Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-12-10
DEATH BY THE LAW.
THE EIECITfOrTO-D.fr,
HANGING OF CHARLES JOHNSON,
HE GEORGETOWN WIFE
MURDERER.
Last Hours Of the COndeuued MAN
HIS Dy Ing Statements About the
1raEedy-Jea1ousy Prompted
the bloody Deed

| uesehtehce OF the law, was to- day changed by
the neck until dead" in the yard of the Jail OF
Tie Dhtrict of Columbia, on the same scaffold
on which George W. jenkins was exec1tei 10,
wife murder, on the 3lst of October last. aud OF
| which Barney Woods was hanged, on Fritay
la for the murder OF b. NJ. Cheeseman in Au.
/ gust last. The crime of which John son was
| convicted and for which he suffered death was
he murder Of his wife, Jane Eliza job nson, in
| Georgetown, by cutting her throat with a razor
on the 2Sth OF September last and the cause. "a
| alleged by him, vas jealousy.
THE MURDERER.
| johnson was born a slave to Mr.. VIM, Syank
| who resides neP- LewinsyiIle Fairfax county
| Va, and worked on his place a a farm hand
until the second year of the war Qse2), when
| he came with his wife to Georeetoyn in thi.
| District. He had married the deceased in I S1O
| lie Is well huiit man, - years of age measUr-
| ing 5feet9tuehes hig and his appearance would
Indicate low order OF intellect. His color is
| very cark, he has receding forehead, at nose.
| ard large mouth.
| THE VICTIM.
ETA Jane johnson. the victim Of the mur-
| derer, was comely looking, well deveioped
nulatto IS years OF age, and OF medium hei5hr
She was born q slave in the same neirlb3rhood
their lives.
The Crime.
johnson enlisted in the army towards the
close OF the war, and after serving with the
9th cavalry in Texas, returned boms onIv 1hi q
Few weeks before the murder was Committed
tie found his wife residing on 9Th street
tnpOryp-
town, and lived with her q few weeks. during
which time they had some not very pleasant
worcs in regard TO her alleged infidelity whiIs
ne " AZ absent. On Saturday evening, Septem.
Der Zsth, on returning home from bis work he
found his wife absent, and discovered that some
OF his furniture had been removed. After Iook.
ing Tor his wife for some time, he saw her come
from a house near by and accused her of takin,
the furniture away, saving that he would hays,
her put in the penitentiary. She made soma
sharp reply, and the next thing heard by the
nf -.
directly afterwards the deceased was seen tn
fall from the arms of johnson to the ground
Persons who went to her assistance found that
her throat had been cut from ear to ear
johnson, II appears, at once threw away the
razor with which he had committed the bloody
deed, and started away from the house. but
had happened, on meeting him took him into
custody. The officer asked him if he had hurt his
wife, and he replied, "Yes, 1 believe L have
Killed her with a razor, which 1 threw away.O
lie was locked up at the GEORGETOWN station
house, and on the Monday following was brought
OUT 10 TINS city, and after having his photograph
tectlves' books by Chief Clarvoe. was Commits
ted to jail. The inquest had been held on the
previous day, (Sunday.l On the verdict of the
wounds inflicted with a razor by Charles .Jobnn
son, the coroner issued his commitment OF the
latter TO prison.
JOHNsoN's FIRST STATEMENT
about the crime was that whe n he returned from
Texas to Georgetown he found his wife there;
that during his absence lie sent money to mar;
t I aiter ms return he found conclusive evil
dence that she had been crminally intimate
With one Moses SnOwden, colored; that he
(JOhnson) upbraided her, and she said tn at she
na,ed MIN, and threatened 10 get some Oil Of
yitrlol and give to him to kill him. that about a
week before the murder she commenced TO
remove his furniture from hts house; that when
he returned from work on the fatal Saturday
night she had taken everything from the house
even his bed and the cooking utensils; that ms
demonstrated with her and told her that she
should not treat him in that manner, as he had
been good and faithful husband to her; that
she replied that he could make no husband for
her. as she did not care for him, to which he
replied that although he knew she had another,
he intended to take care o. her and treat her
well; that she then said she wes,d poison him.
and thai be should not live much longer: at
which remark he became angry; that he was
shaving &. the tiass. and as his wife went into
the yard he took -~zoI and cut her throat.
