Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1884-06-05
JOHNsoN's TWO CONFESSIONS.
NApoLEoN. AnriI "a 1SS4.

iSSi Niue IL II my uutN 10 give u luu
and true statement of my acquaintance
with Miss Lou Myers, the woman that
was said to be wife of mine, which /
VIII say In the commencement of my
statement that she is not nor ever was.
Various reporters who have talked with
me have made statements i'm their al
legged interviews with me, detrimental
to me, and not justified by what said,
and will therefore give a full and ex-
act statement of my former relations
with Lou Myers, and also q full and
true statement of the crime for which
am now held.
II made the acquaintance of Lou
Myers during a revival meeting at
Delta, some time in February, 1883. T
liked her company. She acted lady
like and | used to call upon her some
times. ] had her confidence and think
she had mine as friend. Shortly after
our attentions commenced, 1 told her
about the reports that were then in cir
culation to the effect that she was mar
ried, and was not free from her hus-
band. She then told me that she had
been married but was then free from
her husband and could show me that
she was in black and white. / believed
in her truthfulness and continued to
keep her company. Some time about
the first of June, 1888, she called upon
me to take her out to Michigan. / told
her / would go. When we left her
fathers she told him that we were GO
ing to get married. When we returned
home again she told her father that we
were married. In few days / called
to see her again and was invited to stay
all night. When / retired to my bed,
Miss Myers came to my room and
stayed all night, saying that she had told
her father and mother that we were
married. She told me not to tell them
and different, and from that on we
roomed together at different places as
man and wife. On the 28th of August,
1888, her father told her if she did not
give me up she could not make her home
with him any longer. She then told
| her father that she would leave home.
She left her fathers home August 30,
1888, and went to Kendallville, looking
to me for her support. After she had
| been there about a month, / received q
letter from her saying that she wanted
some money. wrote in reply, telling
her that did not have any money for
her just at that time, but thought that
L would in few days. On the 18th of
October, 1888, / went out to see her. |
did not have the money for her then,
| but told her would get it as soon as
could. Then she told me she wanted me
to send her the money by the 9th of
| October, as she would not remain there
4 any longer. told her I would have
4 the money for her by that time, and
4 then | left her and returned home to
the farm of Mr.. John HI. Williams,
where l had been employed for short
time.
"On the next Sunday night, October
21, l saw that / was not going to have
the money for her by the time she
: -lwanted it,. and in Ordercto get the tia,ls-
rley for her / resolved to burn Williams
barn, knowing that he had money in
the house, and hoping in the excite
ment to get possession of it, TO pre-
: vent their suspicion, placed ladder
, up against my bedroom window, on
, the outside of the house, and about S
o'clock in the evening, while the family
were all in the house, [ went to my bed
5 room and going out of the window and
, down the ladder, set fire to the barn,
, and returning hastily to the house the
same way left it. L reached the room
where the family were sitting some
g time before the fire was discovered. ]
thought perhaps / could get the money
while the family were rushing to the
, barn, but made no further efforts.
| s'As did not succeed in this, on Tues.
!; day night, October23, 1883, I went down
, to George w. Williams, q young
farmer, residing on the county line be-
tween Fulton and Henry counties, and
going to his house got him to 60 out
= with me to his barn, and there | killed
G George w. Williams with his own AK
: and there left him laying in the barn
l Then went to the house and there
I found his wife, Isabella E. Williams
s Just preparing for bed, and there
G. killed Mrs. Isabella e. Williams, there
= in her own home, with the same ak thai
killed her husband, George w. Will
1 liams, and there [ left her laying
r From the house | took twenty-six dol
9 lars in money and one watch, belonging
. to George w. Williams, which was O
J, the value of about five dollars, and thel
f [ returned home. This is full and
f true statement
[Signed] WESLEY JOHNSON.
/. CONFESSION OF JOHNSON, MADE T(
HIS BROTHER, REV. EDWARD
JOHNSON MAY oath, 1884.
t; "In October 1883 l worked for Jno
Williams on the night of the Dist o
- Oct. at about half past six in the even
ing I placed ladder at my bedroom
y window, and about 6 o'clock when al
: were in the horse went up stairs an(
9 raised the window and went down th'
D.. ladder and set fire to the barn and wen
- back the same way. / got into tn
!. house before the fire was discovered,
h did it all alone, still kept on working
for Mr.. Williams till Tuesday about 81,
O'Clock in the evening, / then went t,
G Wauseon and staid there tell abou
n half-past seven p. NJ, and then started
for Geo. w. Williams residence.
=, went south 4 miles and then I wen
=. east about / mile, then came to Gee
~ w. Williams house, Geo. was at tn
- barn doing chores [ waited until h
- went to the house and then | went t
- the house and told Geo. that we wer
- out coon hunting and that would lik
~ to get his AK, he got the ak for me an
% took his lantern and went to the barn
'V We came to the stable door, Geo. wen
= : in and L followed behind till Get
- stepped on the barn floor, then 1 struc
81 eur him on the side of the head, he fe
IN IN with his head against the door, then
" struck him again on the head with th
o. ak, 1 then searched him but got n
II Il, money, and then took the AK an
70 went to the house, when I got thel
Mrs. Williams was preparing to 60
bed. 1 went into the kitchen door an
nassed into the dining room Mrs. Wi