Jackson County IA Archives News.....Murder Charge in Death of Father April 19, 1946
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Ken Wright kenneth565@aol.com September 24, 2009, 12:56 pm

Jackson Sentinel April 19, 1946
Jackson Sentinel, Maquoketa, Jackson County, Iowa

SON FACES SECOND DEGREE MURDER CHARGE IN THE DEATH OF FATHER FOLLOWING QUARREL 
AT FARM HOME

Clayton Clark Being Held In County Jail

Francis Clayton Clark, 43, was being held Thursday morning on a second degree 
murder charge following the death of his father, Richard D. Clark, 68, of 
Maquoketa.

A coroner’s jury composed of Herman Stange and John Blessing of Maquoketa and 
Henry Wiedner, Bellevue, heard testimony in the case Thursday morning, but 
failed to release their verdict.

Testimony at the inquest revealed that the elder Poole, the son Clayton, 
another son Ray, and two grandsons, Wayne 16 and Donald 14, sons of Ray went 
to the Verdun Poole home Sunday at the insistence of Richard Clark to get a 
plow said to belong to him and to collect for 76 days labor at $6 per day, 
which the latter alleged was due him.

Wayne testified that an argument developed between his grandfather and Poole, 
with name calling on the part of Poole, who insisted he was unable to pay the 
bill at that time.

He said his grandfather prepared to leave and that Clayton pushed him against 
a wall and said: “Six dollars a day is too much for an old age pensioner to 
charge.”

Shortly after that Clayton struck his father above the left eye and knocked 
him through a door and onto a sidewalk where he is said to have struck the 
back of his head.

Testimony further revealed that cold water was used to wash off the face of 
the injured man who was bleeding from the nose and eye. The affair happened 
about 1:00 p.m., and as near as could be determined it was after 7:00 p.m. 
before a physician and ambulance were summoned. He was removed to a Clinton 
hospital where he died.

Ray testified that his brother said after striking the father “He always 
sleeps off a drunk and that’s what he is doing now.” Clayton testified he 
thought he was 43 years old and that eight or nine years ago he spent three 
months at Independence state hospital because “he got riled up” and thought 
that was the best thing to do.

He also testified that all four had been drinking and that he had “Five real 
small drinks of whiskey” while his father apparently had more. Wayne testified 
that he and his younger brother had only one drink of liquor while the older 
men drank more.

Ray and his two sons testified that they were at the scene when the father was 
struck, Ray reporting that he attempted to step between the two men and stop 
the trouble. Both Clayton and Poole are reported to have told that Ray and the 
two sons were not in the house when the blow was struck.

Testimony tended to substantiate the fact that Clayton was quick-tempered and 
had been in trouble in the past because of his temper.

Death was due to a fractured skull it was reported. The deceased is survived 
by three sons, Joseph, a patient at Knoxville Veterans Hospital, Ray and 
Clayton, and two daughters, Mrs. Bertha Smith of Clinton and Mrs. Myrtle Caven 
of Miles. Funeral service will be held Friday at 10:00 a.m. at Buchner chapel 
with burial in Streets Cemetery.


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