The Trial aud COnyfe.s"n.
johnson had been in Jail but about one L. n1n
when he was indicted for murder, and prepara- ,
tioDs Wete made for his trial. Mr.. W. T.. Neloy
MAS INST engaged as his counsel, ana JG.-e
r aseb a. was also assigned to defend him. On
tIial was proceeded with before judge " ID. &c G
Humphreys, holding the criminal court. On
this trial DR.. j. f. Hartigan testified that he |
,Uund on the person Of the deceased 1--WE
LETT ear-and that she vas six or seven months |
sovanced in pregnancy. Oficer Trunnell testi- |
neQ 70 the arrest and statements of the pris- |
cner. Mrs. Frances Blau testified to seeing the |
deceased leave the house with her two children !
and to hearing her quarrel with her husband |
afterwards. Henry Kelly, colored, TESTIFIED to |
johnson telling his wife that she had taken his |
furniture, and lie would have her put in the |
Tor it, and when he (witness) came |
back lie saw the deceased fall from her hus- |
bands arms to the ground, in the back yard. |
that deceased had brought some OF the chairs |
from JOhnsons 10 his house on the evening of I
the homicide, and to seeing deceased give a /
bundle TO man that evening.
FOR THE DEPHNCR,
Mrs. LILA Ager testified that johnson was Alb |
sent in Texas from 1863 to 1872, ana that he was
q kind husband. Hezekiah Turner testified |
that when johnson returned from Texas he /
I furnished house for his wife and gave her all |
her clothing, and was q kind husband; that |
before the homicide he had come to witness |
house and stated that his wife had stripped his /
house of the furniture, and witness went with |
Linn to the house, and heard him and deceased |
quarreiiDg, but could not hear what was said.
Mrs. Ann Turner testified that deceased had |
borne children during JOhnsOnis absence in
Texas, and deceased had brought things to her
house before the homicide. Moses Snowden
and to having been criminally intimate with |
her.
"GgILTT AS INDICTED"
The trial lasted but two Gays, and after able /
arguments for the government and defence,
the jury, after twenty minutes elaboration, |
returned q verdict OF equity as indicted"
DulnR inc ulAl not q WOru escaped the prison.
ers lips, and lie appeared TO have no concern |
as to the result
The counsel for the prisoner entereda |
NOTION FOR a NEW TRIAL, |
the reasons being q nisnomer Of deceased, and |
that the evidence did net warrant the verdict.
This was argued on the ri of November, and
the counsel claimed that the prisoner had not |
mental capacity sufficient to make him account |
able; that the marriage OF johnson to the de- ]
ceased (under the old slave laws) not being a |
legal one, the name OF deceased was not as
charged, and that the prisoner living with the
woman after finding her unfsithful showed that
he had not ordinary mental capacity.
JUDGE HUMPHREYS OvKRRULKD THE NOTION,
remarking that the evidence showed that John
son had an ordinary care for himself and family,
and asked the prisoner ii he had anything to
say why the sentence should not be passed.
johnson simply said that the witness Kelly had
sworn TO things that he didn't do; that he did
not pick the woman up in his arms.
Judge Humphreys then proceeded to read
THE SENTENCE,
as follows: Listen to a few words, for perhaps
you will never again enter this court room; but
you will appear at the bar or the Judge of the
World, whose final adjudication will undoubted-
ly be righteous. Thou shalt not KILL " as the
com sndment from Sinai. Whose sheddeth
mans blood, by man shall his blood be she'd
IL the appointment Of the punishment for the
a.