It was the middle of the day in Blackett Street, Newcastle
in October 1861. Mark Frater a well respected tax collector had just stepped
out of the tax office when he was stabbed viciously by what seemed to be a mad
man. Not only did this mad man thrust a dagger into Mark Fraters neck but he
twisted it around with such force that the blade of the dagger became twisted.
Somehow Mark managed to stumble back through the door of his office and say to
his clerk I'm afraid I'm done for. Within ten minutes he was dead. The killer
named Clark made no attempt to escape and was held by two passers-by until the
police arrived.
At the assizes waiting to be tried for murder Clark stood before the judge
where he seemed overjoyed at what he had done, and he admitted his guilt with
enthusiasm. Clark said to the judge Decidedly so, decidedly so, I've murdered
him, he robbed me and now I've robbed him. This is a grand job for the penny
papers, they'll have a rare sale today. Clark was sentenced to hang but this
was commuted to life in an asylum. His reason for the murder seems to have
been, six months earlier Clark had refused to pay the dog tax and Mark Frater
had seized goods to the value from him to cover the tax.
