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Background
Matthew Stark never knew his real name. He was left at a church in Ohio by his mother; he was called "Matthew" after the saint but had no idea where "Stark" came from. When he left the orphanage, he killed a man who had brutalized him for years. He migrated to the West where he killed a man who tried to cheat him at cards.The card cheat had a reputation as a gunman and Matthew had to kill three other men who tried to make their reputations by killing him.
Matthew became a bank robber. He was attracted to a prostitute named Mary Anne—with two daughters—who worked for Manual Cruz. Matthew convinced Mary Anne to go with him and establish a ranch. Cruz wanted $500 "to pay Mary Anne's debts." Matthew offered $100 then had to kill Cruz in self defense. Ethan Cruz, Cruz's foster son, followed Matthew and his family to their ranch. While Matthew was away, Ethan, in the company of three other men, killed the two girls in front of Mary Anne then killed her. He left the bodies for Matthew to find.
Matthew set out in pursuit of the four men. He tracked and killed all but Ethan, who had taken the name James Bohannon, joined a missionary society, and departed for Japan. Matthew joined the same missionary society and followed.
Cloud of Sparrows
On January 1, 1861, Matthew awoke on the Star of Bethlehem, which had just made port in Japan.