Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-12-28

president, CnaS. L. 6uDshfd vice president,
7. s. Kirkland, secretary and treasurer.
TIE In INDICATED.
4 New Phase to the Job nsen Scandal at
Insianapelis-The Letters of The Suicide
Wife Produced in Court-Tkey are Self
eliminating and Absoiye Her Husband
from All BlaKae.
Especial Telegram to the Globe.
INDIANAPOLIS. Ind, Dec Pin the pre-
liminary examination made by the attor-
to-day, by order OF the court, Capt. john
son was ordered to introduce in testimony
the letters written by his wife TO himself
previous to her suicide. While their con
tents were such as to reflect dishonor upon
her memory, they at ths same time serve
to exonerate him from the very serious
charges OF cruel treatment, abandonment,
and even murder, which have been freely
made against him. From the letters and
testimony to-day it seems that
last summer, when Mrs. johnson
was in Tennessee with her husband
aha became acquainted with Major Edgar
Horny, who showed her considerable at
tention. He was sixty three years old and
she suspected nothing wrong, although her
husband warned her. She returned homo
and Capt. Johnson wrote her rspestedly re-
garding the serious rumors regarding hsr,
and urged her to tell him
the whole truth. She at
first denied all the stories, but finally in
lettes fall OF repentance and contrision,
acknowledged that the relations between
hsr and Maj. Henry had been of q compro-
missing nature. She attributed her
downfall to strange influence
and fascination he exsrted over her, which
she Thought was the result Of mesmerism,
but did not admit any adu!terous relations
between them. IL reply to this her hue
band wrote a letter demanding full con-
fession. This she gave aim, acknowledging
criminal intercourse with Renry on five
separate occasions, and giving ell the ds-
tails and particulars. Johnson got gun
and started cut to kill Henry, but the lat
ter fed to the mountains and avoided him
Afterwards, however, LIZ came to
Indianapolis and tried to eee Mrr. John
son, but her fourteen year old son
Griffith, who strangely enough was told
the whole story by his mother and father,
wo Id not let her see her paramount and sas
all day and all night in the front hall with
loaded rifle to kill his mothers seducer
if he came to the house. Mrs. Johnson's
letters to her husband are sixteen in num-
Der, and are marveis OF graphic and pa
thetic writing. She did not ask forgive
ness because she SAID she did not deserve
it, but she wanted pity and she wanted to
be saved from the humiliation Of the
publicity of the scandal. ''Save me-" were
her words in every letter, ''if not for my
own sake but for the sake of nay child and
YOU" Capt. Johnson's replies were almost
merciless at times, but he expressed a
Willingness not to cast her off entirely, but
to provide for her during her life and to
asrangs for tho transfer Of their common
property to a trustee for their son. In
almost every epistle she limited at suicide
as the only course left open to her, ozly
she dreaded thu exposure that would result
from il. johnson came home to
arrange for the transfer of the
property and made a confdant of DR..
Wakefield, an Episcopal minister of Rich
mond aad lifelong friend of the family.
After lengthy interview with her, they
came down town and stayed all night at
the hotel, and in the morning her dead
body VIA found in her room with a bullet
hole through her heart. Her father
brought suit to sat aside the conveyance OF
zeal sstate, and that is the occasion for the
present proceedings. Not one word of
this scandal had leaked out here until after
her death, and then only meagre rumoc.
Johpson vaa condemned On all sides
for causing reflections on his wife's hoaor,
but hs kept ths sscret until csmpslled by
the court to divulae it. He is prostrsted
physically and mentally, which, added to
| his previous Ill healsh, gives rise to tss
feeling that he has not lsng to Live. In
court to-day he declared that he weaId
rather die than see his wife's letters pub
| lishsd, but the judge was relentless. Mrs.
Johnson WAS woman of unusual strength
of character and fine literary at.sinmsnts.
and her lettsrs we're wonderful ssn posi-
items. She apparently could not understand
the nature Of the influences Henry exertsd
over her, and said that while she was in his
com pany she was never for oas momsnt
conscious of doing any wrong. Only after
they had become separated and she heard
the terrible rumors did she begin to rssl-
iza how grieyeusly she had siAned, and
how bitter was TO be her Punishment.
81 am suffering the tornsats of he'll, -
she "wrots, and have nobody here TO ad-
wise me OF console me-" "Oh, my has-
band, do not cast nae OF. Save ne and
save my child. Do not ruin his future. II
you could only know how I have suffered
and how I am suffering. Oh
If could only see you again 80 thas /
could explain ALL" While these LISTERS
we're being read in ceurs to-day Capt.
Johnson broke down and cried like child
Public sentiment hero hes been almost
unanimously against hin, but it is new
rapidly changing in his favor, and the
opinion is growing that his soxduct under
the circumstances could not have been
other than it was.
Red Figure Sale
means that honest, reliable vl1tsr slstki1g Is
being seld at less thar first cost.
BOSTON ONE PRICE CLozUHa Hous1,
Cor. Third -..A .-.sere street., st. Paul.
TAlina and Napelson.