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Mountain State Mysteries contains adult content that may not be suitable for all audiences.

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Listener discretion is advised. I'm your host Mark and I'm Courtney and this is Mountain State Mysteries.

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The case we have for you today is about a woman whose life tried to bring her down so many times,

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but she always came out on top. That is until one night in August of 1953.

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This is the case of Juliet Staunton Clark. Juliet Staunton Clark was born on January 30th,

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1894 to Florence Buffington and Edward Staunton. We will go ahead and answer this one question

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that we know you probably have. Yes, Juliet Staunton Clark and Juliet Buffington-Inslow

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were related. They were first cousins. Juliet Staunton Clark grew up in a family

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that included several of West Virginia's most influential and prominent names.

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Her mother's father was Peter Klein Buffington, the first mayor of Huntington, West Virginia.

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Her father is remembered as one of Connell County's elite Republican leaders and one of the men who

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helped mold a fledging street railway system into the Charleston Transit Company. In 1960,

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Juliet graduated from Smith College, a prestigious women's liberal arts college,

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which holds a special place in the hearts of its alumni. In September of 1960, Juliet married

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Buckner C. Clay, who was an attorney at what is now Spillman Thomas and Battle in Charleston.

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The couple would have two sons, Buckner Woodford Clay Jr., who was born May 23rd,

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1919 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Lyle Buffington Clay, who was born December 15th,

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1924 in Baltimore, Maryland. On November 23rd, 1923, Buckner Clay passed away from a lingering

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illness. In the Hinton Daily News, it's said, quote, he was one of the most prominent members

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of the West Virginia Bar and was known well by the legal fraternity throughout the state. He always

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took an active interest in the civic affairs of Charleston, and his passing away was a sad blow

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to the best interests of that city. Clay came from an old Kentucky family, being born in Paris,

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Bourbon County, December 31st, 1877. He graduated from University of Virginia and located in from

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the College of Law at the University of Charleston in 1893, where he has been permanently located

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ever since. Funeral arrangements were not yet completed this afternoon, end quote.

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On August 13th, 1929, Juliet married Walter Eli Clark, former governor of Alaska, from 1909 to

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1913, and a well-known newspaper personality. In 1914, Walter came to Charleston, West Virginia,

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and purchased the Charleston Daily Mail, turning it into a respected and strong newspaper publication

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that continues to this day. In 1931, the two's welcomed a dollar. Julia Clark, the family moved

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into a home on Virginia Street in Charleston. As the years went on, Juliet and Walter both became

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prominent names in Charleston. Juliet played a very active role in local politics and served as the

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president of the Charleston Garden Club in the Charleston Junior League. Walter was known for

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his love of horticulture and flowers. On February 4th, 1950, Walter Eli Clark passed away from a

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heart attack. His obituary read, quote, Walter Eli Clark, 81, owner and editor of Charleston Daily Mail,

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died in a Charleston hospital at 1 27 p.m. two hours after suffering a heart attack at his home,

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1598 Virginia Street East. He had been in comparatively good health recently. Mr. Clark

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suffered recurring heart attacks in recent years. One of the city's most prominent civic leaders,

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Mr. Clark, came to Charleston April 16th, 1914, and a proprietor of the Charleston Mail,

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which is now the Charleston Daily Mail, column widely read Mr. Clark's personal editorial column,

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quote, at this hour, end quote, which appeared on the front page of the Daily Mail was one of the

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most widely read columns of the state. Born in Ashford, Connecticut, January 7th, 1869, the son

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of Orrin Andrus Clark was graduated from Wesleyan University when Mr. Clark came to Charleston a

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year later, he began to campaign to make Charleston the quote, Rose City of the East, end quote, and

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was the founder of the Charleston Rose Society. Serving as its first president, he took an active

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interest in the society and took part each year in the annual rose show. At the time of his death,

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he was the society's honorary president. The success of the rose show won him wide recognition,

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and he was elected president of the National Rose Society, serving from 1928 to 1929. He also was an

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ardent believer in the Charleston community chest of which he was one of the founders. Mr. Clark was

