The Press., 1888-04-19
Issued Every Thursday Evening.
LOCAL TOpICs-PENN,D AND sCIsSORED

Your modern reporter means to make his story interesting, if it be be not truth full. If he can give facts and make spicy reading he will do if, but if the facts de- tract from the spice he subtracts few facts and puts ill an extra handful of spice instead. A Norwich reporter sent to the Chicago Inter Ocean an account of the Johnson shooting affair, and here is his story:
 The village of Stafford Springs, thirty five miles north of here, is talking about just one thing today. That is, Mrs. George R. Johnson, who wears a thirty two cllibre revolver strapped to her knee. MT. George R. Johnson was mysteriously shot in his back while asleep iu his bed about midnight Tuesday night, and it is believed that Mrs. Johnson's knee protector inflicted the wound. The Johnsons reside in pleasant little cottage, and the family consists of the husband, 50 years old, the wife, about 30 Handsome and lovely) and Johuson's youngest daughter by the first wife. MT. Johnson has been married to his second wife, who was a Mrs. Webster, only few years, and in that time their married experience has taken them through a refulgent honeymoon, and then a moon- less season on his part of suspicion jealousy, anger, accusation. Johnson has long been faithful and trusted employe of George M. Ives in the big Granite Mills Company. He was fond of his home, and of a rather quiet disposition. His wife was an exact contrast. She liked society, socials, aud balls, and she found many gallants in the village whose attentions she enjoyed more than the quiet company of her husband. Some months ago. the village gossip began to wonder whether George Johnson would ever find out how his wife was carrying on. Until Tuesday, there was no open breach between them. About midnight that night, as Johnson tells the story, he
 AWoKE IN GREAT PAIN
 and prostration, and with a sense of numb ness in hIs abdomen. It was dark in the room, and he reached his arm over to his wife's side of the bed to awake her, but she was not there, so he shouted loudly for help, and in moment in came his wife with A l.. Howard, neighbor. The lat ter was at once dispatched for Dr. Smith. That physician examined the sick man and discovered a pistol shot wound in John sons back below the tenth rib. The wounded man professed to be utterly una ble to tell at what time or by whom the wound was inflicted, and appeared to be deeply puzzled by the discovery. Mrs oOuuoOI, WuO uHu DeSu very FoSJleSS ana excited during the examination of her hus- bands wound, was then invited to tell her story, and she sad that she arose about II o'clock to get some cough medicine and she saw a man dimly on the porch and near one of the chamber windows. Her head was not clear, she explained, and she had no sooner seen the figure outside be fore she saw flash and heard the report of pistol. Mrs. Johnson's story was not altogether satisfactory and some one in the cluster of neighbors who had gathered Ill the meantime, sent forthe sheriff The sheriff listened to the woman's mysterious statement and at once placed her under ar rest, but when he insisted on searching her she vigorously protested and offered several unsat factory excuses. The'sheriff finally told her that she must submit to a search or force would be used. Thereup- on she became submissive. She was at- tired only in light wrapper, and the ex- animation was easy. In a moment the of ficer's hand hit against something at Mrs Johnson's knee, and when he tried to re- move it, it yielded little, but could not be detached. Then the woman with a petulant motion removed with her own hands the mysterious object. It was a new and shining revolver neatly stitched into cotton. flannel case.