Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1872-05-25
THE JOHNsON.HAROLD SCANDAL.
How 1t Started and Its Terrible Results.

the CHRONICLE Reporter, and under clrcum-
stances that indicated that they had at least
some foundation. Desiring to act with proper
care and Judgment before giving the rumorS
pubIicity,.we teLegraphed to responsible citizens
of Greeneville asking as to the truth of the
stories. They promptly answered by telegraph
that the charges were false. Subsequently the
story reach US again with full circumstances,
and in order to ascertain the real truth, one OF
the editors Of the CHRONICLE went to Greene
vile to make an investigation of the case
THE FALSE RUMoRs.
As the names of the parties and the charges
in an exaggerated form have been made pub
lie, We propose now to give the result OF our IN
vestigation. The card published IN yesterday 5
CHRONICLE came to us too late on Thursday
night to enable us to send this statement forth
with it, as we should have done had the parties
interested in Greenevile sent lis copy of the
card referred to in proper time.
The story originally started was that Mrs.
Harold and EX-President johnson had had i'm
proper intercourse with each other for some
time. The story ran that these meetings took
place in Mr. Johnsons library which is next
door to Mr.. Harold'S house. and that the ali
son was discovered by Mr. Harold meeting his
wife late at night coming from the library with
a blanket shawl thrown over her head. The
SGOIy Ian I1dG ILL 11dlOlu iidu suspected IHC
intimacy and on the night referred to. had
watched his wife and caught her on the street
disguised as referred to. He was said to have
halted here, asked her who she was, pulled the
shawl from her face, but that she had avoided
him and gone around behind the house, hoping
to enter by the back door unobserved. Her
husband, however, anticipated her, went to the
back door and there found his suspicious con-
frmed. The report was that they had high
words, and that their quarrels had been over
L. 4,,1l,
originally came out in Greeneville. We may
be mistaken as to some of the details, but we
give the main facts us we heard them. The
statements were false in every respect
HOW THE REAL TROUBLE BEGAN.
But the facts that brought about the suicide
are substantially as follows:
On one Of the last Sundays Of April, some
mischief-breeder dropped an anonymous note
to Mr. Harold through the Postoffice, intmat-
ing to him that an improper intimacy existed
between his wife and Mr.. johnson. Mr.. Har-
old and Mr.. johnson had been personal and
warm friends for thirty years. Their families
had been intimate for most Of that period. Mr..
Harold had lived happily with his wife for near
forty years. She had his entire confidence and
deep love. For thirty years she had been
an active, exemplary and most con-
sistent member Of the Presbyterian Church.
As soon as he read the letter he went
promptly to her, showed it to her and assured
uGE he ulu uOG DGllCNG Il worn VI IT, MIS-
Harold read the letter and was SO indignant that
she could hardly restrain herself. At one time
in the evening she was found almost crazy with
excitement with gun in her hand and declar-
ing she intended to shoot her traducers. SO eX-
cited did she become that she almost lost her
reason. She repeatedly assured her husband of
her innocence. But the idle gossips who infest
Greeneville and other places took up the scan
dial and talked about it constantly. In hun
bred different ways was it presented. So pos
itively was it asserted that some few, always
ready TO believe i'll of their betterS believed it.
Mrs. Harold seemed borne down by these repe-
titions of the scandal. About this time her only
son, Lieutenant in the l. S. A, young man
Of high character and excellent traits, came
home on a leave Of absence. ltwas thought best
to keep him ignorant of the ISLANDERS, as 1t would
only make his visit unhappy. A few days after
his return, word came to Mrs. Harold that her
mother was dangerously i'll. ltwas determined
that Mrs. Harold should go to the sick bed in
Rhea county, rather than her sister living with
her. as the visit would take her from the scandal
and give her rest. Her son accompanied her
THE SUICIDE.
They reached the mother house after a short
trip, during which Mrs. Harold seemed very
But her son, still ignorant of the |
ISLANDERS, attributed this to her mothers COndi |
ton.
When they reached Mrs. Heiskelps cher
mothers name) she was foundto be some better !
On the second morning after reaching there, |
Mrs. Harold arose earlier than usual, went |
to her mothers room to attend to her, |
and then was seen to take from |
her sons satchel his small pistol. Her
mother supposed she was getting It for him.
Taking the pistol, Mrs. Harold went but some
distance from the house into thcket, and |
there shot herself through the left breast, and
through the heart. Three shots were heard,
the alarm was given, and soon after she was
found in dying condition. 1t was supposed
the first shot fatal, as it set fire to her cloth
ing which were burning when found She was
carried to the house but died before she reach
ed it. never uttering q word Her remains were
aiken home for interment. The suicide follow
ing so close the other excitement threw Mr.
Harold, an invalid, into a dangerous state, from
which he has hardly yet recovered.
WHAT Is THOUGHT OF IT.
Mr.. Harold, who is quiet man of few words,
ears now, that though he assured her more
han once of his confidence IN her, she had
ome fears that he and others did not entirely
believe her innocent, and that it weigh ed so
heavily upon her as to unbalance her mind.
Her son never heard of the cause of his. mothers
aking her life, until the Rev. S. V. McCorkle
It her funeral sermon very justly and properly
eferred in severe language to the terrible les
on the event afforded tie idle slanderers who
lad brought about the trouble.
We found all of the good citizens Of Greene
lille, irrespective Of religion or politics, de-
OunCIng the SANDER as fatso MI. johnson de- | .
Jared the lady never had been in his library.
lie said she had been a friend of Mrs. Johnson
or half life time, but that he had not spoken
D her for a week before or at the time of the t
LEGGED visit to his library.
A citizen of Greeneville, esteemed for his
eracity. showed us pair ofpants Mrs. Harold
ad made about the time of the scandal. She i
ad made them for tailor who occupies John I
on's old shop next door to thelibrary and Sec 9
nd from Mrs. Harods. 1t had been necessary !
lille making these for Mrs. Harold to go sew
raj times to the shop, and thus passing back 7
nd forth by Johnson's library, is supposed to
ave been used as some foundation for the S
DRY. II
As said before, Mrs. Harold was an eAem- 4
larry Christian woman ofhigh character, uni 4
ersally esteemed for many noble qualities, ar a
emily attached to her husband and children r
I'd a lady Of great energy and warm heart. She l
as literally broken down by these false scan
u.s. and in an hour of mental arrangement,
it'll a burning consciousness of innocence and
ithout power to resist the temptation she took n
,r life. The family have the deepest sym t
thy of all the good people Of Greeneville and