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a member of the Canal Presbyterian Church, the Canal and Edgewood Country Clubs, and the quote,

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Metropolitan and Chevy Chase Club in Washington, DC, end quote. Mr. Clark's first marriage was

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to Lucy Harrison Norville of Washington, DC, and Lynchburg, Virginia, who died in 1920. He married

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Mrs. Juliette Staun Clark Clay in Charleston in August of 1929. She survives also as a daughter,

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Miss Juliette Clark, at home. Service will be 4pm tomorrow at Canal Presbyterian Church. Dr. Bernard

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E. Vander Beek, minister, will officiate and burial will be in the Mountview edition of the

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Spring Hill Cemetery. Pau bearers will be Jack Morris-Savant, Jennings, Dick Hudson, South Hall

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Burke, J.B. Martin, Howard Wolfe, Clyde Jenkins, Arthur McQueen, Robert Thompson, Frank Polk,

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all employees of the Daily Mail, end quote. After the passing of Walter, it was just Juliette in

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the house on Virginia Street, so she decided to sell her home and build a house on Staunton Road.

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Not only did she build a new home, but she also took over the day-to-day operations of the Charleston

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Daily Mail. It's said that she led an uneventful and peaceful existence in her new position.

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Juliette's life seemed to be going as well as it possibly could, that is, until August 21, 1953,

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which started out as any typical day for anyone in Charleston. Juliette went to the Daily Mail

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office on Virginia Street, where she did her typical day of work. After work, Juliette returned

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home around 7pm. Lyle Clay arrived at the residence and stayed for an hour, not too long after 8pm.

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Arch Alexander Jr., who was the husband of Juliette's daughter, arrived at her home to

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check on his two-year-old son Archie. Arch was staying with Juliette for a while because his

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mother was in Canal Valley Hospital, where she had a difficult birth to twins. Sadly, one passed away.

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Alexander said that he talked to Juliette for a while before he left the house around 9pm.

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Alexander was the last person to see Juliette Staunton Clark alive. After Alexander left,

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Juliette talked to Miss J. Honor Davis on the phone. The call would end around 10.30pm.

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At 11pm, Miss John Merrill, the wife of Juliette's half-brother, was walking in her home when she

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overheard what she described as Juliette's raised voice. Mind you, they lived about 70 yards away,

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so she would have been screaming for it to be heard. She just thought that Juliette was saying

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goodbye to someone who was visiting her, so she didn't think too much about it.

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On Saturday, August 22nd, 1953, a little bit before 9am, Bessie Smith and John Woodson,

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Juliette's maid and housekeeper, arrived for what they thought would be another typical day of work.

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They both noticed that the outside lights were still on and the front door was slightly open.

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They decided to enter the home through their entrance. When Bessie entered the home,

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she looked into the kitchen and she was surprised by what she didn't see. In one of Bessie's

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interviews, she told authorities that Juliette was in the habit of making her own coffee and breakfast,

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but Bessie noticed that there were not dishes in the sink. Bessie walked out of the kitchen and

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into a hallway, which led into the living room. While looking around, Bessie noticed that one of

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the rugs was messed up. Bessie walked into the living room where she saw Juliette Staunton-Clark

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laying face down, dead on an area rug about a foot away from a wooden coffee table. With the

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discovery of Juliette, both Bessie and John went out of the house and flagged down a passing car

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who turned out to be Thomas Fleecin, another relative of Juliette. Thomas was driving by on

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his way into Charleston. Thomas was the first one to call and let police know what happened to Juliette.

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When police got the call, Lieutenant Joseph Crafts, who was head of the detective division

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and Chief Dewey Williams rushed to the crime scene. Not too long after they arrived, Sergeant Carl

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Sean Holster and Canal County Corridor, Golf Lily, arrived to the crime scene. When the news of the

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murder of Juliette hit the city of Charleston, reporters from the local radio station, television,

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and newspaper were on the scene as soon as they could be. And just like at any crime scene,

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a crowd of people started to show up to see what was going on. During his investigation, Lily noticed

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injuries to Juliette's head and face, thinking that at first she was shot with a pistol. Quote,

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Ms. Walter E. Clark, 59, the principal owner of the Charleston Daily Mail, was found dead on the

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living room floor of her Loudoun house home today, and police said she had apparently been murdered.

