saw Hoffman the afternoon of the day of the trouble in a blacksmith shop; he was whetting his knife; wanted to trade knives with me, but told him I wouldn't trade with a boy; he said, "Mine will do as much cutting as yours;" we compared knives; his blade was as long as mine, but not as heavy; he gave no reason for wanting to trade; thought CLARK a nice, quiet man.

A. M. Bartlett is night operator at the depot; knew CLARK since October last; one of his duties was to keep loafers out of the depot; knew Hoffman, and have seen him once or twice at the depot; once he came in at night and remained until morning; saw CLARK take him out; the boy resisted; I opened the door and CLARK took him out; saw CLARK's wounds; do not think he was quarrelsome; never saw him strike or kick any one in putting them out; that night saw CLARK standing between Hoffman and the door; the boy was swearing he'd come back, and CLARK told him he must not; saw no knife.

Dr. Worthington's testimony covers 16 pages; he was the attending physician; described the three wounds; for four of five days they did nicely; the sixth day, wound in arm became swollen and painful; it was discharging healthy pus; this subsided and then the shoulder joint became swollen and painful; March 27th CLARK was better and able to get up, but could not walk because of pain in ankle joints; that day fever and inflammation in joints increased; both lower and upper extremities were affected by rheumatic fever; on the 29th the chest and heart were attacked, and there was profuse perspiration, great thirst and all the symptoms of pericardial rheumatism; Dr. Woods was called for consultation; temperature reached 103 degrees, pulse 120, respiration 36; assisted at "post mortem"; the heart was red in patches and denuded of its membrane; in my opinion death was caused by rheumatic pericarditis; in so far as the wounds depressed the power of life, the vitality, they may have been a predisposing cause to this fever; he showed none of the parked symptoms of pyæmia during his illness; found no symptoms of blood poisoning in his lungs; evidences in the heart did not point to pyæmia; I do not think these wounds directly caused death, but they may have indrectly; the wounds may have helped produce rheumatic fever; he was not in perfect health at the time of receiving the wounds, as I was treating him for cold and headache; the wounds were not necessarily fatal, without complications; probability was in favor of recovery; don't know whether or not these wounds were the predisposing cause of death, but they contributed to it; I think rheumatism would have developed at this time independent of the wounds, as he was of rheumatic tendency; he had one of the worst complications that can occur with inflammatory rheumatism; found no blood clots in heart, but did find lymph clots, which do not occur in pyæmia; lymph and serum are evidences of plastic formation, and where that is there cannot be pyæmia.

Dr. Woods was called to see CLARK April 1st; he had fever; all symptoms indicated inflammation; there was inflammation in the region of the heart; before I saw the patient I thought he had pyæmia, but that view was changde (sic) on the third day; from our "post mortem" examination of the lungs, and the pericardium and ventricles of the heart we found sufficient cause for death and closed our examination; did not examine the blood with a microscope, which I think would have told us if there was pyæmia; he did not have the evidences of pyæmia, but did those of pericarditis; a person dying of pyæmia might show no evidences of it in the heart; pyæmia would very naturally have followed the cut on the arm; when I saw it it was too late for pyæmia, and it could not have developed because of the two openings for the passage of pus; I believe the excitement of the occasion aroused dormant conditions which brought on disease; the exciting cause of the disease caused death; it is in probable that CLARK had not been predisposed to rheumatism these cuts would not have brought on rheumatic fever; that CLARK died of rheumatic pericarditis, the exciting cause of which might have been or was the wounds; I discovered nothing other than the wounds which might have been the exciting cause of the disease; the wounds on the neck and arm were not of fatal character without complications; CLARK was, however, predisposed to rheumatism.

Dr. R. J. Mohr assisted at the "post mortem"; found evidences of inflammation in the chest and pericardium; this with the examination of the heart and wounds on neck and arm completed our work; I think cause of death was inflammation of the pericardium, while the inflammation of the pleura was a condtributing cause; I am not able to trace any pathological connection between the wounds and the pericarditis; conditions which we found could not have existed with pyæmia; I noticed an eruption over the entire trunk--an eruption of the vesicles which may accompany a number of diseases; it may follow pyæmia; it is not a common symptom of rheumatic fever; it generally followed pyæmia; noticed discolorations on chest produced by counter irritants; accumulation of blood just beneath the skin is an indication of no value in determining presence of disease; CLARK's symptoms are usual where rheumatism causes pericarditis; pericarditis could be caused by pyæmia; I think it would not be possible to have the inflammatory products in the condition we found them if the inflammation had been caused by pyæmia; the disease which caused death was not a probably complication of knife wounds; I think his wounds were not mortal; recovery should have been in two or three weeks; pyæmia generally appears in seven to ten days, but may appear at any time while there is an open wound.

