Stewart-Randolph County GaArchives Obituaries.....Clarke, John T. July 1889
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Carla Miles http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00010.html#0002476 December 7, 2004, 10:27 am

The Marion County Patriot, July 26, 1889
The Marion County Patriot, No. 29
July 26, 1889	
Page Two

Judge John T. Clarke Killed

Hon. John T. Clarke, judge of the Pataula circuit, residing at Cuthbert, met a 
horrible death at Smithville, about 2 o’clock Monday.  He was enroute from 
Cuthbert to Macon and got off here, as his train waited two hours for the 
Jacksonville mail.  The train from Macon arrived on time and waited twenty 
minutes for dinner.  Judge Clarke, with several friends, walked over to the 
artesian fountain in the center of the town, and just before the westbound 
train left he entered the train and was engaged in talking to Mr. Gunn.

While so engaged the train started.  For some reason he remained on the train 
until it had gone about 100 years, when he came out of the rear passenger car 
and stepped off the car.  The place he got off was near the switch, where three 
sets of rails approached each other.  He seemed to have overlooked the fact 
that the superintendent’s car was attached to the rear of the passenger car, 
and as he stepped off among the rails he fell toward the train and was run over 
by the rear car.

His head and neck were badly crushed.  The rear trucks of one coach and the two 
trucks of the rear coach passed over him.  His head was almost severed from his 
body, hanging barely by a thread.  His shoulders and arms were literally mashed 
in pieces.  Death was instantaneous.

Superintendent Starr had the lifeless remains placed in the car and carried to 
Cuthbert.  No possible blame can be attached to the railroad officials, and it 
can only be classed as an accident.

Judge Clark was in his 56th year, his life being spent principally in Randolph 
and Stewart Counties.  He married Miss Laura Fort and has one child, Judge W.F. 
Clarke of Lumpkin.  He was appointed by Governor Brown judge of the Pataula 
circuit in the sixties, and was removed by Meade.  He then began the practice 
of law actively until he was again elected to the judgeship of the Pataula 
circuit, succeeding Judge Hood.  This position he held at the time of his death.

He was also a minister in the Baptist church of high rank.  He was a graduate 
of Mercer University and a trustee of that institution.  He is a brother of 
Judge Marshall J. Clarke of the Atlanta circuit.

As a judge he ranked foremost in the state, and was often spoken of for the 
supreme bench.  He had served this district in the state Senate and filled many 
other positions of honor and trust.

The Marion County Patriot, No. 29
July 26, 1889	
Page One

The friends of Judge John T. Clarke all over the state learned with sincere 
regret of his tragic death at Dawson Monday.  He was one of the ablest jurists 
in the state and was a good, Christian gentleman.





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