“YANKEE CLARK.”

Southern Cross, Volume 2, Issue 28, 6 October 1894, Page 9

“YANKEE CLARK.”

The first owner of the section referred to above "was a man named Clark, whose mysterious disappearance caused great excitement amongst the early settlers. Mr Ro. Garrick, then, or shortly afterwards, in the service oftbe Southland News, kindly supplies the following particulars of the episode : —“Yankee Clark” -was a carpenter, engaged, at the time of his disappearance, erecting a dwelling house at Long Bush. He brought a cheque to town with him for £SO, which was cashed in small banknotes. The evening prior to his disappearance he attended a ball in celebration of the opening of the first courthouse. There he got introduced to, and danced repeatedly with, a girl who resided as a domestic at Mokomoko. Next day he spoke of going down to visit her at Mokomoko. The result was that for two days no notice was taken of his absence. The third day it was ascertained he had not been to the Mokomoko, and a search was instituted, every man in the place turning out and taking part therein. The dense bush back from Tay street as far as the Waihopai was ransacked, but no traces were found. A report got current that he had been murdered for his money, and the body deposited down a well on the premises of the Albion hotel. The well, however, was examined, with no better results. I understand the search in that direction was repeated, but nothing was got to support the suspicion. There can be no doubt that a mott unjust aspersion was cast on Lind, the then proprietor of the establishment, who was, in other respects a man of good repute. The only glimmer of light ever thrown on Clark’s fate came from the “ Black Doctor,” poor fellow, a man also badly misused in his time. The doctor’s story was that on the night of the disappearance he got benighted in the bush down the river flat, and heard repeated dies of distress proceeding from the direction of the river. No attention was paid to the story, and now, after the lapse of 35 years, the theory suggested by the Black Doctor’s statement is, to my mind, the only feasible one. We may add to the foregoing that sometime ago a brick dwelling was erected on the section (which is nearly opposite the Temperance Hall, in Esk st.) and occupied as a boarding house.