The Indianapolis journal., 1883-07-30
THE JOHNSON SCANDAL.
An Allegation of Attempted Bribery in Con
nection with the Divorce Suit.

An Allegation of Attempted Bribery in Con-
nectiOn with the Divorce Suit.
New York Special.
Public interest was again aroused to-day in
the affairs of Mr.. and Mrs. Eli Johnson, the
well known tenn perance advocates, in Brook
lyn. Mr.. Johnson recently began suit to
recover 100000 as damages for the aliena-
ton of his wife's affections, against Henry
A Higley member of Plymouth Church,
and produce broker in this city. A suit
for an absolute divorce has just been begun
by Mrs. Johnson against her husband. Mrs.
Johnson was formerly president of the first
Brooklyn Woman's Christian Temperance
Union, and was prominent in temperance
work IN that city for nine years.
The divorce suit is brought in her behalf
in the Brooklyn City Court. The summons
and complaint served upon the defendant
are dated July %. Mrs. johnson makes af-
fidavit that she and her husband were mar
ried in March, 1852; that between August 1,
1881, and October l, 1881, at the Long Point
House at Lake Conesus n Y, and in the
grove near the hotel the defendant commit
ted adultery with Elvena Annis; that the
defendant was criminally intimate with 9TH
er women in the same months and at the
same place; that the plaintiff has not forgiv-
en- or condoned the offense and demands
that the bonds of marriage between her and
her husband be broken.
The correspondent, Elvena Annis, is now
Mrs. e. B. Covert, of Honcoye Falls, N Y
Letters which have recently passed between
her and Mr.. Johnson in regard to the case
will be produced at the trial of the cause.
June II, Mrs. Covert wrote to Mr.. John
son, telling him she was married and that
attorneys for Mrs. Johnson had offered her
800 if she would sign paper confessing that
she had had intercourse of a criminal nature
with him. In Mr.. Johnsons reply he uses
the following language:
In all my conversation and writing with the
Conesus Lake temperance people, | have ever
declared that there was no criminal intercourse
between us; that the hotel proprietor at Conesus
Lake having failed to poison me sufficiently on
that Saturday night to prevent me from iectur-
ing on Sunday, he next planned the boat scheme.
This, too having failed, he attempted TO send us
out in the same carriage to the train (by keep
ing you three or four days over your time), in
which case he would have said that We went
away In q carriage together.
Mrs. Coverts last letter, dated July G, is
rather remarkable. She says:
Ihave solved it all out how my name came to
be connected with yours at all. Perhaps you
recollecu my telling you of a friend L had in
LlvoGia, ana suppose he has been working up
this scheme against me, to pay me for getting
married and leaving him. In fact. | said as
much to lawyer from his place, and a Mr.
Kingsburv, formerly of LlVonia, and now of
Brooklyn, who called on me in behalf of Mrs
johnson, and they seemed to understand his
plan and motives. Probably he thought by this
means to add little more filthy lucre to his slim
store. But | told this gentleman as fact-I
cond say nothing else-that in my short ae-
qualntance with you, and in your conversation,
you ever showed yourself true gentleman and
by your example ana advice | felt to aspire to
n0bler aims in life, and when heard of your
troubles was very much surprised, for I sup
posed you were settled In life happily; at least
should Judge from what | heard you say; but
I was stlll more surprised to find that my name
was mixed up in this affair, for | was perfectly
innocent of there being any harm in my talking
to you. What do You think was the object of
the proprietor OF the Lake in putting up that
job on youl
Now, would be glad to help you In any way
without duplicating myself, but you surely
would not expect me to take my time writing
statements without some remuneration, for, al
though am married happily, still my husband
has not an overabundance of this worlds goods
and little help i'll this direction would not come
RmlSa.