National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-01-31
THE JOHNSON CASE,
An Outline OF the Defense-The Plea O
Insanity Put Forward.

| Insanity Put Forward.
With Saturday the Government rested their case
in the Criminal Court, before Justice James
against John Silas Marshall Johnson, indicted fo
the murder of James f. Johnson in the month O.
March last, and the counsel for the accused took
up their line of defense Colonel Corkhill being
confined at home by illness, Mr. Perry conducted
the prosecution, the defense consenting to the
| arrangement.
Coroner d. c. Patterson and Police Lieutenant
| Johnson were examined by the Government but
| nothing of importance was elected.
| Mr.. Perry again announced the case of the Coy
eminent closed. They had called all the witnesses
Oh the list, he said, excepting Dr. Ramsey, Officers
Hollaran, and Clarkson. The former was in Brazil
the second sick abed, and the last in parts ur,.
known.
| Colonel Cook said that they were now content
and would not ask for the calling of these wit
nesSeS.
Mr. Williams then made an opening to the
jury i'll behalf of the defendant. Referring to Mr.
Perys opening in regard to the manner in which
the defense had exercised the right of challenge
he wished TO say that if Mr.. Perry meant to con-
vey the idea that the defense, by exercising their
right of challenge Is they had intended 10 make
class distinction, then the gentleman was very
much mistaken. They had challenged both white
and colOred, foreign and native. and the Govern
ment had not challenged single cOlored man: so
that If there was any discrimination shown in
favor of class it had been done by the Government
The defense would show by eye-WitnesSes he an
nOunced, that the statements of Pierce and Hack
man gave the true circumstances of the occurrence
They would introduce the plea of insanity and if
would be shown to have hereditary existence in
the defendants family 1t was traced back to the
second and third generations They would show
that early as the year 1870 Rachel johnson
the great grandmother of the defendant died in
sane; that another member of the family by blood
ties, Charles johnson, died insane in the year 1854
that Hannah StrattOn nee Johnson, died insane
that Elizabeth Killenbeck nee Johnson died i'm,
sane i'll 1862; that Chester Johnson died insane in
1872: each of these were connections by blood with
the defendant. They would further show that the
defendant at different periods of his life showed
strange changes in his mental condition. When
child he received a severe fright that put him in
commissions, and the mind was not restored for
weeks 10 its proper balance. Since that period he
had repeatedly exhibited strange behavior aud
he was spoken Of as being Eighty" or having
a mental arrangement.
They would also show that he became greatly
excited over the Hirth murder case, and was con
tinually experiencing great dread lest he might
be attacked by c0lored men. He spoke of it fire.
quently, and it troubled him in his sleep He
would Cry out, arouse the house. and il took some
time to pacify him. There were other facts that
he might mention, but he preferred that the jury
should receive them direct from the mouths of the
witnesses. There were four points TO be consd-
cred:
l. Was the act the offspring of insanity?
>. Was the shooting not done under the honest
belief of selfdefense?
5. Did the crime committed constitute man.
slaughter, or
4. Was il murder?
The first witness called was Mr.. William For.
syth, who produced map of the locality of the
shooting, and explained the different points laid
down thereon.
Richard A. Norris young man twenty years of
age, was next examined and testified. He was in
JohnSOn's company on the 29th OF March last be-
tween the hours of seven and nine o'clock. Hack
man, Pierce, Johnson, and the witness were all to-
gether going out Fourteenth street. They returned
down Fourteenth street; Hickman and Pierce were
locked arms johnson was in front Of them and |
the witness was Immediately behind Hickman
right at his elbow. There was very little difference
about two feet, between HackInan, Pierce, and |
Johnson.
As they came up to DR.. Bigelow's Office they saw |
two persons standing talking near the treebox. !
Johnson walked past the darky; as he did so, the |