Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1885-04-23
Thursday, April 23. 1855.
THE GREENWICH TRAGEDY.
The CorOner's Inquest Into the Triple
Murder-YOung Barclay JOhnsOn's
ProcIivities.

The Coroner's Inquest Into the Triple
murder-Young Barclay JOhnsOn's
PrOcIiv1ties.
GREENWICH, Conn, April 22.-The coro-
ner to-day began an inquest into the circum-
stances attending the murder of Mrs. John
son and daughter and the suicide of her son
Barclay. Among the witnesses examined
was the Rev. J. G. johnson, an uncle of the
actor in the tragedy. He testified that Ghere
was no hereditary insanity in the family, but
that Mrs. johnson had shown excessive grief
at the death of some of her children. These
children were born however, after the birth
of this young man, SO that no mental dis
turbance caused by their deaths could have
been transmitted to him by inheritance. For
the last six weeks the young man had ap-
peared somewhat peculiar The witness could
not account for insanity on the part of his
nephew except by his excessive devotion to
his Office duties, which caused him to work
and write at night and caused a strain on
his mind.
When asked as to the truth of reports that
the young man had been mentally disturbed
on the subject of religion, the witness said
that he thought any disturbance of that
kind, as evinced by peculiar conversations
on Cn0 SUBJECT, was the result OF insanity
rather than its cause.
The witness produced letter written in
pencil upon note paper which was found in
pocket of Barclay johnson after his death.
Parts of the letter were read as follows:
GREENWICH, Conn, April 81, 'S5.
be doneta word or two Of expIa1ation will nrobably
be received with interest. think am saving my
mother and sister from an unhappier fate If there
happiness which they deserve: If there is no God
then they will simply find their rest
At the close of the letter young johnson
wrote:
81 am conscious of the enormty of what have
done and intend to do, but at the same time have
a suspicion that l have become insane Why did
need of help and help me while there was time?
But to be fair suppose should say: Why did
The intermediate parts of the letter were
filed with expression of the writer's tender
affection toward his father, mother and sis
ter, mingled with self-accusations of all sorts
of faults, which his friends say existed only
in his imagination. The letter was written
in firm and very legible hand. The Rev.
Mr.. johnson was summoned from Rutland
by telegraph last evening.
Other witnesses were Charles Adams, who
witnessed the shooting from across the
creek, and E. Chard, who was yesterday af
ternoon on an island near the point where
the crime was committed. The latter testi-
ned LnaI ne neard scream ana SnOt, ana
then two more shots. Then there was a
fourth shot and he saw a man fall He did
not see any person on the point, which was
about 1, 900 feet distant from him, except
this man. He and his brother then went
over to the point in a boat and found three
persons lying on the ground. One, young
lady, was dead, while an older woman and a
young man were living. The man breathed
weakly for about five minutes before he ex-
pired. The elder woman was still living
when removed from the place.
John R. Chard, a brother of the preceding
witness, gave similar testimony.
DIR. J. L. Marshall, medical examiner of
Greenwich, testified as to his examination of
the bodies of the victims and the wounds
each had sustained.
The remaining witnesses were Samuel
Chard, who saw the Johnsons enter the
woods; George Foote, who saw the shooting
from distance, and William Houghton, who
was the first man to arrive on the spot after
the shooting occurred.
Having completed the hearing Coroner
Holt returned to Bridgeport, where he will
file his report with the county clerk to-mor
row.
1t is reported that johnson showed signs
of disordered mind on Monday evening. It
is said that he showed to some workmen in
his fathers employ three bottles, which he
declared contained poison, and asked what
he should do with them. Thinking he was
in jest, they told him to bury them and it is
alleged that he acted on this advice.
Young johnson first attracted attention as
a student at Yale by his successful competi-
ton for the Woolsey scholarship at the end
of his freshman year. He rose rapidly and
carried off many honors in his course, end
ing with the valedictory. During the las
year of his course he applied himself tot
closely to his studies and was not in good
health. He was bent on obtaining the
LODI ND nhoh
worked. He remained ut New Haven at
tending the Law school and pursuing philo-
sophical studies for two years, and last au-
tumn went TO New York and entered the law
Office of Alexander & Green, No. 100 Broadway,
and also attended the Columbia Law school
He is very highly spoken of by his instruc-
tors in Yale and in fact by everybody who
knew him. He had a promising future be-
fore him. His father, J. Augustus Johnson
was formerly CONSUL general at Beyrout and
is one of the consel of the Farmers Loan
and Trust company, while his mother is
sister of William Walter Phelps.
E. B. Frost who was fellow pupil with
johnson both at Yale and Columbia, says
johnson was sociable man and well liked
by everyone when at college. He was both |
a hard student and an athlete. He was vale
dictorian of his class, but did not
have done in order to gain such |
honors. He had petty vices
and was noted for family pride that acted |
as one of the incentives to study.
A. Brewster, classmate of johnson at !
says he was very sociable and
honorable. His love for his |
sister was marked. She was a charming
girl. Brewster is unable to account for
Johnson's crime. Nothing in his past ca
reer accounted for it.
New York, April 22.-At the law Office |
of Alexander & Greene, 100 Broadway, it |
was said to-day that the most careful con
sideration of young Johnson's conduct in the |
Office for the past month had failed to bring |
to mind any act or speech which might in
dictate mental arrangement. johnson was |
phlegmatic by nature. He had seemed rather |
low spirited for some months and did not
seem well. He asked for ten days vacation |
on account of i'll health week ago Saturday
and it was readily granted as his employers |
believed he had overworked himself. He
had always spoken of his home and relations
in terms Of great affection. He was talent |
ed and honorable youth.