The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-04-23
FRIGHTFUL TRAGEDY.
THREE MEMBERS OF A WEALTHY
FAMILY THE VICTIMS.
An Insane Man Shoots His Mother and
Sister Dead and Then Destroys Him.
self-Details of the Shocking At
fair-The Inquest.


johnson, the son of ]. Augustus johnson,
lawyer of 50 Wall street, New York, grad
uate of Yale college and of the Columbia
school of law, shot and killed his mother and
sister and then committad suicide at his
home Tuesday. johnson was supposed to
have been insane. He took walk with his
mother and sister in the morning, and re-
turned TO the house complaining OF
severe pain in his head Arrangements had
been made by johnson to go walking in the
afternoon with some young ladies, including
Miss Mason, a daughter of Theodore
Mason, and Miss Peck, daughter of Pro-
fessor Peck, of Poughkeepsie. His illness,
however, had caused him to break
the engagement He recovered
somewhat after lunch, however,
and with his mother and sister started
out to take a walk without their visitors.
Miss johnson was extremely beautiful. She
started out in the best of spirits, and seemed
determined to overcome, if possible, her
brothers melancholy. They disappeared
down the road, laughing and chattering like
school children. At the rocks at Indian Har-
Dor Point they stopped for rest Charles F.
Adams, young farmer, was at work across
the point in his garden, Suddenly he heard
pistol shot He looked across the inlet,
and saw little puff of blue smoke rising
above the rocks Then he saw girlish
figure scrambling over the point. She was
screaming, and her hands were raised above
her head as she ran. A moment later a
flash of light appeared, and before the sound
had reached the farmers ears the girl turned
and fell PROSTATE at her brothers feet,
dead. Adams started toward the PROSTATE
girl.
This all occurred within very few min
utes and before Adams had gone yard
johnson had fired bullet into his mothers
head. He stopped over the odies moment
to see how thoroughly he had done his work.
mouth and fired. The ball passed
clear through his head, and he
dropped TO the ground corpse. Five
persons witnessed the occurrence. None of
them saw the patty before their attention
was attracted by the first shot, however,
| and none of them know what occurred be-
| tween johnson and his mother and sister
before he fired.
Mrs. johnson was found to be still breath
ing when help arrived, and she was con-
veyed to her home, where she soon expired.
Young johnson was just beginning the
fpractice Of law. He had studied for long
| time with the firm of Alexander & Green, in
the Equitable building, at New York, and
was doing business for them up to the time
| of his death. Col j. j. McCook of that
| firm said that he was greatly shocked at the
announcement of JohnSon's acts. He could
only account for it on the theory of insanity.
His mother, he said, was sister of William
Walter Phelps His father was consul gen
eral at Beyroute
The coroner has begun an inquest into the
circumstances attending the murder of Mrs
Johnson and daughter and the suicide of
the murderer Among the witnesses wer,
the Rev. j. G. johnson, an uncle of til,
chief actor in the tragedy. He testified tina
there was no hereditary insanity in tn,
young mans family, but that Mrs
johnson had shown excessive grie
at the death of some of hel
children When asked as to the truth o.
the reports that the young man had beel
mentally disturbed on the subject of re
lgion, the witness said he thought any dis
mrbance of that kind as evnced ly pe
culiar conversation on the subject was tn,
result of insanity rather than its cause
fhe witness produced letter written il
fencii, which was found By young John
sons family after his death. Parts of til
letter were read as follow:
| greenwich, Conn, April 21.-If | sue
coed III accomplishing what think must b.
done a word or two OF explanation will prot
ably lie received with interest. / think
am saving my mother and sister from a
unhappier fate If there is just and gen
erous God these two will go to the happines
which they deserve. If there is no God the
they will simply find rest
At the close of the letter young JohnSo
wrote
al am conscious of the eaormity of wins
| have done and intend TO do, but at til
same time have a suspicion that l hav
become insane. Why did not some on
recognize my weakness, my great need
help, and help me while there was tint
But to be fair | suppose | should say VIII
did not help myself "
The intermediate parts of the letter wer
filed with expressions of tender affectio
toward his parents and his sister, and mil
gled with self-accusations of all sorts
faults which his friends say existed only
his Imagination. The letter was written
a firm and legible hand
Other witnesses who gave testimony wei
Charles Adams and E. Chari, who were ey
witnesses to the tragedy. They gave bril-
history of how the shooting was DONE The
evidence did not vary materially from TIL
already given. A few other witnesses we
then examined, and at the conclusion
their testimony the coroner announced tn
he would make his report in Bridgeport