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She had been slain by a pistol shot wound through the right eye. The left eye was blackened and

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discolored. Chief of Police Dewey Williams said that it looks like murder. End quote. Williams said

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that, quote, a final official verdict would await on autopsy at Charleston General Hospital

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by Dr. Walter Putzcar. End quote. Later, it was revealed that it wasn't a bullet hole that killed

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Juliette. It was actually a small penetration caused by a heavy blow from a blunt object. So

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basically like a knob, hammer, or something with a sharpened edge. Juliette's autopsy revealed that

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she had at least three blows to her head, which any other three could have been the fatal blow

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that killed her. Her skull had been fractured in three different places. Sadly for Juliette's death

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was an instant. She died from internal hemorrhaging, which could have taken up to five minutes.

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The floor around Juliette's body was covered in dried blood. With this and other evidence,

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Lilly placed her death between 11 p.m. and midnight, 10 hours before her body was found.

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While looking around the house, officials noticed that the house was not ransacked.

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There was evidence of a struggle in the living room. The corner of the coffee table in the living

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room had a corner dented and one of the legs had been split. This basically told officers that when

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Juliette hit the ground, she hit hard by hitting the coffee table. You can see images of it and

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any other picture we reference in this episode on all of our socials at Mountain State Mysteries

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or on our website, mountainstatemisteriespodcast.com. There was also an ashtray on the coffee table that

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had been overturned with a burnt cigarette that fell out of it. In the hallway leading to one of

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the bedrooms, officers found Juliette's purse. Around the purse, officers noticed a few things

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laying on the ground. Receipts, envelopes, and two pairs of glasses. At first it appeared to officials

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that nothing was taken from the home. Some of Juliette's jewelry was found on her along with

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some that was still in her home. The only thing that seemed to be taken was a red leather billfold,

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which was always had a little bit of cash in it. So with this, they kind of thought maybe they were

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dealing with a robbery gone wrong. Authorities began to search the house to see if there was

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any forced entry. From the open kitchen door to the front door, there was no sign of a forced entry.

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So they started to think that maybe the killer left the front door open while they left the

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house. Authorities noticed one of probably the most important pieces of evidence in this case,

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laying at the corner of the living room on the right side of Juliette's head. A small piece of

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vanished oak stain with blood that containing a few strands of Juliette's hair. Authorities believed

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that this piece of wood came from whatever object was used to kill Juliette. During the search,

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Bessie Smith found Archie Alexander, Juliette's grandson, in one of the rear bedrooms. Archie was

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just waking up and was unharmed from what happened the night before. After authorities searched the

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home and found Archie safe in his room, they sent off the piece of varnished wood that they found.

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Later, the state police announced that the lab results confirmed that the piece of wood was,

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in fact, part of the murder weapon. After this, it seemed that the investigation stalled. Authorities

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were not afraid to say that they had no idea what the motive to Juliette's murder could have been.

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However, the Charleston Police Department did question those less known to have seen Juliette

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on the day of her murder. And when they called her son-in-law, the press took this and ran with it.

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In an article, it said, quote, Police quiz Miss Clark's son-in-law, Arch Alexander Jr.,

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fresh after ordeal lasting 12 hours. The son-in-law of socially prominent Miss Juliette Stanton Clark

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was questioned continuously for more than 12 hours yesterday about her murder. The longer deal

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was recessed at 11.40 p.m. last night and Arch J. Alexander Jr., who married Miss Clark's only

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daughter three years ago, was released unconditionally, end quote. In the book, Murder on Stanton Road,

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the violent death of Charleston Daily Mail owner Juliette Stanton Clark, it said that, quote,

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newspaper reports said Alexander looked fresher than his interrogators. The composed young attorney

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repetitively refused to reply to questioning from reporters except to ask that he not be photographed.

