The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-12-28

suffered so much. You don't know how have
oeen tempted TO further cOncealment. How 1t
mas been whispered in my ears that was fool
not to try to defend and not confess anything
know nave done wrong"
Mr.. johnson then wrote a note to his wife
demanding the fullest part iculars and making
specific inquiries. It's purport was as follows:
KNOXVILLE, Nov. 81.
guilt, Is received. 1t is not sufficiently
explicit Here follow a number of In
CURES that cannot be printed.I For Gods sake
10nt delay answering this. Every minute is
ike an age. E, t. JOHNSON"
The following answer was received:
Dear Papa-Another morning mail and
nothing from Griffith. He has now been gone
over week, and he promised to write me as
soon as he got there oh, he must not give me
up You say You have told him nothing. Now.
Eddle, just think of it. 1 am here alone,
with no counsel or sympathy. My ,accuser,
nhuence-imprisoned, condemned.
NOW, Papa, L know we have to consider the
worlds opinion, and know you will hot do
anything contrary TO your sense of honor, but
the world cares little for our sorrows and joys
nave not asked yon to forgive me,
way to save Griffith and his future
mat IL might be done. You say I shall not be
exposed: Have you not done ali you could to ex-
pose met You would bring me back to the path
OF virtue. was out of the path of rectitude
but was out OF the path of virtue9 Now I can
not go on living as 1 am now 1 will confide to
you, but to no other few kind words have
stored to me my confidence in you. no longer
never have had) as did. L believe you viii not
Judge me with vengeance and though even
self am waiting, and cannot despair until all
hope is gone. Yours, MARIETTE.'
NEARING THE END.
Similar letters followed. and Mr.. johnson, see
ing that his wife was on the verge of insanity,
hastened home. After her death he received
tn rec letters, which she had sent 10 Knoxville.
The first was as follows:
"Nov 26, 1888
ooh. my dear husband, don't say your love for
me is dead. 1t seems like casting me out for
ever. You must not, you shall not. I was not
responsible for those acts, and tell you 1t is
won't you let me see youl must and will some
how. Was there ever such a life as mine has
peen Tor the past few monthsG Since left G. I
nave been living two separate lives-one quiet,
full OF homely duties, the other full of misery,
excitement, torture, despair, with hardly a
gleam in the darkness. 1t only Gods mercy
That mas sustained me at ALL Oh, papa, what is
1T all for? How and why is III could never have
81 dreamed OF such fate Don't say you are dead
papaY Tell me something to do to help you. I
can write no more. All of my bruised and bleed
Ing heart is yours. MARIETTE."
Mr.. johnson had written to his wife, asking
saying:
''My Dearest, Noble and True-see, have
done as yon requested, given up everything into
your hands. intrust you with every defense.
while You have sympathy, 1 have condemna-
ton, for whoever heard Of sympathy with a
woman under such circumstances, no matter
what her pleaf Her only defense is proved limo
cence, and that is doubted, If you can only feel
that | am with you in every effort to save all
possible for our boys sake, and that will not
spare myself, or be deferred ny any other con-
Sl0eratlOD.
night. ~r MARIETTE.''
Mrs. Johnson's letter, whioh she wrote at the
time of her suicide and left for her husband, is
as follows:
81 had already written letter, which have
destroyed and substituted this. see not hing
for me to do now, but what I have at least at
tempted to do hope shall not fail. There is
nothing for me to save by staying, and have
INFLATED myself to no purpose So now fare
well, and may God have the mercy that all on
earth refuse. MARIETTA"
ADDITIONAL FACTS.
The above outline of the correspondence will
give fair, but not altogether adequate, idea of
its character. 1t has several remarkable fea-
lures. First of all, it contains REPUTATION of the
charg tl ass ahpson had been cruel to his wife,
for in almost every letteT-she expresses the Nv
most affection for him and repeatedly declares
that no plans for her future life are complete
without him being included. Again, the atti-
tude of their SOD, Griffith, In the matter is some
what remarkable He is mere boy, not yet
fifteen years old, but he apparently has the
mind and force OF character of one much older.
When the scandal regarding his mother was at
Hrst talked about he was Ignorant of it, but did
not remain so long, for his mother told him
part and his father part. When Major Henry
came to this city to see Mrs. johnson,
ne sent note up to her house asking an inter-
view. IL was intercepted by young johnson,
at whose instigatlon Mrs. Johnson wrote an an
swer declining to see him. Henry then wrote
long letter (Which will be introduced in EVIL
dence) and sent it to the house, but the boy i'm
tercepied 1t also, and sent word back that
there was 20 answer He Enclosed these COM
he said; "Papa, after that I sat in the parlor
all day and far into the night, with my Win
chester rifle, cooked, on my knee, ready TO kill
that man II he had come to the house, and
would have done it. 1t seems that his idea
must have been that Major Henry was endeav-
oring to persuade his mother to elope with him,
and probably the boy did not suspect the true
nature OF the relations between them. .ti.e
After Captain johnson received his wife's con-
fesson he got a gun and started out W it'll the in
ton of killing Major Henry, but the latter es-
capped by flight.
FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS.
In the testimony to-day Major Henry's letters
to Mrs. Johnson will be brought out, together
with Mr.. Johnsons account of the interview
between him and his wife and Dr. Wakefield ON
the plight of the suicide. The latter will doubt
less clear up much of the mystery surrounding
the case, and will add new light to the disclos-
ures made yesterday.
1t is understood that the theory of Major Cor
don, Dr. Gfffith's attorney, now is that the let
tiers printed above doubtless genuine, but
that they were written under duress, and that
Mrs johnson was, therefore, not wholly respon-
sible for what was con tanned in them.
--sH---
r ETift
The celebration of the tftieth anniversary of
Centre Lodge No. 23, free and accepted Masous,
took place last night at the lodge rooms in Con-
d,t,n o : Al