People v. Clarke

Defendant was convicted by a jury in the circuit court for the county of St. Clair on September 2, 1959, of taking indecent liberties with a minor child. The child involved was an 11-year-old girl who had lived with defendant and his wife since shortly after birth. The complaint upon which the warrant for defendant’s arrest was issued was signed by his wife.

At the trial the wife admitted she was not the mother of the child. She testified she did not know if her husband had legally adopted the child and that “he (the defendant) is supposed to be the father of it (the child).” Defendant denied…