The March 15, 1925, Philipsburg Mail carried the story: Sheriff has leg amputated “Sheriff Sam B. Clark had his right leg amputated below the knee last Saturday morning at Dr. Knight’s hospital. The operation was performed by Dr. Knight. He was assisted by Dr. E.G. Wilcox of Drummond, Mrs. Veda Yenter, a nurse, and A. Price Townsend.
Sheriff Clark broke several bones in his ankle a few years ago and it was apparently well until about two years ago when he injured it again while searching the hills for a trace of two lost children. His leg became gradually more infected and was endangering Mr. Clark’s health and recently his physician advised him to have the leg amputated. Mr. Clark stood the operation in fine shape and is now getting along nicely and it is believed that he will be able to receive visitors some time next week.”
I know something of this story because A. Price Townsend always helped my Bentz grandparents with the summer haying. After supper Price would tell us kids stories and the story about amputating sheriff Clark’s leg was one of them. When I worked at the hospital in 1958 Doris Kemper, the Registered Nurse, administered ether to the surgical patients but apparently in the 1920’s alcohol was the chosen anesthetic. Price described sitting on Sam’s pelvis with his legs straddled over him on the surgical table. After putting a wedge between Sam’s teeth, Price would pour whiskey down his throat every time Sam tried to move while the two doctors sawed away on his leg.
Sam was born to Sam M and Elizabeth Brown Clark in Warrensburg, Illinois on August 12, 1855 and married Molly E. Fults on July 3,1877. The 1870 Federal census lists him in Post Oak, Missouri and the 1880 census lists him in Pioneer City, Montana. In 1900 the census shows him working at the Sunrise Mine and in 1910, they were living in Philipsburg. Molly’s obituary states she arrived in Montana in 1881 and Philipsburg in 1882, where she remained until her death on May 20, 1932. They had a son Ernest B. shortly after arriving in Philipsburg and he died in 1915 at Thompson Falls while employed by the U.S. Forest Service.
Sam worked as a laborer and miner most of his life but was interested in Law Enforcement and ran for sheriff of Granite County in 1912 with 318 votes to Dan McLeod’s 353 and Frank Morse’s 211 votes. Dan McLeod beat him again in 1914. In 1916, F. Burks was elected to the office.
Sam began serving as Undersheriff, in 1922, during the moonshine era. He finally won the sheriff election in 1924, with C.A. Metcalf serving as Undersheriff for a period and then E. J. Muchmore. Harry Holland (from Drummond) and Freeman Tinklepaugh served as Deputies. Sam served through 1928 when “Gus” McDonald took over the office until he resigned in 1942 to serve in World War II.
During the time serving as Sheriff, is when his leg was injured and after the surgery he was in less than prime condition until catching the influenza in late 1931. After two weeks of illness Sam died from Coronary Sclerosis and thrombosis on January 11, 1931 at the age of 76. Molly died four months later and they are buried next to each other in the Philipsburg cemetery. The pallbearers were the same for both funerals: S.R. Seelos, C.A. Metcalf, F.A. Tinklepaugh, A.J. McDougal, Charles McDonald and W.E. Metcalf.
No comments:
Post a Comment