Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1884-02-14
WESLEY JOHNSON,
THE SUSPECTED MURDERER OF
THE WILLIAMS FAMILY,
On Trial for His Life!
THE PROSECUTION.
HENRY ANDREWS.

residence: did not know her; about the
23rd or Goth of October, 1883, was about
horne; did not go to their house; was
called there on the 25th Of October;
Eliza Andrews, my son, A. Andrews,
and M. Crews went with me; didn't see
any one there but George Williams;
went to the barn; found George Will
liams there dead; went into the horse
stable from the south; after entering
turned to little slide door 10 the left;
opened 1t and saw George Williams
lying dead; all the wounds could see
were on his throat. which was cut; Ad-
ison Crew was with me and f. Andrews;
think nv boy was with me; remained
probably five minutes; came out and
went alone from the barn to house:
when I got tn the front window heard
child cry; stopped for moment then
went into the house; saw things In con-
siderable muss; and then turned to my
left and entered the room where the
child was crying; there | saw the dead
body of a woman on the floor; she was
dressed only in chemise and short petit
coat; saw no wounds, but saw blood on
her fard; she lay on her back her head
to the N. f.; her left foot partially un-
der the bed, her head lying in natural
position; the curtains of all the windows
were down, making it little dark; am
acquainted with the relative position Of
the house and harm.
Here plot of the premises was shown
and recognized as showing the relative
positions of the house and barn.
The other portion of the house was
mussed up; next to the secretary, on the
floor, lay suit of mems clothes, ,mussed
up; I entered the bed room; could not
get to the side of the bed without STEP
ping over the dead woman; I reached
over the foot of the bed, pulled the
quilt off the child and found I could
reach the child; l pulled it to me and
wrapping 1t up took 1t out; couldn't say
what kind of material was used to make
the inside of bed tick; the child had
worked its head down into a hole; its
feet were higher than Its head; did not
examine the bed room further; this was
in Henry county, Ohio, / gave the baby
to Lue Williams, brother of George.
county; Adison Crew sent for me, on
Thursday, think, the 25th; went with
Mr.. Crew and one of my sons and broth
er; found no lock; the door stood open;
Mr.. Crew had been there before; Mr..
Williams was lying with his head to the
south side of the barn. about four inches
from the wall; he was lying on his back
in q natural position; this was between
2 and 8 o'clock; the room was about 10
by IL or IA in size; Mrs. Williams head
lay about foot from the wall; am not
sure as to the distance; the appearance
of the bed indicated that it had been
occupied, but by one person, the baby;
the door into the bed room was little
ajar; ! was the first to enter the house;
Mr.. Walters entered the house with me;
/ stayed there until the Coroner came;
then they carried George to the house;
I could not say how many went into
the house; the house was open, and par
ties were going and coming all the time;
I went home about dusk; the house was
open next day.
Redirect: People were running in
and out; don't know whether the cor
oner left any one in charge or not. In
opening the bed room don't know
whether the door would touch Mrs.
Williams body or not.
ADIsoN CREW.
Reside in Fulton county, York town.
ship; was not acquainted with Mrs.
Williams; she resided in Freedom town.
ship, about 100 rods from where live;
don't think / knew Mrs. Williams by
sight; knew George Williams; on the
oath Of last October | called at their
house about 10 o'clock in the morning;
went up to within about rod of the
house; saw no sign of life; went on
about fifteen rods where the cows were;
I went there for that purpose; went to
the barn on my way back; looked in the
barn door; saw nothing unusual; saw
some people in field husking corn;
those people were Locomans by name;
saw no smoke or other sign of life about
the house; the barn door was open
about a foot; think there was light
board leaning against it from the out
side; passed down the lane between the
house and barn; next day, the 25th of
October, / again called; went to the |
south door; saw the leaves had fallen
down on the doorstep and threshold;
concluded they did not use that door;
but received no reply; then |
went to the barn; heard the horses
racket; entered the door and |
found the horses tangled up; straight |
ened them out and saw there was no |
feed in the stall; they had eaten their
feed boxes; / saw through into the fod-
der crib that there was some fodder; |
went around to the slide door; put my |
hand in the hand hole to slide the door
back; as did so it fell from me and /
saw the body of George, lying directly
in front of me; thought the head was
about cut off; | turned around and got |
out; notified Mr.. Andrews and some
Others; we went back; Henry Andrews
went into the barn, as did the others;
don't know how many were with me;
WAS very much excited, we left the barn
and went to the house; heard the baby
cry; entered the house; in the sitting
room some new clothes were lying on
the floor; looked as though they had
been folded up and laid there; think
George had on overalls and white shirt
and vest; had no hat on; had on boots;
the leaves were lodged on piece about
two or three inches wide, which was
fast to the door.
Cross-examined: live 120 rods from
Williams house; went to Williams
house to see q COW he advertised for
salei didn't 90 nearer than twenty rods
Of the house; didn't stay but few min
utes; don't think any one went inside
the house after the baby was taken out
until the coroner came.
.g&rJ3s II. NJ. CLOUD.
Live in Napoleon; am Coroner of
Henry county; was called OH October
Is by Mr.. Crew and notified that G. w.
Williams was found dead in his barn;
The place where the body was found is
sbout twenty rods south of the Fulton