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He repeated the same phrase over and over, no comment. I do not want to be quoted on anything,

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end quote. We also want to say that her own son, Lyle, who was known to be with Juliette hours before

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she was murdered, was also questioned and the questioning was shorter than what Alexander's was.

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With the questioning of Alexander, officials made it clear to the public that he was just being

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brought in for routine questioning and that they should not make any conclusions with him being

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brought in. Mayor John T. Copenhager said in an article from the Charleston Daily Mail, quote,

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It would be most unfortunate to point the finger of accusation at one who was examined merely because

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of the examination itself. Loose talk with no factual bias should not be included at this time,

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end quote. The next day, Mayor John Copenhager held a press conference where he displayed a ball

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peen hammer. In an article it said, quote, Yesterday at a press conference in his office,

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the mayor displayed a ball peen hammer on his desk in City Hall. There were no apparent blood

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stains or other matter on the hammer, end quote. Police Chief Williams said that they were pressing

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ahead with their investigation on the thought that the hammer may have been used as a murder weapon.

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Williams added that the hammer had been found in no other than Arch Alexander's basement,

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but it was quickly determined that the piece of wood at the crime scene was different than the

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hammer that was found in Alexander's basement. Williams said that the findings were conclusive,

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but Mayor Copenhager basically took offense to this statement and said that the hammer had not

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been ruled out as being the murder weapon. And to no one's surprise with how things were going

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between Mayor Copenhager and Chief Williams, Copenhager put out a statement making it clear

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that he felt the police were handling the investigation the best they could, but that

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they should require outside assistance it would be made available to them. A few days later,

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Fred Embaugh, who was an early criminologist who helped elevate trickery and deceit to a high art

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of police interrogation arrived in Charleston. To me, since he was so well known for all of his

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work with polygraphs, it was a big deal for him to come to Charleston and look into the case of

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Juliet. I mean, this man was known around the world for all of his work. While Embaugh was in

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Charleston, he ministered the polygraph examination to at least 20 people of interest in the murder of

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Juliet. Testing ended on September 10th, 1953. You would have thought that with almost every other

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case we have covered that after questioning things would quiet down some. However, on the same day,

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September 10th, 1953, officers with the Charleston Police Department were seen in the Canal River

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in diving gear, which this isn't like the Westseats we have today. Patrolman George Nulley and future

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chief of police Sergeant Dallas Byas refused to comment on why they were actually searching the

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river. In an article for the Charleston Daily Mail on September 13th, 1953, it said, quote,

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the long search for some tangible clue that would lead to the baffling murder of Miss Juliet Staunton

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Clark continued on three separate fronts. A professional diver progressed with his tedious

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search of the Canal River off of McCorkle Avenue between South Ruffner and the Chesapeake and Ohio

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Station. City detectives assigned to the slaying pushed their probe of what information was at hand

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and Charleston Street Department workers were checking sewer openings in the area in the area

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of the Clark home in Luden Heights. The quest in the river and sewer openings is for a possible

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murder weapon used in the brutal killing. Mayor Copenhaver said the search along the river is

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being made by Tom McGuffin, a professional diver from Point Pleasant. Mayor Copenhaver said it was

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possible that the killer in the driving from Luden Heights had disposed of the murder weapon in the

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river after reaching McCorkle Avenue or while crossing the Southside Bridge. He said it is

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possible that the river will be searched from bank to bank beneath the bridge, end quote.

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Around this time, Emba sent his final three page report to the Charleston Police Department on September 16th, 1953.

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In an article for the Charleston Daily Mail it said quote, a written report of the findings of Dr. Fred Emba of Chicago during the six days he's been here,

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aiding in the unsolved murder of Mrs. Juliet Staunton Clark was received here today. Mayor

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Copenhaver announced the report contains a three pages, a single space typewritten copy and its

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dissemination and analysis of the nationally known criminologist conclusions that Mayor Copenhaver

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said he would not make the report public. A few days later the search of the canal river ended.

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We want to say that during our research we actually found that some people came up to the

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river to watch them search the bed of it. We can only imagine what they found at the bottom of the river.

