Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-02-11
The Sudden Death OF Hon. Reyerdy
Johnson.

napolis, Nd, at about SIS O'Clock last eve
ming. He went TO Annapolis Wednesday
night to argue the case of Medcalf VS.. BROOK
Ign Life Insurance Company, TO be called
first to-day in the court OF appeals. BY in
| vitation of the Governor, Hon. John Lee
| Carroll, he became his guest at the Execu-
tive mansion on arriving in Annapolis.
| Yesterday the Governor Invited Chief Justice
| Bartol and several other gentlemen 10 meet
| Mr.. johnson at dinner at the mansion. They
| dlDed at about $50 p. m. At dinner Mr..
| johnson appeared TO be in excellent spirits
| and in his usual health, and entertained the
| company by his conversation and anecdotes.
He took one glass of Madeira wine, and re-
| fused any more. After dining he suddenly
| parlor. He took the Governors arm, and
walking into the parlor, sat down on a sofa
The Governor proposed 10 have coffee there
but Mr.. Johnson replied, sNo; If you want
The Governor replied. Very well; We will
the dining room; but, feeling uneasy about
| leaving Mr.. Johnson alone, proposed to the
company TO go into the parlor and Join him.
| Mr. Charles q. Kerr, his son-in-law, who had
| come into the dining room freshly arrived
| from Baltimore by the evening train after
Mr.. Johnson had left the table, said, I" o. he
| always takes nap after dinner, and / sap
pose he has gone 10 sleep" The company
| then went on Smoking and talking, and
| while they were doing so one OF the Gov
| errors servants appeared at the door ard
! called him out, telling him Mr.. Johnson was
LYING N THE YARD ON THE STONES
| Governor Carroll Immediately went To the
| place and found Mr.. Johnson on the east side
/ OF the mansion, lying on the cObblestone car
| riaSeway that passed under the porch around
| tie mansion close up TO the wall OF the house
and near door leading TO the basement. He
| had evidently gone down the front steps ami
| around to the side of The house and fallen
| where ne was found. This was about SIS %.
| M, and the impression is that he hal been
| there at least half an hour. He was then
| dead and bleeding profuSely from wounds
on the right side of his head and face. The
I "A D. FV.a ..,l-1
the basement rooms and sent for PHYSICIANS
DR.. w. q. Tuck came first, ana after exam
ining Mir johnson pr1aounced him dead.
DIR. Ridout and DIR. Claude arrived after
wards. and subsequently DIR. Steiner, of
Frederick, and DIR. :. X. Waters, OF Carroll
county, members OF the Legislature.
LARGE WOUNDS
were discoveret on the right side of Mr..
Jnhnson's forehead. There were two frac-
lures of the skull, from the top OF the heal 10
the eyebrow, and q disiocation of finger of
the left hand, besides cuts on the hands ard
LEGS. and bruises, all suggesting that he NAV
have fallen from above into the area uGder
the porte cOchere. Toe surgeons furnish tue
following statement OF the injuries sustained:
"Ihe chief and fat. i jury Is fracture Of
tie frontal bone OF the skull extending from
near the outer angle OF the right orbit up-
wards and backwards TO or beyond the cOro
nal suture. Dissection would pr3ba ply reveal
more extensive fracture. The apparent
injury is sufficient 10 account Tor hisdeath.
de received also other minor 'ajaIies -irac-
lure OF the bones OF tue nose, diSlOca lion OF "A
finger of the right hand, slight cuts on some
fingers CT both hands, and abra,iols OF both
knees
THEORY IS TO his DEATH.
1t is evident that Mr.. JOhasoa mai let the
house for some purpose, and ia endeavoriDg
to find MS way, with his dim sight along the
carriage road, had been thrown by stepping
on some loose coal lying there, and il falling
struck his head against projecting corner
OF granite base stone, which there extends
from the ground two feet IN, and projects
about hall an inch from the line OF brick
wall above il.
ON Wednesday evening Mr.. Johnson was
UNUSUALLY BRIGHT AND CHEERFUL.
and conversed in lively strain with Mr..
