Morning journal and courier., 1883-03-23
East Hart4ord rragedy.

Ks Brooks Johnson Guilty !-CrfmInating
 Cfrcumstanees-FalseS Statements Made
 by the Accused.
 There is grave suspicion in the minds of the people of Hartford and East Hartford that Brooks Johnson, the colored man, if
 not the principal, is in so me way connected
 with the murder of the Misses Judson.
 Much of Johnsons testimony before the
 jury on Monday afternoon has been proven
 unfounded and false. He was very particu-
 lar in his testimony to state with great posi-
 tiveness and accuracy as far as time was con-
 cerned where he was and what he did on Wednesday evening, the night of the burning of the Judsons' house. He swore that he
 went to place on Gold street kept by col
 ored man, where he remained short time,
 and on his way home dropped into Casey B
 place on Front street for few minutes, and
 that on reaching his house on Water street
 he went into ths adjoining rooms occupied | by family named Williams, where he got 8 | pail of water and had half hours chat. He
 testified that it was five minutes after 10
 when he went to bed, and it was 8 suspicious | circumstance that Johnson's wife when on | the stand, not knowing what her husband
 had told the jury, was very positive that he
 came to bed at five minutes past 10. The l particular, being given, as 1t was, i've days | after the night in question, was very unnat- ural and sufficient to excite suspicion that the | couple had rehearsed their story in anticipa- | ton of an investigation.
 The Gold street man said Johnson did not l cons to his establishment Wednesday night,
 and MT. Casey is sure that Johnson was not l caller at his place that evening Johnsons | neighbor, Williams, is in doubt about his l coming to his room that evening, or at the time claimed by the Johnsons. Williams, who works in North Main street livery sta
 ble, said yesterday that on the afternoon of
 the day of the fire Mrs. Johnson said to him,
 ''Well if there's anything wrong and they
 make 8 fuss over the fire, they can't blame | my husband, for you know he was in your l house after water that night"
 While on the stand before the jury John with women folks-speaking of his connec tion with the Misses Judson, which recalls 8 threat he is reported to have once made,
 that if any man or any woman ever unused | with him he would axe them" This in itself | Is 8 suspicious circumstance, as the theory now is that the two women were killed with the axe found in the ashes after the fire and which Johnson placed under board near l the well where it was discovered on Sunday. | A portion of the scalp, the lock of hair and l the blood stained cloth found bound about
 the neck of one of the corpses, with the axe, | have been brought to Dr. Lewis of Hartford, | medical examiner of the Travellers Insurance
 company, for microscopic examination. The coroner's jury met again at 7 o'clock
 last evening at Elm Hall, East Hartford, for
 a continuance of the investigation.
 A very probable theory of the horrible ] tragedy is that the tall man with rubber i boots and slouch hat seen near the Judsons' | house at 1O:3O o'clock that night by Harry Anderson was the murderer, and that he had | but just left the scene of the horrible crime. If robbery was the incentive for the deed, | the chest in the sleeping room had been rided of it's papers and other valuables and the re- 1 ceipt found in the road by Anderson just af-
 ter the man had passed was dropped by him l The road in that place was very muddy, yet
 the little piece of paper was perfectly dry
 when found. Advancing the theory further, | the man on getting away from the house be- | gan to have fears that the murder would be
 discovered, and to destroy the evidence which l might place his own neck in the moose, went
 back later in the night and fred the house.