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Honestly, I feel like if we were in Charleston at the time we would have totally been there.

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I know for a fact we would have been there and good god as nasty as what it is today.

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Oh I could only imagine. I would say probably and I don't know why I feel like it would probably be

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10 times nastier back in the day. Oh yeah. There's probably like three head of fish in there. So true.

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And on September 20th the investigation took another turn. In a Charleston Daily Mail article

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police announced that they were looking to identify everyone who purchased a copy of a

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magazine called Air Progress. They refused to say why they were looking for anyone who purchased

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the copy but in an article from the Charleston Daily Mail said quote, a semi-official publication

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dealing with advances in progress in aviation catapulted into the spotlight yesterday in the

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month-old investigation of the murder of Miss Juliet Staunton Clark. Without elaborating the

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city detective bureau announced that it was trying to locate purchasers of the magazine Air Progress.

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The annual publication was placed on sale at newsstands August 21st the night of Miss Clark's

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death the night Miss Clark was beaten to death. In a prepared statement investigating officers said

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quote, the city detective bureau in its investigation of the murder of Miss Juliet Staunton Clark

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urgently request that all persons having purchased in the city of Charleston the magazine Air Progress

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of which there were not too many copies distributed. Contact Lieutenant Joe Craft, Sergeant

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W.W. Fisher or Detective Mayford Haynes either in person or by phoning the detective bureau

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at 2-5403. The magazine retails for 50 cents and its title is further explained by a footnote which

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says quote, history of aviation by the editors of air trails end quote. The 1953 to 1954 issue

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contains 500 illustrations and concentrates heavily a military aircraft. The cover shows a military

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jet in flight with the label quote, today end quote. A second picture of an old-fashioned biplane

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labeled quote, yesterday end quote and a third picture of a futuristic jet aircraft titled quote,

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tomorrow end quote. Almost everyone who purchased a copy of the magazine was located and questioned.

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Nothing really came from this search at the end. After this not much happened in the case however

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the public kept pressure on Charleston City Hall and the police department because they wanted the

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killer to be brought to justice and to no shock the combination of public and political pressure

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led to backlash and following the backlash Juliet's brother who took over the Daily Mail after her

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death he put a statement in the paper quote, with a little over two months time since the brutal

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slaying of Juliet Staunton Clark a sister of the undersigned it is pertinent that a brief review

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be given to the public of the facts that is in the subsequent investigation looking towards the

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apprehensive and conviction of the murderer some may think the reward of $2,500 too small a sum

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this newspaper and members of Mrs. Clark's family are able and willing to increase the reward many

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folds is such would in any way expedite apprehension of the criminal the amount was arrived at after

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consultation with authorities with proven experience advice was given against the adoption

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of a larger figure from the outset the family has preferred financial and other aid in the employment

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of the outside investigators or anything else of help but repeated conferences with able

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representation of the municipal and state authorities and the federal bureau of investigation

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as well as Dr. Fred Embaugh a nationally known criminologist we have concluded that the

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investigation is in able hands we have intimate knowledge of the tremendous amount of work which

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has been done we know what is being done and we know much of what is planned the newspaper has

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published all the pertinent facts but it has not seen fit to publish all of the rumors and the

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hosted details in the investigation which might well damage reputation of innocent people also

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helped to render the work of the authorities it is foul business it is heartbreaking business

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but it will be solved the authorities are determined to solve it we have the family and

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newspaper known it will be solved it is an extremely baffling and difficult case but much

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has been accomplished a solution will not restore our beloved sister and gracious working partner

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but is now known but it is now the first and last order of business our heavenly father does not

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plan that this crime go unpunished Fred M Staunton publisher in October the Charleston Gazette

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posted their own article quote two months ago Juliet Staunton Clark prominent Charleston

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socialite and publisher was found murdered in her South Hills residence for several weeks

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following police and city officials conducted a relentless investigation in the effort to find her

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killer but now the search seems to have ended or if it's being continued there is nothing new to

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report there are no new clues no additional persons are being questioned the clamor for the killer

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or killers a miss Clark is dying down an aroused community is no longer demanding

