Omaha daily bee., 1885-05-14
The LINCOLN TRAGEDY,
WOnan'S DiShOn0r Leads 10 a Double
Murder,
Husband and Paramour Both Die
From Bullet wounds-The
Cause of the Tragedya
Former Resident
Sf Omaha.

both of its victims, Long having died on
Tuesday. The particulars of the affair
are of considerable interest to residents
of Omaha, as the woman In the case is
%well.known In this city, having resided
here for some time. She was the wife of
q Unknown railroad man, and had
many acquaintances about town. The
Lincoln News furnishes the following &C.
count of the tragedy:
Monday night a little before IL o'clock,
a continuous cracking of revolvers, the
screams Of a and the cries of q
wounded man, aroused the residents
around the corner of Eighth and II
streets, and disclosed the fact that some
terrible tragedy was being enacted. Those
who first reached the scene found Lew
johnson, q freight conductor on the b.
q M. road, who lives in the house on
that corner, lying on the walk in front of
his house crying out with mortal pain
while his wife In her night clothes was
rushing about as IL DISTRACTED. To the
inquiries of those who came, the woman
said that she had shot her husband and
also Ed. Long, a roomer In the house.
She had a revolver In her hand and
threatened to shoot some of those who
came about, until they felt IL safer to
withdraw.
Mr.. Stubblefeld, the owner of the
house, lives In a part of the large double
house, ran out, and finaing his
neighbor Smith, the hsckman, just
coming home, he jumped In and
was driven dowa for the police. They
were found, and two taken into the hack
and carried back, while the third went
after medical help. When they got
there quite o number of n~e'ghbors,
alarmed by the racket, had gathered.
johnson was still laying on the walk,
but some of his friends got a pillow, and
put under his head and a comfortable
over him.
Up stairs In o bedroom on the floor lay
Ed. Long pierced with two bullets and
from the gaping wounds his life blood
was gushing out. Mr.. Stubblefield was
the first to find him, and to his inquiries,
Long said that Lew johnson had shot
him, and that he had shot johnson. He
further sald that he thought he was
going to die, and he hoped he had killed
johnson.
By the time Drs. Lane and Hart came
johnson was 80 far gone that nothing
could be done for him, and he died In
half an hour from the time he was shot.
The doctors ct once turned their atten-
ton to Long who still lay upon the floor
until they came. He had or nothing
but an undershirt, and a pair of drawers.
He was laid upon the bed In the room,
and an examination made which showed
q bullet hole in the small of the back
Just beside the spine, and another In the
right side close up to the armpit In front.
The body was completely paralyzsd from
the first wound down, and the doctors
could give but little hope for life. They
probed but did not find either bullet.
The facts In regard to this terrible
affair seem to be about as follows: John
son and wife had occupied the residence
corner of 9Th and r streets for some
months, renting some of the rooms to
lodgers. Among these was Ed, Long,
a switchman In the B. q Nj. yards, who
had a room on the second floor and took
his meals at Mr.. Stubblefielo's. The
neighbors have known for some time that
there Was trouble between johnson and
his wife, and for a couple CT weeks he
has not come about the house, SO that q
rumor WAS current that he had left her.
Her partiality for Long "a said TO be
the cause, and his infatuation for her was
so manifest that it was making
scandal, and Mrs. Stubbleieli had mott,
fed him last Saturday that he must gel
his meals elsewhere. From the appear
ance 1t seems that Johnson, whose rrair
was in and was to go out at IL O'Clock
Last night, had found Long In the room
with Mrs. j ohnson. Both were in their
night clothes. As johnson forced hiE
way into the room, Long rIn out and up
btairs. From the bullet hole In his back,
Johuson's frat bullet must have struck
him az he was on the stairs. He wen
into the room, locked the door and go'
his revolver. johnson followed him up,
and with at least two vigorous kick
burst the catch of the door and threw i
open. As they stood there several shot.
were exchanged, one striking Long In thu
side, while q shot from his revolver
struck johnson In the right side not fEl
from the nipple, and ranged down pas
the heart through the body. This wal
the only wound he recsived. He raj
down and out to the sidewalk where hi
fell. He was conscious almost to thu
last, and related what he had done
Walt Montgomery, hind brakeman on hi
train, who roomed at Johnson's house
was the first to reach him. To him
johnson said, 81 found Long In bed witt
my wife, just as l expected, and sho
him."
To those who came first, Mrs. John
son said she had shot both men, but she
soon retracted this. She hat
evidently been drinking, and wa
under the influence of liquor at TIL
time. The police took charge of her a!
we'll as the premises. and remained al
night. The body of johnson was re-
moved to UndertAker Heaton's rooms t
be prepared for burial, and await tn
coroner's inquest.
Mrs. johnson Is somewhat known II
the city. She is an expert skater and
frequenter of the Kinks. At the Metro
politau rink, Saturday night, she tool
the big cake offered as q prize fer tn,
best lady skater. Before her msrriag,
to johnson she had been divorced from
another husband out at Kearney. Sh
had the reputation of being somewhs
fast, but was not supposed to be as ba'
MS she proves.
johnson was formerly sheriff OF Buff ali