Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1884-05-29
EXIT JOHNSON.

puted marriage with Lou myers, and
the trouble arose out Of Andy's refusal
to let Wesley and his wife occupy the
same bed unless they could show their
marriage-lieense. After some hot words
between the brothers, Wesley threaten
ed to kill Andy and his wife.N
Some time after his arrest Johnson
become aggravated at some of his
friends who were in frequent conference
with him before his attempt at suicide,
and made threat to disclose what he
knew about certain girl who mysteri-
ously disappeared from her home in
Delta some years since, and has never
been heard of since.
All these Circumstances go to prove the
character of Johnson, and from them it
can readily be inferred that he was a
man to be feared by his fellow men, and
added to the Williams murder, with its
attendant horrors, establishes the char
acter of man at whose death society
may well rejoice.
| ANXIOUS TO LOOK AT HIM.
For a week past large crowd of people
have hovered about the vicinity of the
Jail, eager for chance to get into the
Jail. Through the kindness of Sheriff
Aller great many have been admitted,
majority going in merely out of NOR
bid curiosity to get look at the pris-
oner, while few went with the hope
of gaining if possible some word from
his lips as to his guilt or innocence; but
in this all save two persons have failed
in the main. These two are his spiritu-
al advisor and his brother Edward, each
of whom were morally bound not to
disclose anything until after the execu-
ton.
The prisoner has received all writers
cordially, and talked freely with them
concerning his execution. He watched
with interest the preparations for the
execution, and seemed to take delight
in twitting other prisoners about the
scaffold; one in particular, who is con-
fined for stealing a cow, Johnson was
particularly fond of tantalizing, at sew
eral times asking the other prisoners
whether they would not "try the ma
chine" with that cow thief.
Tuesday afternoon not less than SOC
people visited the Jail to look at the
doomed man. About five o'clock Tues
day evening NORTHWEST reporter Wis
tied him in the Jail, and found him set
ting in the corridor round his cell, only
about five feet from and in full view OF
the scaffold. In answer to the question
how he was feeling, he replied,
Every well, thank you"
'Isn't time considerable of a drag to
you?" asked the reporter.
"Well, yes" said he, II am getting
rather tired, and will be glad when the
Goth comes"
To the question whether he rested
we'll nights he said he rested perfectly
easy.
For the past ten days he has beer
pumped almost continually by repre-
sentatives of the press, and many anC
various have been the reports published
in regard to his confession, but most o
them eminated exclusively in th'
minds of the reportes and are not to b.
relied upon. Two confessions, or a
least what are supposed to be confess
ions, have been written, one of which
was given to his spiritual advisor, Rev
Brake, of South Toledo, about May 1st
and about that time he was approached
by representative of the NORTHWEST
with view if possible, of obtaining tn
confession, or copy of it, for publica
ton in this issue, but was prompt,
and bluntly informed that he, the Rev
Brake, was not at liberty to disclos
anything except that the prisoner wa
most earnestly seeking for salvation.
Mr.. Brake is now charged with havin
) gone to Toledo and sold the manuscrip
at auction and pocketed the proceeds
We are not prepared to inform ou
readers of the truth or falsity of tn
charge, but if it is the Rev. has not prat
ticed what he breaches. The othe
manuscript was given to the Rev. Ee
Johnson, brother of the doomed mai
, last Saturday. This manuscript tn
3 NORTHWEST also made strong effol
to secure but was unable to do 81
This latter confession is in the hanc
e of the Toledo Post. From hir
u however, our reporter learned ths
: the manuscript contained a cor
Il fession of the murder, with full detail
: of the bloody act, also of the burning
d John Williams barn on Sunday nigh
= before the murder was committed. ALI
0 the attempted wrecking of the railroa
l. train, and other crimes.
:, The reader doubtless remembers TIL
shortly after the sentence was pr
e nounced Johnson wrote letter imp
eating Harvey Collins in the murde
1t Tuesday of this week Mr.. John Wi
e liams visited Johnson and to him job
Is son stated that Collins was not wi
him at the time of the murder. TIL
D exculpates Collins from an embarrassil
= situation, and taken with the inform
ton obtained from Ed. Johnson, mi
at be formulated into virtual confessi'