Joe Clarke

Joe Clarke, a lawyer who was born for the stage

Please note: Yes, I am using Wikipedia as a reference for Joe Clarke. The plan is to come back later and fill this in with, um, well, stronger references. For now though - enjoy the use of Wikipedia in a way that would horrify all of my past teachers and professors.

Who the heck is Joe Clarke?

Joe Clarke, in 1914, was a lawyer and alderman (city councillor) in Edmonton. And he was, in my opinion, absolutely off the wall. I don’t think I am the only though - in his book, Red Lights on the Prairies (1971), James Gray has a chapter titled “The Saga of Joe Clarke - Radical Conservative with Socialist Leanings”, and he does describe Joe as a character. [1]

The factual details about him are things like he studied law at Osgoode College in Toronto and arrived in Edmonton 1908 [2][3]. He was elected as an Alderman in 1913 and in 1918, he was elected as mayor (a detail I adore, because of his role in the civic investigation)[4]

Why Do I Think He is Absolutely Off The Wall?

From my research so far I am unsure exactly what role he had in some of the events leading up the investigation (and honestly, I am not sure I will ever know.) Gray also notes that he was unable to find out exactly how Joe played into the events [5].

He almost certainly had some role in the chief of police being canned and then replaced in February 1914 (more on that later) and he worked hard to delay the investigation from happening, as seen in the city council meeting minutes [6].

He was in court for the investigation and seems to have acted almost as a defense, though for whom I am not totally sure, but it sort of seems like himself.

For example, he questions Leonard Lang who in June 1914 is working in the photographic branch of the police department and he has Lang confirm that he has not received instructions, either directly or indirectly, from any alderman. [7]

Joe’s Rant

He goes off on a delightful rant on the sixth day (June 17, 1914) of the investigation about how hard the investigation has been on him personally, and I definitely realized I was giggling in the silent reading room of the city archives.

He starts off like this:

“Before any other witnesses are called and in view of the fact that the City Council meets tonight and that I am the mover of all the resolutions that called for this Investigation, whether your Lordship is aware of that or not,...” - Joe Clarke[8]

Please keep in mind this detail that he was “the mover of all the resolutions that called for this Investigation” - the irony? Hypocrisy? General hilarity of this will become clear when we look at the city council meeting minutes.

After establishing himself as the wonderful city council member who definitely called for this investigation, he goes on to reiterate the scope of the investigation and how much authority the judge has and how he will respect the judge’s decision in the results of the investigation.

He goes on a bit more about how hard this all is for him:

“Now sir, I know, and that is why I neglected my own business and took my seat as counsel, the probable political trend of this Investigation whether your Lordship did or not.” - Joe Clarke (Grammar is mine) [9]

Translation - this investigation is going to cost me politically, which you, the judge, may not know, and I am making a considerable personal sacrifice in supporting this investigation.

He then gets to the actual meat - one of the witnesses, Nellie Roberts (a sex worker) was questioned and “by the most careful painstaking cross-examination Mr. Biggar made her recite that she had had a ‘phone message sent to me when she was arrested the last time."

"Now, My Lord, I know what effect the newspapers made by the mere mention of my name in that section, they didn’t even give her answers, and there is nothing that your Lordship could do on the ultimate finding of this Commission that would undo the wrong that has been done to me in connection with the questions put to Nellie Roberts and her answers” - Joe Clarke [10]

Translation - the paper reported that I acted as her lawyer, which is true, and I have been permanently slandered as a result of this and absolutely nothing in the world could make this better for me.

Joe goes on for 6 pages worth, single sided, doubled-spaced of the transcript. He mentions Billie Morton, who Jessie Bell said had him as her (Billie's) lawyer (more on Jessie later) [11], but does so by pointing out that the lease she produced had not been drawn up by him but by a different lawyer.

He very carefully side steps actually saying that he was never Nellie Roberts or Billie Morton’s lawyer, because he can’t, and he continues to harangue the judge and The Bulletin for a headline that appeared in the paper the previous day: “Alderman Clarke is named as solicitor for a notorious woman of the underworld.”

The transcript notes he refers to a copy of the paper, and I picture him that morning carefully packing it into his briefcase while mentally rehearsing his speech of indignation.

He continues with this rousing statement:

“...and I defy any man to say that I ever acted in opposition to the police since I became an Alderman, I defy any other man to say the same thing. I came here prepared to fight for my honour, I came here to meet charges made by the gentleman that Mr. Biggar refused to call.” - Joe Clarke (my understanding is the “gentleman that Mr. Biggar refused to call” is that lawyer who drew up Billie Morton’s lease)[12]

The judge then cuts in, presumably while Joe pauses for effect and to catch his breath.

“I am not deaf, my hearing is quite good; kindly moderate your tone a little; it is objectionable, in what is a near approach to a court of law.” - Justice Scott [13]

Our friend Joe continues with my absolute favourite line.

“I beg your Lordship’s pardon; I have not slept a wink since I read the papers last night, and I am not in shape to address your Lordship. I want to say this…” - Joe Clarke [14]

And then he goes on for another two pages about how it is “not fair” that, in essence,the lawyers, Mr. Biggar and Mr.Ewing, did not go out of their way to preserve his good name. He also asks the judge “If there is any way your Lordship can prevent the misrepresentation and slander and libel that has been published against me…” - Joe Clarke [15]

The Finale

The judge, eventually, finishes this with the following:

“I am very sorry that the newspapers should refer to it in the way that they have, and should have given publicity to evidence that you were the legal advisor of this woman, but I have no control over the newspapers, and the matter will have to go on the usual way.” -Justice Scott (emphasis mine) [16]

The fact that the judge basically says to Clarke, tough potatoes, you did act as their solicitor and the papers can report that fact, makes me grin.

I like to think Joe Clarke gave this speech, half to the Judge and half to the audience, working the crowd by making sure his chest, and therefore voice, was angled towards them. I picture him walking slowly up and down the front of the court, hands and arms gesturing to show how truly hard done by he was, and upon finishing, giving a resigned look to the sky, as if to say “Only God can help me now.” For good measure, arms flung open to the side, almost as if he’d been nailed to a cross.

He should have been on stage.

References:

James Gray, Red Lights on the Prairies, (Toronto: McMillan Company of Canada, 1971) pg. 99, accessed through Internet Archive
Ibid. pg. 112
“Joseph Clarke (Canadian politician), Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, December 23, 2024, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Clarke_(Canadian_politician)
Ibid.
James Gray, Red Lights on the Prairies, (Toronto: McMillan Company of Canada, 1971) pg. 112, accessed through Internet Archive
City Council meeting minutes
“Civic Investigation” (Rg 8.18, Box #2, Edmonton, AB 1914) pg. 292
“Civic Investigation” (Rg 8.18, Box #2, Edmonton, AB 1914) pg. 301
“Civic Investigation” (Rg 8.18, Box #2, Edmonton, AB 1914) pg. 302
Ibid.
“Civic Investigation” (Rg 8.18, Box #2, Edmonton, AB 1914) pg. 183
“Civic Investigation” (Rg 8.18, Box #2, Edmonton, AB 1914) pg. 303
Ibid.
Ibid.
“Civic Investigation” (Rg 8.18, Box #2, Edmonton, AB 1914) pg. 304
“Civic Investigation” (Rg 8.18, Box #2, Edmonton, AB 1914) pg. 307