Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-01-17
A SUICIDE SPOILED.
A Desperate Writes His ObIt-
uary,
But Its Eject IL Spoiled by His
Capture.

The police yesterday arrested Mel
son Johnson, a dreaded negro terror.
He has been wanted on a dozen ac-
counts for some time, but has been
wakeful enough to elude the police
until now. Several weeks since, on
DeSoto street, he stopped a little ne
gro boy who was riding a horse be-
longing to Mr.. L. w. Wells, and
ordered him to dismount, wbereupon
Nels. hauled off and knocked both
HORSE AND BOY
into the gutter, following up the at.
tack by laughing heartily at the boy's
discontinue and administering a few
more gentle slaps. Mr.. Wells heard
of it and ordered Nels. to accompany
him to the stationhouse. He agreed
and walked along quietly until about
to cross the bayou bridge, when he
suddenly turned, with a drawn knife in
his hand, and striking Dir. Wells a
terrific blow in che face, made his es-
cape. Nels. took to the bush and the
police sought for him in vain. A few
days ago he came iRtO town, and meet
ing Mr.. Wells stable boy on the street,
administered a few more
GENTLE TAPS,
sufficient in force to lay the boy up in
bed. He skipped out of town again,
and coming back Saturday night, went
to Bunch's saloon, near the Charleston
depot, Where he grew boisterous, and
beat a colored brother over the head
with his revolver. About noon the
police heard of a row out on the
boulevard, and Officers DAILY and Con-
way were sent out to see about it.
This time it was with a negro dray-
man named George Ramsey, and the
row occurred about a
TEN CENT PIECE.
Meeting Ramsey in the road near
the first t~oll-gate, johnson demanded
the loan of a dime.
81 haven't got it" replied Ramsey,
who proved by his answer that the
name and face of johnson were stran-
gers to him.
"Ycu say you haven't got it?" said
Woods sarcastically.
"No l hain'tl" replied Ramsey, and
the moment found him looking into
the barrel of Nels' pistol. The dime
was Squickly shoyeled out, but Nels.
didn't seem to be satisfied, and told
Ramsey he had a good notion to shoot
him anyhow, just for fun. A good
deal of begging and imploripg finally
induced Nels. to pocket his pistol
and then his sins suddenly becoming
transformed into needles and piercing
his soul, be resolved to write
HIS OBITUARY
and kill himself too dead to kick. He
remembered that he could WELD the
Arkansas toothpick, however, better
than the pen, and was in a luandary
what to do, Finally an idea struck
him, and he boldly stepped into a
house near by, and picking out a
young man about fifteen, named
Baum, from the crowd Who sat
around, told him to take a scat at the
table. The young man objected, and
John Bremen, formerly a policeman,
interfered in the boys behalf, but
johnson calmly told him he simply
wanted the boy to write something for
him. The boy still refused, however,
and johnson drew his pistol and COM
manded him to write
THE DEATH OF NELs. JOHNSON"
The young fellow, frightened nearly
out of his wits, wrote the following
document, which is now in the hands
of Chief Davis
"Thsdeath Of Nels. johnson. The
first fight cutting Sidney Hunt, Jerry
Trifs, Frank Polk, i. w. Wells,
Bobb Taylor, Billy Watts and irish
man. This is the life of Nels. John
son. The life Of Nels. johnson is
gone on account Of two
women, viz: Matte Walsh,
Maria Grissom. Mother, remember
the life of your son, Nels. Boys, take
my advice, keep out'of bad company.
Remember the life of Nels. j"
A SUICIDE SPOILED.
This touching and highly moral doc
ument had proceeded tothe first letter
of his name, or as far as above, when
the door was suddenly burst open and
Officer Con. DAILY rushed into the
room. Nels. sprang to his feet and
made a break for the door, but DAly
was too quick for him, and clutching
him by the throat, threw him over a
coal pile and put his knee on h h:s cnost
WhiIc5 he wal disarmod by the by
ISLANDERS. Officer Conway soon after
ward arrived, and Nels. was taken to
the stationhouse.
A TOUCHING FAREWELL.
In the afternoon Nels. begged to see
his sweetheart, Mollie Walsh, a cham
bermaid at Gaston's. She came and,
atand;ug outsida tho hars IF his cell