Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-08-01

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poor mother aud brother were dead; the
body did not discharge much water
about twenty-five minutes had elapsed
from the time l first saw Johnson until
We found her; saw no marks about
her face: we rowed down the stream to
where Major Overbagh and son were on
shore; the Major spoke to us to rub her
arms and arteries, which we did; the
Major told US to row down to the bridge;
we rcwed down to that place the doc
tor had not yet come; johnson request
ed me to 60 for the doctor johnson did
not at any time point out the place
where the occurrence happened he said
they had been ashore: he did not tell
me where they went ashore Mrs. John.
sons body was found not more than ten
or twelve feet from the shore below the
rocks.
Mary Jane Vincent, sworn-I live in
Watertown, Jefferson county: lived
there in 1858: am sister of the late Mrs.
johnson; their second child and third
(Alice) were at my house after the death
of their mother: Alice was three years
| old last January; johnson was at our
house the next week after the children
came there; johnson was lying on a
lounge in the dining-room u my father S
residence; the child came up to hil,: the
first conversation that / heard was whi,.
he was lying on the lounge; was sitting
near him; the child said, '.Papa, why did
you put Ma and Josey in the water ?''
She repeated the same question two or
three times, and he did not answer; she
said, "Papa, how did Mamma and Josey
get in the water? Papa, did you put
Mamma and Josey in the water Z" He
said. '.you know, you was there" This
| is all the conversation [ remember that
took place at my fathers house: at a sub.
sequent time, at my house, something
over week. / heard another conversation
between them; johnson had taken the
child out Of the dining-room up stairs to
retire: he had just started on the steps;
the child said, ''Papa, why did you strike
Mamma and Josey and put them in the
water!' lie made no answer that
heard: the child conVersed with him all
the way up stairs about the death of her
mother, but cannot now recollect what
it was: l was so young when my sister
was married that cannot tell the day OF
| the month, but it was in October: she
would have been married fifteen wears
the next October after she died: she
would have been thirty.six years old the
December following her death: she had
four living children; subsequently | ask.
ed him in regard to the death Of his wife:
he thought boat ride would be bens.
fit to him, his wife. and children he
proposed a boat ride to pick berries
they forgot the pail; they proceeded mp
the stream very pleasantly saw berries
on the shore and landed they were on
the shore some time; picked berries and
ate them; after they were on shore some
time, they returned to tho boat; he took
Alice and placed her in the boat; Mrs,
Johnson had the baby; after he set Alice
down, he assisted Mrs. johnson in the
boat; he took hold of her by one of he,
arms with one hand, and the other he had
| firmly around her waist; she bit be,
| foot against seat in the boat: he though,
she caught him by the lapel of his coat,
and then drew him with her in the wa.
ter, and either then or in the struggle in
the water, the lapel of his coat became
torn nearl y, to the skirt they both i'm
lnediately sauk: he had presence oi
mind enough to reach down his hand
when they came near the bottom, and
sprang to throw them to the surface; he
came near enough to take in air was
much strangled he thought she did no,
get any air: he had taken SO much wa.
ter in his lungs that be became weak
and Immediately sank; the cause of tina,
remark was-I said: Mr.. johnson, you
could swim, why didn't you do SO? III,
said he used to swim when he was boy
but his lungs got full of water, and bcins
weak, he Immediately sunk: this wa,
the excuse for not swimming; he though
| they came to the surface again, or nearl,
! so, but sank again-ln all three times
| he ran; he could not save himself ant
i her: she had hold of him all the time
i nc thought of his children, and to saw,
himself gave her up; he tried to releas,
: himself from her, and after great deal o.
struggling, he succeeded: when he re
leased her hold from him, she woult
grapple him again, either on his arm o.
} clothes; finally her grasp gave way, ans
he lost himself, and when he came to. h
found himself at the bottom of the creek
he crawled up on his hands and feet S,
he could get bis head out of water: b
looked and saw her about eight feet from
him in deep water; he thought he woul,
so and save her or die with her; he step
edout into deep water, but immediatei,
sank; when she saw bin sink, she CAV
} him a look of agony, enough to say h
could not save her; she was lying on hel
side with her face toward him on the sur
face Of the water: when he got on th
i shore, he looked around: she was lockin.
at him, and he thought she motioned Il
| him; he saw her hand move; he did no
know, but he imagined it; it took him ,
4 great while to get up the bank, and &c
help; he was very weak. His statemen
in this particular did not vary, from tina
already given. I asked him about th,
bruises that her. sister saw, on her nos,
and temple; he said if there were an,
bruises, they were either caused by th'
struggle in the water or by falling oyer
h0o ri. nc che xvac oo;nr ~ 70 m oyorhoo ri