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that no stone be left unturned and aroused community is no longer demanding that no stone

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be left unturned to bringing them to justice oh when the quiet of a thousand living rooms

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it may still be the number one topic of discussion when the rest of the day's news has been scanned

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but the dreadful truth is the bludgeon slaying is being forgotten yet here was a murder so dreadful

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that only two months ago housewives who have been previously neglectful were suddenly bolting their

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doors securely before retiring for the night newspaper editorial writers were joining the

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public officials civic and church leaders in promising that Charleston's most sensational

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killing in 20 years or more must be solved police were moving fast in those hours and working around

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the clock persons acquainted with miss Clark or even remotely suspected of being in the area of

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the murder the night it occurred were being subjected to long hours of questioning worse

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still submitting to lie detector tests conducted by an expert of national recognition a section

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of the canal river was dragged several items were examined as possible weapons the house and grounds

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were carefully gone over several times in the wake of such a diligent investigation may well

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rest the reputation of every person who had been consulted questioned or apprehended at later

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release what the future holds for them cannot be settled until the tongue stopped gossiping

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or the murder itself is solved the rumor mongers will never be silenced for they thrive on the

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like a dashal attitude of the police and their bosses when the newspaper headlines are burned

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with the last week's trash they look for new more positive glories to most of them the Clark murder

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is as dead as the woman herself the gazette does not believe this should be permitted to happen

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in fact we think we are safe in stating that neither does the Daily Mail of which Miss Clark

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was a principal owner but we are not handicapped by the proximity of the slang as in our competitor

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so we do not have to hesitate to say that justice is not being accomplished here if it is as the

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police say there are no new clues and the trail is cold then let us start afresh to do this may

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require a brand new set of investigators public or private should they require additional funds

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then let us hear so if there is not a sufficient amount in the city's treasury then let us have a

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public subscription this is a rich and growing community its citizens for the most part are

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honest and respected they should not permit this crime to go unsolved the solution of this murder

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is not the only thing at stake there is a safety and integrity of the living to consider too end

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quote and you guys may be surprised about this but Mayor Copenhaver has something to say about

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this article as well the article title was Mayor Ribbs Gazette over Clark probe quote promising

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that the Clark murder investigation will continue until the killer has been brought to the bar of

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justice Mayor Copenhaver accused the Charleston Gazette of demagory yesterday in a blistering

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answer to the front page editorial in its sunday's edition the mayor charged number one the gazette

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editorial was not written in good faith number two it represented another step to unjustly

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embarrass the family of Juliette Stoughton Clark the Daily Mail the police department

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and the present administration number three the gazette writes itself a letter when something is

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too bad for even the gazette to print as its own a quote cowardly was to strike at an adversary

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a competitor or a political cowl but that does not delir the gazette end quote number four the gazette

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does not believe in law enforcement to the extent indicated by its editorial he went on to defend

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the actions of the police and city hall by talking about the hours and dollars that have been put

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into the investigation he included the in search of the canal river and bringing in dr imba he

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also said that the investigation was far from over on october 27th the gazette had a reply for

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mayor Copenhaver quote mayors should leave Clark investigation to the police quit seeking political

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gain the mayor of Charleston in an obvious moment of wrath has endeavored to discredit this newspaper

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while defending his administration's handling of Juliette Stoughton Clark's murder case the

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procedure is an old one with the mayor next week when we write something he likes he will use the

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same number of words while praising us but we are not interested in his opinions of the press at this

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moment and we suspect that the public which has been extremely patient is not either what everyone

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hopes for and has a right to expect is a solution of the most sensational killing in a generation

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or more for the city's chief executive to roam all over the lot in trying to protect his political

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record and not take definite action is becoming more tiresome by the day to put it frankly the

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mayor's chickens have come home to roost when the Clark case broke more than two months ago Mr.

