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

ed to the jail of the said county, i'm cas-
tOdy of the Sheriff.
Court adjourned until o'clock to-
morrow morning.
The State of Ohio Va. Wesley johnson. No. s5. In
dictment for Murder in the First Degree. Entry
of Saturday, February 18th, A, D. 1884.
This day came the Prosecuting Attorney. ON be-
half of the State OF Ohio the said defendant Wesley
johnson. being brought into open Court, in custody
of the Sheriff, his counsel also coming and there
upon the said defendant, Wesley johnson, BY his
counsel, filed motion for q new trial. for reasons
therein stated which said notion was read in opep
court by the counsel for Wesley johnson, and said
motion submitted to the Court for its decision
without argument, and the said Court thereupon
overruled said motion for trial. to which ruling
and decision Of the said Court, the said defendant,
Wesley johnson, by the counsel, excepted. And
tkereupon the Court pronounced the sentence Of the
law upon the said Wesley johnson: "That the said
defendant, Wesley johnson, be taken thence to the
Jail Of Henry County, and therein confined in soli-
tary confinement, until the goth day of May, A. D.
1884, aud that that day he be taken thence by the
Sheriff to the place of execution, provided by him
according to the law, and there, between the hours
of 10 o'clock A. M and O'Clock P. NJ, of that day,
he be hanged by the neck until he is dead. That be
pay the costs of this prosecution and execution In
| awarded therefor"
BRIEF BIOGRAPHY.
From all that can be learned of john
sons history, his early training was
of nature well calculated to prepare
him for murder and the gallows. Born
of a xyiScioua pot,,ra bio o,,rrounJ;,,<.e,
in early life We're of character calcu-
lated to develop the one dormant fac
ulty, brutality.
The following brief sketch of his early
life was published in the Toledo Bee on
February 18th, the day the sentence of
death was passed upon him:
Capt Williams uncle of the man so foully
murdered by Wesley johnson, this morning gave
your correspondent brief history of the early life
and home training of the young man who last night
was pronounced guilty of murder He said:
knew the parents of Wesley johnson forty years
ago. In going to Wauseon had to pass their house.
The old had many of the characteristics Of wes-
ley. He was hard hearted and 1t was said dshon-
est. The old man was very ignorant and had
ii
saw the children-and there were q great family Of
| them-out on the roadside and about the house,
stark naked, not stitch of anything to hide their
nakedness. When arriving at Wauseon I would
find the old man dressed in broadclotn and a plug
hat Think complaint was made and johnson was
Threatened with summary vengeance If he didn't
cothe his children and keep them in the house.
"The boy Wesley grew up thief, and 1t became
they went to Ed. Johnson that's the preacher) and
told him Wesley had been stealing again. Ed.
would go to Wesley and accuse him Of the theft
Wesley would generally acknowledge it and give up
the property, give 1t to Ed. to restore. Then he
would be good boy for awhile, when he would
break away again and be as bad as ever. He
couldn't help IT," said the narrator, t was born in
him to steal''
| When he stole Kaufman's watch he didn't do II
because he wanted the watch. but that irresistible
mania made him take it. His brother, as usual,
prevailed on him to return it. He gave it to his
brother, asking him, as he always did, to take it
back The people at that time thought it about
time to check his career of crime he was arrest
ed, prosecuted, and sent to the penitentiary for
| year. Since he came out he avoided company, and
was in the habit of prowling around alone.
'Ihat ne was cruel beyond comprenenslon, "
learned from one who used to chum with him and
gave up his company account of the damnablc
| cruelties he perpetrated He would catch pigs or
CATS the latter he preferred because he said they
| would move, and squirm, and yell more. take them
to the woods, tie them to stake, and build fire
| around them. Eli would then sit down and laugh
at their agonizing screams. This barbarity he de-
lighted in, and when his boy companions refused to
go with him, he wonld go off by himself and enjoy
Indian mimicry."
The above story has, in substance,
been corroborated by persons who have
lived for years in the neighborhood in
which Johnson was reared. A few days
ago gentleman who has long resided
in the johnson neighborhood, while in