The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1868-12-03
DgAru OF A FoRMre RESIDENT or

! DEAru OF A FcRMER RESIDENT oi
TiTrfS Below We CIV. ,hs partic-
ulars of the death of Nj. Charlei
l.. johnson, aud the cyidcuce addactt
before the Coroner's Jury. His sad
death took place in Davenport, Iowa
on the night Of 2ond ult: We un-
derstand that when ho resided in
Tilln he stood high in the estimation
Of the people Of the County, and his
death in such manner was shock
as well as terrible surprise, to his
many fricuds.
4 On the evening VI tho laih inst, Nr.
Ohas, l.. johnson, arrived ut this city on the
nun from the west aud put urat the Burtis
House lie ramc trom Iowa City, but regis.
tered his address simply Ne Iowa" On the
| evening of The 7lst he called upon Geo. II
! Parker EsG, whom he knew in Ohio, aud
| spent two or three hours with him. He also
caled upon DR.. linrling ON SATURDAY, aud
| ryneWtd an Acquaintance formed in Tinn.
Ohio. Ills demeauor ai tho hotel was that of
/ q quiet mau, and ne gave no evidence Of
any intention to ond bis mortal career
es'erday morning the porter Of the hotel
tonnd HIM dead In his bed. On n stand
VASE tumhler ia which was slight unan.
| NY OF lauionum, and subsequently a nor.
ton ni q two ounce vial was found ON shed
beneath, but some distance from his window.
| The vial was labeled "Laudanum- Poison;
H. q 5. Huntington, Druggists, I6 Brady
street."
Coroner Thomson was summoned Tie
! telcgraphcd to u brother OF the deceased
who resides at Iowa City, nnd postponed
further sction. In the evening he held an
inquest at the Burtis House, where tastimo-
ny was taken substantially as iollowsf
De Peck testified that being sent for bv
Dr. Burtis, he went 10 room No. en-. and
found Mr. johnson lying on his righ, side
rigid aud dead A broken 2 o.. vial was
shown the doctor labeled "audnnum. from
the drug storc OF Huntington. also a glass.
In which there wcrea few drops OF a tluid
which he called laudAuum. The doctor was
OF opinicn that one ounce Of laudannm OF
this official strength would be sufficient TO
produce death
Mr II. Huntington, Of the firm Of rH.6S
Huntington, druggists, &c Braiy street. was
sworn, ne said he did not recollect having |
sold the laudauum to the person whose body |
he had seen, but tho bottle was evidently |
from his store.
Michael Kelly, porter Of the Burtis, trsti- !
ned that he saw Mr.. johnson Mt a. o'clock /
on Monday evening. lie had bsen in the |
house three or four days. lie had GOOD |
deal OF conversation with him lie appear |
ell IN bis right mind until Tuesday evening |
when he made mistake and went snto the |
wrong room. lie said he had no money. |
but expected some soon. Witness found |
him dead between and o'clock In the |
morning. His clothes werc oT aud his |
door was locked.
Mr Burtis testified that Mr.. johnson came
10 MS hotel on the eveaing Of the 10Th
lie has been very quiet during his stay, |
reading and convcrsng most OF the tine. 4 |
day or two ago the Doctor thought he look |
eG wild and unnatural. The Doctor tcsH.
ned as to the finding Of the body by tho Dor.
ter aud sending for Dr. Peck.
Geo. H. Parker testified that he had known
Chas l.. johnson from lS4S to 1852, and |
had not known him intimately since. De- |
ceased called upon him on Friday evening, |
aud spent the evening. lie spent Saturday |
forenoon with deceased and rode out into |
the cotntry with him. Nj Parker noticed
nothing peculiar in his manner. They talk
et about railroad matters. Deceased snid he
had $4,000 OF Tiflin & Fort Wayne railroad
bonds in the hands Of parties in Chicago
and New York. lie said nothing which
would lead any Que to think that he was
hard up for money.
Rawlin johnson, Of Iowa City, brother Of
the deceased testified that he saw his broth
or for the lust time on Thursday evening,
the 10th inst, nt O'Clock in Iowa City,
Deceased told him that he was coming TO
Davenport 10 see Mr. Parker. IIe had been
subject to fits, and had one about two we.ks |
ago In Iowa City, and the doctor said It was |
eplIeptic His brother had told him that he |
thought they would kill him some time. ms
he felt they were injuring his mind and said
he had been attacked in the night. De.
ceased was 81 years Ol age.
After hearing the evidence, the Jury was
unable TO agree Mr. j. l., Center's verdict
was that the deceased "came to his death
sometime during the night Of Nov. 22d, frosi
the effects OF audaEum, taken with intent to
commit suicide
Mr.. Louis Field gave It ms his verdict utbAt
the deceased came TO his death by causes un.
known to me-"
Mr. Frank Impcy gave It rs his ubelieI
ihat the deceased came to his death by the
use OF laudanum, taken with intent to pro
luco death"
CHARLES l.. JoHSsoN
was once well known in Ohio. Fifteen
years ago he was one Of the most prominent