Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1889-07-20
A RELIGIOUS MANIAC.
One OF the Most Awful Crimes Ever
Committed In the Northwest.


Sunday, as the family of Henry Coch.
rane was going to attend service in
the school house about three miles
north of the city, they noticed the
cows of X. II. johnson in the corral.
They thought il rather strange, at
o'clock Monday morning, when Mr..
Cockrane saw the cattle still penned
up, he determined to investigate. Ap-
preaching the door he knocked twice,
but received no answer. He pounded
a third time, and in response came
the voice of a child, crying "Oh,
mamma" Running around to the
window he called the name of Mrs.
johnson, but received no reply but
the piteous crying of the child
He forced open the door and en-
tered. Ascending the stairs a horri-
BILE sight met his eyes. Lying at the
head Of the stairs was the body OF
johnson. The hair was matted with
blood. which oozed from bullet
wound in his forehead A revolver
was lying partly under the body. Or
a bed close by lay the body Of the
boy, Willie, his face blackened with
powder and covered with blood from
two CHASTITY wounds in the head. On
pallet at the foot Of the bed was
the little girl, her face daubed with
blood from bullet wound.
Overcome by the terrible spectacle,
Cochrane rushed down stairs and
out Of the house 10 summon help. A
messenger was dispatched TO Palouse
City to summon the proper author
tiles, and the neighbors soon reached
the scene OF the tragedy. On the
front door was pinned the following
note; "Come in--open; We are up
stairs; all dead" The ncighbors
entered and assembled the stairs in
search OF Mrs. johnson. They
FOUND HER DEAD BODY.
in the bedroom adjoining the one in
which the others were living. II was
found that bullet had entered the
right side OF the forehead OF the little
girl and passed out the right eye.
When asked VINO hurt her she said
her brother stuck stick into her
eye. She also stated that her father
gave the n all lemonade, and that her
mother screamed. The little one was
tendcrly cared, and Drs. Magee and
Williams did all In their power to re-
lieve her sufferings.
Scattered about the house were
found the following notes, written in
a cramped hand and Astounding in
poor spelling:
CEDAR CREEK, July 6.-This deed
may seem strange to some that do
il for; this world is too wicked TO
live in: don't want to live any
longer in 1t; can't bear TO leave my
family in it They will bee with
Jesus before you see this. / hope
that God will forgive me. give my
all to Him. | want to go TO heaven.
This world is two full OF sin. | vast
A. P. Mcconnell to settle up my
business. What is left for him to
divide equal between himself, Ellen
Boon and VIM. Mcconnell. Good bye.
"RoLAND JOHNSON.
Everybody forgive me, and II p.
A. Mcconnell cant no more settle my
business. l want Evan Peddecord or
MN Mcclure TO do It."
"l2 o'clock give stricncne. 1t
throad Willie and Annie in such fits
that they wanted to be shot / have
dose for myself, but win shoot. Il
can't stand to see them have fits any
longer This is all dun through love
for my family. know they will go
to heaven and not be Off in sin as
here. can't live any longer and
can't leave my family in so wicked
world, May millions come to Gcsus
though this"
"Later, 6:40--This is not through |
envy, for love. l cant leave my fam.
lily in SO wicked world. They will
all go to Jesus now; l hope to 90
with them. hope that God will for