Historic%20Yorkshire

156
EUGENE ARAM.
who wanted them for exportation. By these representations
Clarke had gathered together goods of considerable
value, when suddenly he disappeared from the neighbourhood,
and no tidings wereeverheardofhim.
On account of the extensive frauds whichhad beenperpetratedby
the trio,and their operationsbeingsuspected
on the disappearanceof Clarke, the houses of Aram and
Houseman were searched, but nothing was found of a
nature tending to imply complicity. A short time after
this, Eugene Aram left Knaresborough, and nothing was
known of him in that district until thirteen years afterwards,
when the murder was first suspected. In the
meantime he had first proceeded to London, where he
obtained a situation as writing master and teacher of
Latin,an appointment which he retained for two years.
After this,the next trace ofhim is at Hayes,inMiddlesex,
wherehe was again employed as a writing master. Four
years subsequently we find him engaged in transcribing
Acts of Parliament for registrationinChancery. Lastly,
he was appointed usher of the Free School, Lynn,
Norfolk. While officiating in this capacity, and also
during his previous wanderings,he had added the French
language to his acquisitions, and had projected an undertaking
for forminga comparative lexicon,and to this end
had preparedthe comparisonsof morethan three thousand
words in the Celtic, English,Latin, Greek, and Hebrew
tongues. Byron Webber, in writing on this subject,
says: " Whether or not this marvellous activity ofmind,
these extraordinarypowersofmental acquisitiveness, and
this insatiable thirst for knowledge, were provokedby a
desire to still the pangsof remorse,it is impossible to say.
It is clear, however,that Aram could not have derived
much pecuniary benefit from the murder and robbery
of Clarke, else why rush in this manner from one kindof
inadequately-paid labour to another?" Another question
which materiallyinfluences our opinion and judgment in
the matter is the fact of his sober and circumspect life
from the timeof his departurefromKnaresborough, for we