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Copenhaver immediately installed himself as the poor man's Mickey Spilling and to the confession

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of both the public and the police department he has been hamming up the act ever since now the

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murder has gone unsolved and because the gazette mirrors the thinking and alarmed sit-insery is

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expressing growing impatience he has seen it fit to question our methods of publishing a newspaper

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we are content to leave his decision without readers and we think that the mayor should leave

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the business of trying to find the killer or killers of miss clark to the men who have been

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trained to do this work if they are no nearer a solution which they have indicated for the past

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several weeks then we can see nothing wrong with the proposal that they seek additional help we

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join with the mayor in sharing his concern of the cost of the Clark case we repeat that if the city's

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finances are endangered because of it then the public's description is in order he needs only

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say the word and the gazette will do everything in its power to further such a campaign end quote

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on february 9 1954 Juliet's brother posted a new reward on the front of the Charleston Daily Mail

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Clark's reward raised to fifteen thousand dollars leading to finding the killer of his sister

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the case seemed to die down a little bit that is until october 6 1954 while addressing a fellowship

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dinner at the Boyd memorial christian church mayor copenhaver was asked a question about the murder

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of Juliet Clark and responded quote the police in city knew the identity of the killer but lacked

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the evidence to make a conviction end quote he also said quote unless some new piece of evidence

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is turned up there is a little chance that the person guilty of the crime will ever be prosecuted

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end quote his words were printed yet again in the Charleston Gazette and he of course fired back

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he claimed this time that the publication was not playing fair in printing remarks he described as

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casual and not on the record and what's crazy this entire time more than the Charleston Gazette had

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his statements in the paper i guess he only wanted to go against him for some reason the hard times

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during 1953 to 1954 caused a strain on the marriage of Julia Clark and Arch Alexander

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four months after the death of one of her twins and the murder of her mother their son Arch

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Alexander died in the hospital in a newspaper article it said quote Arch J Alexander three

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year old grandson of late miss Juliet Staunton Clark dies tuesday night in Charleston Memorial

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Hospital from complications resulting from burns suffered 15 days ago the child's death follows

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less than three months of the murder of miss Clark in her Luden House home he was the only other known

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occupant of the house at the time of the murder the murder remains unsolved end quote in August

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of 1954 Julia and Arch filed for divorce time went on during the years but through the 1950s the case

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would make headlines three different times each time was brought up by a phony confession either

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out of wanting to reward money or just out of them thinking that they actually did it when they did

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not mayor copen haver and the Charleston police department followed each and every single lead

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with each confession but always turned up empty-handed as time went on the investigation

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into the murder of Juliet Staunton Clark it was cleared it would never be closed this August will

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make 71 years of the unsolved murder of Juliet Staunton Clark the legacy of Juliet has not left

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Charleston the Daily Mail is still in operation and her family still has a legacy in Charleston

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the Clay Center was built in honor of Buckner and Lyle Clay today the Charleston Daily Mail and the

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Charleston Gazette have merged and became the Charleston Gazette Mail the home that Juliet built

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and where she was murdered still stands on the heels of Charleston West Virginia

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Courtney do you have any final thoughts on this case in all honesty I think it was just

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odd that they never released Dr. Emba's report

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and I honestly feel that the that they knew the entire time who it was

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and I feel because they didn't have the murder weapon but they didn't feel like they had enough

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evidence to convict the person and in all honesty I can say shame on them I don't care how much that

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they spent on this case or whatever it's just a shame on them Mark do you have any final thoughts

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honestly my only final thought is that I believe it was Arch I fully believe it was Arch I fully

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believe it was a hammer don't know how he got rid of the hammer or where the hammer is but I fully

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believe because he was a prominent member of Charleston and his family was prominent members

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that it's kind of just like the other cases he kind of just got away with it and money talks

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stay tuned for our next episode where we will be telling you about a murder

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that has left people asking more questions than they've been receiving if you find yourself

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enjoying Mountain State Mysteries take a second to follow and rate it on your favorite podcast

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platform it helps others find good West Virginia true crime podcasts don't forget to follow us

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on Instagram Facebook and TikTok all at Mountain State Mysteries do you have a case you want us

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to cover email us at mountainstatemisteries304.gmail.com for the show notes check out our website

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mountainstatemisteriespodcast.com

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