Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1892-02-25
ALICE KISSED THE BLOOD
Lille Johnson Tells the Story
of Freda Wards Murder.
ITS HORRORS DETAILED IN COURT


After the Crime Miss Mitchell Pressed HeI
Cory Hands to Her Lips Saying. 'Its
Freda's blood and Love st''-sons
had Testimony Against Miss Johnson
MEhPHrs, Feb 25-There was an odor oi
warm blood perceptible in the crimina
courtroom 40 horrible were the details OF
the Ward-Mitchell tragedy as told by vari
.ous witnesses, among whom was Lille
johnson, who testified In her own behalf
When Miss johnson told how Alice Mitchell
kissed her own bloody hands, screaming
that IL was Fredas blood, woman tainted
and was quickly carried out. Before Mis-
johnson took the stand she tainted in an
anteroom while in conversation with hei
lawyers, and when she had finished hen
story and had undergone severe cross
examination at the hands Of the iron hearted
attorney general, she was almost bodily car
ried 10 her seat
The present issue Is Miss Johnson's appli
cation for bail under the writ OF habeas
corpus and il rs the opinion Of those that
followed the testimony that she has not
many points in her favor A young inno-
cent looking bahg faced girl, weeping on
the witness stand, would ordinarily be pro
ductive OF sympathy on the part of a trial
Judge but IL was not in this case for Judge
Duboso has all the severity Of the English
Jeffrey and his regard for human life is not
30 very high, as win be shown by the long
list Of convictions at his bar. Miss John
sons attorneys made a desperate fight to
show that she knew nothing of Alice
Mitchell's intentions when they parted in
the buggy, but they partially failed to dc
this
/ She wrung Her Bloody Glove.
After various witnesses had testified to
seeing Miss Mitchell at Miss Wards throat,
! j. j. Williams testified that just just before
the killing he heard Misses Mitchell and
! johnson whispering in front Of the custom
house and saw Alice follow the Ward girls,
saw Lille Johnson follow her and then re-
turn and drive the buggy close TO the in.
cline and wait for Miss Mitchell He heard
a scream, looked down the incline and saw
Alice slashing about her with knife. She
grasped Freda Ward and drawing her back.
pulled the razor across her throat, After
cutting her in the face, the blood squirted
on Miss Mitchell's face, hair and hands, aud
as she rushed up the hill Williams saw heE
wringing the blood from her right glove.
t As soon as Mss Mitchell reached tte top
she cried, LII have done her"
This closed the states list Of witnesses and
| Miss johnson was introduced 10 testify ~
her own behalf After the young lady was
almost carried 10 the stand, baving tainted
\ a few minutes before, she raised her head
i and on her face was look Of awful misery.
4 Her head was lowered, but the court asked
. her 10 look straight ahead and speak loud
!, I for the benefit of the rpportora
d She said she was twenty years old and
had been educated at Notre Dame, Ind.
and in this city. She had known Alice
Mitchell for FIVE years and had known the
a Ward girls for two years. Joe was her
i favorite while Alice was friendly with
a Freda She loved Freda and Freda loved
/, her. When the girls were separated Alice
I. conhded the story Of her love to the witness
u and often wept that she could see Freda no
!. more On the day Of the killing she was
I driving with Alice Mitchell. After they
had gone 10 the custom house the Ward
girls passed, and Miss Mitchell said;
q "Oh, Lii, Freda Ward winked at me and
am going 10 bid her goodby." She fol.
lowed Miss Mitchell 10 the corner, but ro-
u turned and got into her buggy. In a mo-
a ment Alice came running up the hill wi
i her face, h0.r, hands and dress soiled W b
blood. Witness cried, "Alice, who has cut
your Miss Mitchell then jumped in over
the wheel Of the buggy and cried ont; u
u have cut Freda Wards throat; tel me the
o quickest way to kin myself"
= She Kisscd Freda's blood.
Don't kill yourself" said the witness;
'go home and tell your mother" Then Alice
said, SIS there much blood on my face q
Witness answered "Yes." Alice replied,
a "Wipe il oh, but changed her mind and
a cried, ''No, do not wipe 1t of; IL is Freda's
/, blood and love it" Suiting actions to har
/, word, she kissed her bloody hands, staining
her lips
The attorney general then took turn at
the young lady. She denied that ON the
a Friday before the killing she had gone to
:, the steamer Ora Lee and with Miss Mitchell
=. searched FOR the Ward girls, but finally ad-
2 mitted that her presence on the steamer
was TO see the young ladies', but she denied
that she told the young ladies that they
would fix the Ward girls on Tuesday after
Alice and she .esurned TO the Mitchell
\ house. Alice ,uld her mother what she had
done, and ~ Lille started 10 leave threw
her arms around her and cried: kiss me
If you like. Love me-"
Witness added that she got letters from
several correspondents at her brothers Office,
not wanting her mother 10 know she would
|. have such correspondence
She signed the name Jessie james to
I these letters and Alice signed Freda Myra
Ward TO hers. Witness then entered gen.
eral denial Of having any knowledge Of Miss
Mitchells intention, and said that she her
self had never gone wild nor did she know
that Alice carried a razor. Upon being
u pressed 10 answer why she followed Alice
Y Mitchell when the latter was killing Freda
, Ward the girl said, ''Just to see Alice bid
her goodby, and she began to weep bit
terly. She was taken from the stand and
carried to h, seat. The court frowned and
said he wou I hear no more today Miss
: johnson is IN the Jail and is said 10 be suf
y fering from nervous prostration. IF she
~ remains in jail another month said her
physician, ''she viii die"
Treason In Uruguay.
y MONTEvIDEO, Feb. 25.-The president OF
I