Mother's Maiden Name: Forbeck
DESPONDENCY WAS CAUSE OF CLARK SUICIDE, IS SHOWN BY TESTIMONY AT INQUEST
Despondency due to worry over business conditions was responsible for the suicide of Bernard Clark Friday night in his wife's bedroom at their home, 79 Peyton street, according to testimony of witnesses at the inquest today by Coroner W. R. Congdon.
That Clark, an automobile top manufacturer, contemplated killing himself for at least three hours before he finally dramatically placed the gun to the side of his head and pulled the trigger, was indicated by the story told by Mrs. Clark.
Went To Funeral
"We had been over to Watsonville to Mrs. Rossi's funeral and got back around 4:30," said Mrs. Clark. "I stopped a minute at the shop and Mr. Clark talked and laughed. I went on home because he had to make out the checks for his payroll.
"About 6:30 he came home. I had dinner ready for him but he said he had something more to do down town and went away again. In just a few minutes he called me on the telephone and said he wanted to see me. I drove down to the shop and asked him what was the matter.
"He had a revolver at his desk. I recognized it as one that had been at our house and which I had asked him to take away from where the children might get it. I told him that gun was not loaded and he laughed and said, 'You never can tell.'
Heard Shot
"I told him to quit fooling and come on home; that his dinner was waiting. I went out to my car and heard what sounded like a shot echoing through the shop. Mr. Clark came out, however, and followed me home in his car.
"I was tired. We'd been out all afternoon. I decided to go right to bed. Mr. Clark stayed a time out in the kitchen and I thought he was getting something to eat.
Waved Gun
"Then he came into the bedroom, snapping on the light as he did so. I saw him take his gun out of his pocket. He waved it around over the bed where I was and said, 'I'm going to take you with me.'
"I I said, 'You're crazy, Berny.' I thought he was fooling. I told him to put the gun away and come to bed.
"Then he put the gun to his head. I thought then it wouldn't work. It gave just a sort of click but he fell down on the floor."
Business Worries
George C. O'Fallon, 103 Broadway, an old friend of Clark's; Clarence G. Mendoza, 87 Peyton street, who was summoned by Clark's son with the message that his father had been hurt, and Thomas L. O'Neil, partner in the auto top business, all testified that Clark had expressed to them his worry over business conditions. J. R. Cleveland of the city police force told of his investigation of the shooting when he was called to the Clark home at 9:30 Friday night, and of finding in the shop the bullet which Clark fired in his experimental shot before he went home.
The members of the coroner's jury were A. J. Costella, H. S. Williams, H. van Gerichten, L. O. Wright, Fred M. Bernhardt, Frank J. Schwing, Manuel Kanianek and P. E. Laskowski.
Published in the Santa Cruz Evening News on March 30, 1931
DESPONDENCY WAS CAUSE OF CLARK SUICIDE, IS SHOWN BY TESTIMONY AT INQUEST
Despondency due to worry over business conditions was responsible for the suicide of Bernard Clark Friday night in his wife's bedroom at their home, 79 Peyton street, according to testimony of witnesses at the inquest today by Coroner W. R. Congdon.
That Clark, an automobile top manufacturer, contemplated killing himself for at least three hours before he finally dramatically placed the gun to the side of his head and pulled the trigger, was indicated by the story told by Mrs. Clark.
Went To Funeral
"We had been over to Watsonville to Mrs. Rossi's funeral and got back around 4:30," said Mrs. Clark. "I stopped a minute at the shop and Mr. Clark talked and laughed. I went on home because he had to make out the checks for his payroll.
"About 6:30 he came home. I had dinner ready for him but he said he had something more to do down town and went away again. In just a few minutes he called me on the telephone and said he wanted to see me. I drove down to the shop and asked him what was the matter.
"He had a revolver at his desk. I recognized it as one that had been at our house and which I had asked him to take away from where the children might get it. I told him that gun was not loaded and he laughed and said, 'You never can tell.'
Heard Shot
"I told him to quit fooling and come on home; that his dinner was waiting. I went out to my car and heard what sounded like a shot echoing through the shop. Mr. Clark came out, however, and followed me home in his car.
"I was tired. We'd been out all afternoon. I decided to go right to bed. Mr. Clark stayed a time out in the kitchen and I thought he was getting something to eat.
Waved Gun
"Then he came into the bedroom, snapping on the light as he did so. I saw him take his gun out of his pocket. He waved it around over the bed where I was and said, 'I'm going to take you with me.'
"I I said, 'You're crazy, Berny.' I thought he was fooling. I told him to put the gun away and come to bed.
"Then he put the gun to his head. I thought then it wouldn't work. It gave just a sort of click but he fell down on the floor."
Business Worries
George C. O'Fallon, 103 Broadway, an old friend of Clark's; Clarence G. Mendoza, 87 Peyton street, who was summoned by Clark's son with the message that his father had been hurt, and Thomas L. O'Neil, partner in the auto top business, all testified that Clark had expressed to them his worry over business conditions. J. R. Cleveland of the city police force told of his investigation of the shooting when he was called to the Clark home at 9:30 Friday night, and of finding in the shop the bullet which Clark fired in his experimental shot before he went home.
The members of the coroner's jury were A. J. Costella, H. S. Williams, H. van Gerichten, L. O. Wright, Fred M. Bernhardt, Frank J. Schwing, Manuel Kanianek and P. E. Laskowski.
