Iowa
Old Press
Correctionville News
Correctionville, Woodbury, Iowa
June 12, 1913
FORMER TEACHER TESTIFIES IN BEHALF OF RAINSBARGERS
Cedar Rapids, Ia., June 10 - Mrs. C.E. Clark, head of the Clark
Music company here, will play an important part in the movement
to secure a pardon for Frank and Nate Rainsbarger, figures in one
of Iowa's most famous murder cases, now serving life sentences in
the state prison. These men, who have now served 23 years behind
bars, were a short time before the time the murder was committed,
pupils in a school near Eldora, taught by Mrs. Clark, them Miss
Clara B. McClure. She was well acquainted with them and with the
incidents surrounding the murder of Enoch Johnson, alleged
counterfeiter, who was waylaid in the woods one night and beaten
to death, and for whose death the Rainsbargers are serving time.
She was a witness at the original trial of the Rainsbargers.
After many attempts to secure the freedom of the Rainsbargers
there now is under way a stronger movement than ever for their
pardon, backed up by many influential citizens of Hardin county.
Apparently, the national government is also interested in the
case, for a secret service man named Waterman now is here taking
Mrs. Clarke's depositions for use in behalf of the Rainsbargers.
Mrs. Clark says that all the incidents in connection with the
famous Hardin county murder mystery are firmly fixed in her
memory and that she believes that Frank and Nate Rainsbarger are
innocent of the crime for which they are deprived of their
liberty. She asserts that among her pupils there were no more
gentlemanly boys than these two. Her deposition evidently will be
of some length because Mr. Waterman now has been here two days.
[transcribed by C.J.L., May 2007]