The testimony given above is all that was taken up to last night. Harry Bloss, E. W. Messick, and a man named Lee, of Van Buren county, are to be examined today, and possibly others. The verdict of the jury will hardly be given today.

Lemuel R. CLARK was a young man well known in this city, and he commanded the good will and respect of all who knew him. He came to Fairfield about four years ago and entered Parsons College as a student. He was making his own way in the world, and his studies were prosecuted under a good many difficulties. He persevered in them, however, and improved his time as best he could during his connection with the institution. During his student life he gained the love and respect of both teachers and companions, and there is not one of them will say an unkind word of him. Since leaving college he has been in this city most of his time, and has been employed by various people. About eight months ago he secured the position of baggageman at the C., B & Q depot and discharged his duties to the time of his injury. In this place, also, he was gentlemanly, courteous and attentive to his duties, winning the friendship of his fellow laborers, his superiors and the traveling public. He was of quiet demeanor, peaceably disposed, and was one of the last persons, those who knew him best say, to seek a quarrel with any person. Mr. Jones, at whose home he died, says CLARK has made his home with him most of the time he has lived in this city. That a better, trustier young man never lived, and he grieves at the death almost as he would at that of a member of his own family. He speaks of CLARK as an industrious, energetic fellow of ambition. In and out of school he had pursued his studies and his reading, and it was his intention to take up the study of law as soon as his circumstances would permit.

Deceased was a son of Mr. and Mrs. R. C. CLARK, and was born in Marysville, Ohio. He was a little past 22 years of age. When a child his parents moved to Mitchell county, Kansas, where they lived 12 or 13 years. Later they removed to Lawrence, the same state, where they now reside. His mother and a brother, Prescott CLARK, came here in answer to a telegram that he was growing worse, and were with him at the time of his death. The father arrived yesterday morning. CLARK appeared to remain in possession of his mental faculties almost to the moment of his death, although unable to talk. At times during his illness he was somewhat flighty, occasioned, doubtless, both by the medicine given him and by his suffering. His wounds caused him considerable pain at first, but since disease attacked him his suffering has been intense and unbearable. For several days before his death he was almost helpless. The funeral occurred yesterday, the remains being interred in this city, and was very largely attended despite the bad weather.

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"The Fairfield Tribune"
Thursday Morning, April 10, 1884
Page 3, Column 3

DEATH OF L. R. CLARK
The Young Man Who Was Stabbed at the Depot, March 17th.

Sunday night last, about midnight, occurred the death of Lemuel R. CLARK, the young man who was stabbed by young Hoffman at the depot on the evening of March 17th. The particulars of the affray are still fresh in the public mind. Hoffman, a boy sixteen years old, was in the C. B. & Q. depot, when CLARK, employed in the baggabe room, ejected him. After they were outside of the depot, an altercation arose resulting in Hoffman stabbing CLARK in three places. He was taken at once to the Jones House, with the proprietor of which he has made his home for the four years he has been in Fairfield. His wounds were not supposed to be dangerous, at least not so considered by the public, and the patient for a time improved. He began to grow worse about the 1st of April, and continued declining until Sunday night, when he died. Hoffman was arrested the night of th (sic) affray, and was lodged in jail. The grand jury found an indictment against him for assault with intent to commit murder, and Judge Johnson fixed his bond at $2,000. Owing to CLARK's condition the case was continued and the bond was not furnished Hoffma (sic) has remained in jail.

On the death of CLARK a "post mortem" examination was held, and Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday an inquest was held. The testimony is very extended. the matter which is evident will cause the most public comment, is as to the cause of the death. The testimony given by the physicians a (sic) the coroner's inquest seems to place it somewhat in doubt as to whether CLARK's death was caused by the wounds directly or even indirectly. The evicence of the three physicians especially who took part in the "post mortem", Drs. Worthington, Mohr and Woods, seems to fix the death as being from rheumatic pericarditis, and that this had not traceable pathological connection with the wounds. The doctors explain this at length in their testimony, which is very extensive. Dr. Eugene Campbell's evidence was that to one having a rheumatic tendency the wounds would help to bring it out; that symptoms of blood poisoning are similar to a low grade of fever; that it affects the joints similar to rheumatism, except the swelling of the joints. Dr. Baker testified that blood poisoning would be a natural and expected complication in a gunshot or knife wound, but that rheumatic pericarditis would not be an unnatural, unexpected, or improbable complication.