Published in the Santa Cruz Evening News on March 30, 1931
Mother's Maiden Name: Forbeck
DESPONDENCY WAS CAUSE OF CLARK SUICIDE, IS SHOWN BY TESTIMONY AT INQUEST
Despondency due to worry over business conditions was responsible for the suicide of Bernard Clark Friday night in his wife's bedroom at their home, 79 Peyton street, according to testimony of witnesses at the inquest today by Coroner W. R. Congdon.
That Clark, an automobile top manufacturer, contemplated killing himself for at least three hours before he finally dramatically placed the gun to the side of his head and pulled the trigger, was indicated by the story told by Mrs. Clark.
Went To Funeral
"We had been over to Watsonville to Mrs. Rossi's funeral and got back around 4:30," said Mrs. Clark. "I stopped a minute at the shop and Mr. Clark talked and laughed. I went on home because he had to make out the checks for his payroll.
"About 6:30 he came home. I had dinner ready for him but he said he had something more to do down town and went away again. In just a few minutes he called me on the telephone and said he wanted to see me. I drove down to the shop and asked him what was the matter.
"He had a revolver at his desk. I recognized it as one that had been at our house and which I had asked him to take away from where the children might get it. I told him that gun was not loaded and he laughed and said, 'You never can tell.'
Heard Shot
"I told him to quit fooling and come on home; that his dinner was waiting. I went out to my car and heard what sounded like a shot echoing through the shop. Mr. Clark came out, however, and followed me home in his car.
"I was tired. We'd been out all afternoon. I decided to go right to bed. Mr. Clark stayed a time out in the kitchen and I thought he was getting something to eat.
Waved Gun
"Then he came into the bedroom, snapping on the light as he did so. I saw him take his gun out of his pocket. He waved it around over the bed where I was and said, 'I'm going to take you with me.'
"I I said, 'You're crazy, Berny.' I thought he was fooling. I told him to put the gun away and come to bed.
"Then he put the gun to his head. I thought then it wouldn't work. It gave just a sort of click but he fell down on the floor."
Business Worries
George C. O'Fallon, 103 Broadway, an old friend of Clark's; Clarence G. Mendoza, 87 Peyton street, who was summoned by Clark's son with the message that his father had been hurt, and Thomas L. O'Neil, partner in the auto top business, all testified that Clark had expressed to them his worry over business conditions. J. R. Cleveland of the city police force told of his investigation of the shooting when he was called to the Clark home at 9:30 Friday night, and of finding in the shop the bullet which Clark fired in his experimental shot before he went home.
The members of the coroner's jury were A. J. Costella, H. S. Williams, H. van Gerichten, L. O. Wright, Fred M. Bernhardt, Frank J. Schwing, Manuel Kanianek and P. E. Laskowski.
Published in the Santa Cruz Evening News on March 30, 1931
DESPONDENCY WAS CAUSE OF CLARK SUICIDE, IS SHOWN BY TESTIMONY AT INQUEST
Despondency due to worry over business conditions was responsible for the suicide of Bernard Clark Friday night in his wife's bedroom at their home, 79 Peyton street, according to testimony of witnesses at the inquest today by Coroner W. R. Congdon.
That Clark, an automobile top manufacturer, contemplated killing himself for at least three hours before he finally dramatically placed the gun to the side of his head and pulled the trigger, was indicated by the story told by Mrs. Clark.
Went To Funeral
"We had been over to Watsonville to Mrs. Rossi's funeral and got back around 4:30," said Mrs. Clark. "I stopped a minute at the shop and Mr. Clark talked and laughed. I went on home because he had to make out the checks for his payroll.
"About 6:30 he came home. I had dinner ready for him but he said he had something more to do down town and went away again. In just a few minutes he called me on the telephone and said he wanted to see me. I drove down to the shop and asked him what was the matter.
"He had a revolver at his desk. I recognized it as one that had been at our house and which I had asked him to take away from where the children might get it. I told him that gun was not loaded and he laughed and said, 'You never can tell.'
Heard Shot
"I told him to quit fooling and come on home; that his dinner was waiting. I went out to my car and heard what sounded like a shot echoing through the shop. Mr. Clark came out, however, and followed me home in his car.
"I was tired. We'd been out all afternoon. I decided to go right to bed. Mr. Clark stayed a time out in the kitchen and I thought he was getting something to eat.
Waved Gun
"Then he came into the bedroom, snapping on the light as he did so. I saw him take his gun out of his pocket. He waved it around over the bed where I was and said, 'I'm going to take you with me.'
"I I said, 'You're crazy, Berny.' I thought he was fooling. I told him to put the gun away and come to bed.
"Then he put the gun to his head. I thought then it wouldn't work. It gave just a sort of click but he fell down on the floor."
Business Worries
George C. O'Fallon, 103 Broadway, an old friend of Clark's; Clarence G. Mendoza, 87 Peyton street, who was summoned by Clark's son with the message that his father had been hurt, and Thomas L. O'Neil, partner in the auto top business, all testified that Clark had expressed to them his worry over business conditions. J. R. Cleveland of the city police force told of his investigation of the shooting when he was called to the Clark home at 9:30 Friday night, and of finding in the shop the bullet which Clark fired in his experimental shot before he went home.
The members of the coroner's jury were A. J. Costella, H. S. Williams, H. van Gerichten, L. O. Wright, Fred M. Bernhardt, Frank J. Schwing, Manuel Kanianek and P. E. Laskowski.
Published in the Santa Cruz Evening News on March 30, 1931
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