James l.. McLaue, Mr.. John p. Pos aud
others, who met him at Governor CAROLS.
DE mentioned many incidents of his early
public life, and related a number of anec.
dotes of John Quincy Adams and other dis
tinguished public men he knew In Washing
,oH during his Congressional and official ca
reer. 1t was remarked by many that he was
never known TO be more lively and agreea-
bic than he was the last day of his life.
THE FAMILY OF THE DECEASED.
Mr.. Johnson's venerable wife Is still liv-
ing Their immediate family consisted OF
five daughters and three sons. One daughter
was married TO Mr.. Charles j. NJ. Gwinn
the present attorney general; another To Mr..
Charles q: Kerr, and another 10 Mr.. Thomas
MOTIFS. The two others became Mrs VIM,
Travers, OF New York, and Mrs. Dangerfield
OF Alexandria. Nj. Johnson's Oldest son is
MT. beverly Johnson, jr; the next Mr.. Louis
Ina, and the youngest Mr.. Edward c. john
son.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH.
Reverdy johnson was born in Annapolis
May u, 1896. His family on his fathers side
was OF English descent, and on that OF his
mother French, and his ancestors were
among the earliest settlers in Maryland sew
erai OF them holding prominent positions
under the colonial government. His father
John Johnson, was an eminent lawyer. The
deceased was educated at st. Johns College
Annapolis, leaving the institution at sixteen
years OF age. He then read law under his
father, and was for time student In the
office OF the late Judge Stevens. He was al
United TO the bar and began to practice al
Upper Marlboro, Prince Georges county IN
lel5, when only in his twentieth year. fl
was soon appointed by the attorney general
OF the state his deputy for the judicial dis
trict, remaining in that position till NoveIn-
Der, 1877. He then removed TO Baltimore aud
entered upon his career as a lawyer. Ia 1921
he was elected TO the Maryla state senate
and reelected for another term, but Before
completing this term he resigned and de-
voted himself exclusively To the practice of
law until ls45, when be was elected 20 the
United States Senate by the wings, where hs
was the associate OF Clay and Webster. Ia
1919 he resigned his seat in the Senate to ac-
cept the position OF Attorney General ten
dered him by President Taylor. Ga the
death OF President Tay lor and the acceSsipn
OF MI Fillmore, Mr. Johnson retired and re-
sumed the practice ofhis profession, aud IS
retained IN almost every important cause ~
Maryland and The Supreme Court.
In 1862 CO be was elected TO the u. 8 SEN
ale, and In March, 1868, resumed his seat an
that body, after an absence of fourteen We lrs
participating In all the leading debates. He
voted for the constitutional amendTna nt
abolishing slavery, and against the impeach-
ment OF President Johnson. In the summer
of 1868 MI Johnson was appointed minister
TO England, and the appointment was imme-
uiaiely confirmed. In England he was the
recipient of attentions never before paid TO
an American ambassador. He VISITED diff
ferent portions OF the Kingdom, and was
everywhere met by popular ovation AID
banqueted in the chief commercial and man
ufacturing cities. In few months after his
arrival In England Mr.. Johnson succeeded In
negotiating a treaty between the two ma
lions for the settlement Of the questions in
dispute growing out OF what are knowa as
the alabama claims" Mr.. Johnson re-
turned from England in 1869, and resumed
his practice In Baltimore and at Washing
ton. Since 1869 up to his death he was en-
ployed in many Important cases before the
courts of Baltimore, the Court OF Appeals OF
Maryland, and the Supreme Court of the
United States. Mr.. johnson was married
November 10, 1879, TO Miss Mackall Bowie
daughter OF Governor Robert Bowie, OF
Prince Georges county, who filled the exec
utive chair of Maryland in 1911. He leaves
twelve children, about fifty grandchildren,
and several great grandchildren.
AN EXPERIMENT THAT May CoSr A
LIFE.-Lizzie Malloy, q bright girl of eight
cen, died with all the symptOms Of hvd ~