Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-12-09

A Seattle woman shot by Her Nus.
band.
TOregonian. Dec. sth.

| band
TOregonian. Dec. sth.
The ties that bound a husband and
! wife together were last night rudely
severed. not only for life. but for etern-
ity, by the murderous hand of him who
had sworn to love, cherish and protect
| The sharp crack of revolver IN Loeb
| mans cigar store. coraer of First and
| Taylor street. Just after the clock had
struck eight. and tie muified 9roans of
falling woman, with blood flowing
! from a wound in her side. were the frs.
| indications To the outside world that
the greatest of all human crimes had
| been committed. 4 half dozen en-
p!oyees OF the mandatory stood for a
| moment achast at the deed. then. as the
perpetrator again raised the revolver
| and pointed it at the woman lying pros
trate at his feet, all rushed forward.
| seiZing and diSarming him. Policemen
Smith and Arnold, who had heard the
shot, appeared upon the scene at this
Juncture. took charge of The murderer.
| and hurried him away 10 the city Jail.
The doors of the place were quickly
closed. barring cut the great crowd
which had gathered. So quickly had il
all happened that scarcely man out
side knew what had caused the excite
ment.
The poor unfortunate who was shot is
Mrs. Mary johnson, hard working
young woman about - years Of age.
Nearl three years ago. while living
with her parents, at Seattle. under the
maiden name of Williams, she married
Frank Johnson, and came to this city to
live. For little while they rented fur
nished rooms, kept house aud were hap
py, as such things 60. Johnson was
waiter in restaurant and earned rea-
sonably good wages, but the keeping up
of home soon became tiresome to him.
He had been taught to look upon wo-
man as a slave, and it did not take him
long to arrive at the conclusion that his
wife ought to earn the support for both.
She was accustomed to making cigars,
such husband could not long be cared
son soon became irksoms to her, and at
months ago she left him, and has since
refused all his solicitations to return.
To escape his opportunities some time
here three weeks ago. johnson lost
sAoSh VA ACks otNooukh dC SAAOA W AOllOW
her, and he also returned to Portland
Thursday night Of this week.
That Same evening johnson met his
| wife and had long talk with her, urg
| ing and entreating her in every possible
way to come back and live with him,
promising to treat her as wife should
be treated. Still she refused, and parted
from him more III sorrow than in anger.
Again last night they met and he in
| vited her to go and take supper with
| him at Belissis' restaurant on Yamhill
| street, which she did. Their evening
meal was anything bat a pleasant one.
johnson WAS angry and took no pains
| to conceal it from his wife. Her con-
tinual refusals to live with him melted
him to passion that was almost mad
ness. Whether he still loved her was
not thought in his mind. Was he no:
married to her? Did she not belong to
him? And did he not have right to
| command his own wife's obedience?
Such thoughts as these must have been
uppermost in his mind, or he thought
to accomplish by terror what cOaxing
would not do: for he suddenly began
making threats of bodily harm 10 her.
She did become frightened, bat she did
not 90 with him. Putting on her shawl
| and hat she FASTENED out and mp the
| street, taking refuge in the building
| where she was shot.
The mandatory where the shooting
| occurred is in the rear OK the cigar store,
and in this large room MIR. Lochman
has a desk where he keeps his accounts.
He was standing at this desk when May
Johnson came in, and rs she was one of
his emplyes he expressed no surprise at
seeing her, although it was out of work
ing hours. She stepped behind him and
stood ut his side against the wall, al
most hidden to the view OF anyone COM
| ing into the room. She had been there
| about half an hour when her husband
came in. In an ordinary tone he asked
"ls May here?" and before any one
could answer, or was hardly aware of
his presence. he had dawn his revolver
md fred. Just as he rnis.d his hand.
his wife exclaimed, "Oh, don't DO
that" md the next moment she sank
moaning to the floor. The ball struck
her in the lefs side. four inches below
and two inches to the rear of the b, ast.
ranging downward and being lost iii the
abdomen. DIR. Biansy, who was called.
states that the chances are strongly
against the womaE's recovery. 1t was
thought best not to move her until
morning, anyway. SO a cot was brought
and she was made "a comfortable as
possible under the circumstance, where
she was.
She rallied from the shock very slow
", and i: Was deemed inadvsaSi3 to
probe the wound. About ii O'Clock she
WAS removed TO her rooms on Front
street. near Columbia. 1t is alnisst GER
tain that the wound will provo fatal.
About an hour ate, Johnson had
been locked up, and when tho eXcit e
nent about the jail had subsidized, An
Oregonian reporter obtained admi;tance
into the prisoners cell. and asked hi Al
what he had to say about the matter
johnson was lying dswn unconcered
and entirely free from any show of
emotion. He answered very coolly thai
he had no statement - make at thi'
time, but might have something to eay
the next morning. After considerable
talking al. around the saojoc: Johnson
gave In substance the following versi0I
0t the affair:
He and his wife had lived in harraon y
sll tbs tins. ~ long IA there was ne cut
side Interference. She Vac . elsa
maker by trade. and Isoehn aa bad Aale
! Ne WOu.N oOb XIV scr
she con,inu Cd 10 live With him John
som. They hsA met ii the evening a
, the Supper table. when everything "a
ss,icsbls. He intended TO 60 - S,,ats!,
in the morning asd called At Loctman'
- say goodbye 70 his woman. Here b.
|, dropped the vsrd wife and ia answer 4
the reporters iaq siry sail 10 WA nsvs
, married - her. but they lad lived u
husband aaA wife. mad that che he'd a
vayS besa faithful - hin. KAeWisl
that the crowd in Loehmaa's factor
, we're rrsjadissA aQaiass hin, Ne did no
wish - AXE HE dep .rtare frea her be
fore tiara. - As asked her - step out
side. This sAs Tsfused, and he fol
esa viacel hat thsy had again Poisoae,
: her agAiao hin. He lad his haad .,
/ his Psveivss-4a l < l.. 3 saiibre-
!? vAiea vs. il Ne side posksf Of hi
/ sssk esas. All NE men in The req
! thea pitched % hin. and In the Dele
. his rsvs!vse Vas discharged. He fel
I ~ i'll vill toward The we0An. had q
. intention Of shsseiae her. and did Ne
!. chest her. She hsA never left hin. An
| .kA~ - ~A~f - TIA 2Aanh lAnHsnppi0