Below is

THE VERDICT

of the coroner's jury, composed of J. R. Beatty, Samuel Ziegler and N. Rosenberger:

An inquisition holden at Fairfield, Jefferson county, on the 7th, 8th and 9th days of April, A. D. 1884, before Thos. D. Evans coroner of said county, upon the body of L. R. CLARK, there lying dead, by the jurors whose names are hereto subscribed. The said jurors on their oath do say that the said L. R. CLARK came to his death from rheumatic pericarditis, the exciting cause of which was wounds inflicted feloniously upon his person by a sharp-edged, pointed instrument in the hands of one George Hoffman on the evening of March 17th, A. D. 1884, in the city of Fairfield, Jefferson county, Iowa.

The funeral took place from the Jones House on Tuesday. The following obituary notice is furnished us by a friend of the deceased:

Lemuel R. CLARK was born in Marysvill, Ohio, January 25th, 1862, and died in Fairfield, Iowa, April 6th, 1884.

For the past four years he has resided in Fairfield, where he has made many and true friends, who will deeply mourn his loss. Almost three years of that time, his home has been in the family of Mr. T. E. Jones, who were tenderly attached to him, and to whom he was bound by the warmest ties.

That "death loves a shining mark," is striking exemplified in the death of this noble young man; cut down as he was, in the flower of early manhood, just when life seemed opening before him with the brightest and fairest prospects. He was of genial disposition, and every one who knew Lem. CLARK loved him; he had no enemies; he was ever thoughtful and considerate of the comfort and welfare of others; generous and warm-hearted to a fault. He was unassuming in manner, gentlemanly in deportment, and enjoyed the highest esteem and confidence of the railroad company which he served. He had a great deal of business tact, and also possessed literary talent and ability of being a fine writer. He attended Parson's (sic) College, in Fairfield, for a time and was a general favorite with the teachers and pupils alike. As a student he was faithful and diligent in the performance of every duty, and was one who could always be trusted. He was very ambitious by nature, and although but twenty-two years of age, he had already determined upon a profession in life and had all his plans arraigned for the future. It was his intention soon to begin the study of law and graduate in that department.

His aged parents, brothers and sisters, whom he had not seen for years, reside in in (sic) Lawrence, Kansas, and they were eagerly anticipating a visit from him the coming summer, before he entered upon his chosen vocation.

But, truly, "man proposes and God disposes," and the hopes and dreams of the ambitious were not the plans the Lord had in store for him. Death's messenger came and the young and promising life went out; one more vacant chair in the broken home circle which will never be filled by his loved presence.

He was a most patient sufferer during his terrible illness and bore the most severe pains without a murmur or complaint. The unvaried attention of thoughtful and loving friends smoothed his pathway to the grave. His mother was summoned to his bedside during the last week of his sickness. The family of Mr. Jones, with whom he lived, loved and cared for him as a son; waited on him with kind and tender ministrations to the last, doing all in their power to relieve his sufferings and to ward off, if possible, the approach of the destroyer. His brother Preston came the day before he died, and his father arrived in time for the funeral.

He was not a member of any church, yet he was always an exceptionally good boy, and his life, his daily walk and conversation, were without reproach. He was moral, upright, pure, noble, and manly in the highest degree.

The funeral discourse was delivered by Rev. Dr. Ewing, of the Presbyterian church, of this city, and the services throughout were eloquently impressive.

His remains were interred in the Evergreen Cemetery, in Fairfield, and were followed to their last resting place by a large concourse of sorrowing friends.

The sympathy of the entire community is extended to the bereaved parents and friends in their affliction and grief, for one whose young life was so cruelly and untimely cut off. Lem. is gone, but not forgotten. Like the beautiful flowers he loved so well, his memory will ever be fresh and fragrant in the hearts and minds of all who knew and loved him here on earth.

He sleeps in Jesus, and we trust it is well with him.

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*Transcribed for genealogy purposes; I have no relation to the person(s) mentioned.

Note: Buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Fairfield, IA, in Lot Old.P.086.