How do I do a search of The National Police Gazette? I would like to
look up a story that my aunt remembers reading about L. Vaughn Clark,
who married my great grandmother in about 1900 but later eloped to
France with a mistress, taking with him my great grandmother's art
collection. Mr. Clark's parents put Pinkerton's on the case, and
recovered the art works. Not sure when this took place but it would
have probably been before 1915, maybe as late as 1920. |
Request for Question Clarification by
larre-ga
on
03 May 2003 13:14 PDT
In order to locate specific Police Gazette archive information, I'm
trying to pin down the date more closely. Do you know if L. Vaughn
Clark was ever the owner of a home in Old Field, New York? I have
located information indicating home ownership of Red Roof - Marymead
Farm by an L. Vaughn Clark in that location subsequent to 1917.
--larre-ga
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Clarification of Question by
winkley-ga
on
03 May 2003 17:54 PDT
I would guess it is possible that L. Vaughn Clark did own property in
Old Field, New York, although it may have been his father who was the
owner (I think they had the same name). My grandfather's 1908 high
school year book entry lists his permanent residence as Setauket, New
York, which is about 5 minutes away. By 1907 my great grand mother
was living in St. Louis, as were her in-laws, Mr. Clark's parents. I
am not sure if Mr. and Mrs. Clark senior owned my great grandmother's
house, but it is possible, as they agreed to support her for the rest
of her life after their son eloped to France. In any case, I believe
Mr. Clark the father was also called L. Vaughn Clark, and he would
have owned either 41 Vandeventer Place and/or 11 Vandeventer Place in
St. Louis from 1906 or 1907 onwards. He was the one who hired
Pinkerton's to track down his son in France and recover the paintings
for my great grandmother, and apparently he disinherited his son as
well. I suppose L. Vaughn Clark junior took the paintings because he
didn't have much wealth himself, so, again, the property in Old Farm,
New York probably was owned by his father. Not sure when the senior
Clarks died, but I'm pretty sure it was in St. Louis. They stayed
close to my great grandmother, and I have photos of her visiting their
house. My aunt says that L. Vaughn Clark junior lived in France the
rest of his life, and walked to Spain at the end of World War II (he
would have been around 70 to 80 years old at least). He ended up in
St. Louis, by which time his parents were dead, and was put in a "rest
home" paid for by the Clark family trust that also supported my great
grandmother. He died there before my great grandmother's death in
1952. As she was bedridden from about 1942 until her death, she sent
her maid to Clark's funeral, and the maid was the only person who
showed up. Some story!
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Request for Question Clarification by
larre-ga
on
03 May 2003 18:46 PDT
If these events occurred in 1906 or before, I am able to refer you to
sources for Police Gazette archives. I've not yet located a "sure an
certain" source for archives post 1906, though I will continue my
search if it is likely this historic incident occurred in 1907 or
later. Do you remember what age your grandfather was when his father
eloped?
--l
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Clarification of Question by
winkley-ga
on
04 May 2003 07:00 PDT
I have no idea when all of this occurred. I know they were married in
about 1900, and that L. Vaughn Clark appears in the 1905 census as
head of household for the house they then lived in in New York City.
Am not certain after that because father and son probably had the same
name, and because my great grandmother stayed close to his parents the
remainder of their lives. I know they moved out to St. Louis in 1907
or so, but my grandfather's yearbook lists Setauket (part of the Three
Villages, which includes Old Field) as his permanent home in 1908.
Also that my father, born in 1917, doesn't remember L. Vaughn Clark at
all, nor are there any family stories that include him, nor mention in
the small number of family letters I have for the 1910 to 1920 period.
Do you have any idea how to get hold of census data for St. Louis, or
home ownership records? Perhaps that would indicate whether he even
went to St. Louis with them. In sum, there is a small chance this
occurred before 1906, but ideally one would want to search 1906 to
1915 as well.
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Clarification of Question by
winkley-ga
on
05 May 2003 19:13 PDT
In going through various family papers this weekend I found a photo of
my great grandmother taken at her in-laws house in St. Louis. My
grandfather had handwritten at the bottom of the photo that the
picture was taken at Charles Clark's house - so perhaps the father's
name was different and the owner of Red Roof in Old Field was the L.
Vaughn Clark married to my great grandmother. Based on the
information on the Three Villages Historical Society web site, he
would have bought it in 1907. Am pretty sure they had moved to 11
Vandeventer Place in St. Louis by 1908, so possibly L. Vaughn walked
out after this time.
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Clarification of Question by
winkley-ga
on
08 May 2003 15:10 PDT
Have tracked down ownership records of Red Roof with dates, etc. L.
Vaughan Clark bought it in 1907 and seems to have transferred title to
my great grandmother (Grace Wilson Clark) the same year. In 1912 the
house was sold again, with the owners of record making the sale being
Charles M. and Lenore S. Clark (L. Vaughn's parents) and "Trustees of
Louis Vaughan Clark." So, I'd guess that L. Vaughn Clark eloped with
his mistress sometime between 1907 and 1912, since the family story
involves L. Vaughn's parents disinheriting him and agreeing to support
my great grandmother for the rest of her life. Perhaps she transferred
ownership of Red Roof to her in-laws when they agreed to support her?
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