The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1889-08-15
POISON AND PISTOL.
ONE CHILD ONLY LEFT ALIVE.
ROLAND JOHNSON FIRST GAVE MS CHTLDREA
sTRYCHNfNE AND THEN BLEW OUT
THEIR BRAINS.

On Sunday, as the family Of Henry Coch.
rane were going TO attend services in the
school house, about three and q half miles
north Of Palone City, Washington, on the
Pennington road, they noticed the cattle of
II. u. Johnson in the corral. They thought
IL rather strange and at $ o'clock when Mr.
Cochrane saw the cattle still penned up, he
determined to investigate. Approaching the
door he knocked twice, but received no
answer. He pounded a third time and in re.
sponse came the voice Of child crying,
ooh, mamma"
Running around TO the window Mr.. Coch-
ranc called the name of Mrs. Johnson and,
receiving no reply but the piteous crying of
the child forced open the door and rushed
into the house. Ascending the stairs hor-
rible sight met his eyes. Lying at the head
Of the stairs was the body of Mr.. johnson.
The hair was matted with blood, which oozed
from bullet wound in the forehead. A re-
volver was lying partly under the body. On
bed close by lay the body of his boy Willie,
the face blackened with powder and covered
with blood from two ghastly wounds in the
head. On p llet at the foot of the bed was
the little girl, her face also dabbed with
blood from a bullet wound.
THE CHASTITY INVITATION.
Overcome by the terrible spectacle, Mr..
COchrane rushed down the stairs and cut OF
the house TO summon help. A messenger
was dispatched to Walla Walla to summon
the proper authorities, 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 neighbors entered and ascended
the stairs in search of Mrs. Johnson. They
found her dead body in a bed in room ad'
joining the one in which the others were
lying
II was found that bullet had entered the
right side of the forehead of the little cir
and passed out the left eye. When asked
who hurt her she said her brother stuck
stick into her eye. She also stated that her
father gave them all lemonade and that her
mother screamed. The little girl was ten
dcrly cared for. and Drs. Magee and Will
liams did all in their power to relieve her
suilerings. Scattered about the house were
found the following notes, written in
cramped hand and abounding in poor spell
ing:
CRN2ED ny RELIGION.
CErAR RocK-This deed may seem strange
TO some, that | do it, but it is nothing more
than that this world is too wicked To- live
in. don't want t) live any longer in it.
j can't bear to leave my family in it.
They will be with Jesus before you can see
this. hope that God will forgive me. |
give my all to him. | want everybody to
pray for me. want to go to heaven. This
world is too full of sin. want Z. \. Nc.
Conncll to settle up my business. What is
left for him to divide between himself, Ellen
Boone and William Mcconnell. Good by.
"RoLAND JOHNSON"
From the above it appears that Johnson
had gone insane on religion and deliberately
decided TO kill his family. His neghbors
have always regarded him as being eccentric.
1t seems that of late he had been greatly ex-
cited about religion.