Omaha daily bee., 1894-02-25
WAS GOING TO SHOOT HIM
Wife Of Union Pacific 0olored Cook Draws
q Revolver on Him.
WHITE WOMAN WITH LIKING FOR NEGROES
She Has Had Three of Them for Husbands
Last One Now Wants to Leave Her
rs the Others Did-History of
the Trouble.

stop, or I'll blow out your brainsl'
This was the greeting MIR. George John
son. a colored cook on the Union Pacific
from Council Bluffs to Denver, received
from his wife last evening at 8 o'clock at
the corner of Farnam and Thirteenth
streets; and at the same moment a small,
well-dressed white woman reached into the
breast pocket of her jacket. She was too
late, however, and before the deadly weapon
could be procured she was hurried away by
friends.
Seven years ago George Johnson and this
woman were married in Chicago. She had
one child by a former husband. and for two
years she and Johnson lived pleasantly to-
gether.
After some years of residence in Chicago,
Johnson's employment took him further west
and he located in Council Bluffs. Before
he moved to his new field he was given a
taste of what conjugal jealousy could do and
one day when he came in from his run and
a few days before they were to go to Council
Bluffs, his wife drew a revolver and standing
about four feet from her husband she pulled
the trigger, but the revolver missed fire and
he was left unframed. He was so taken by
surprise he could scarcely speak for "a
moment and when his wife turned to see
why the revolver failed to do it's duty and for
a moment took her eyes from him, he
slapped her in the face, for which he paid a
small fine This was the beginning of misery.
He hurt his wife pretty badly by the blow
he had administered and she did not soon
forget it.
Johnson's duty compels him to be away
from home most of the time and all the time
at night. Some time not long ago he heard
from what he thought reliable authority
that his wife was entertaining other gentle
men of color during his absence and this
caused him to watch things more
closely. After a few weeks he was con-
WINGED that all was not right, although he
could not obtain any positive proof that such
was the case.
After going to Council Bluffs his time was
changed and he was able to get home every
other night. Nothing for a long time hap
pened to cause him to be any more than
ordinarily suspicious and he commenced to
think that life was worth living. One day
about a month ago he learned from a friend
that a man had called at his residence dur
ing the night, but who he was no one knew.
Still he concluded that a word to his wife
would do no harm and he told her the shame
1t would bring upon the family were such a
thing known, and urged her for the sake of
the boy to be more discreet in the future.
She took the advice in good part and while
she upbraided him for his doubts she said
she would not be the cause of bringing any
thing in the shape of disgrace upon the
family. She is the daughter of a wealthy
stockman of Lexington, KY, and while in
her %girlhood days she had taken a husband
5iiiiS NV Ni9hC " 10 luthtl, SIG WdS
willing to let bygones be bygones and live a
happy life. Her first husband was a white
man, but since that time she has been mar
ried three times and Johnson is her third
colored husband. All the rest are still liv-
ing, but they have become separated from
her on account of alleged unfaithfulness.
SHE STABBED HIM
She has frequently caused her present
husband trouble and two months ago, for
some reason, she stabbed him twice in the
breast and once in the side. This kept
him from his duties for some time and for
three weeks he was not expected to live.
She seemed to be sorry for what she had
done and he forgave her. This was the
second time she had threatened and nearly
taken his life and he was becoming alarmed.
Last Thursday the issue was reached. In
the morning he took his run as usual and
in the evening he returned to his home.
Everything was as he had left it and he,
exhausted from the labors of the day, kissed
his wife and stepson good night and went
to bed. The rest of the family soon fol-
lowed.
At what he thought must be about II 80
some one knocked at the door and asked to
be admitted Johnson told his wife to get
up and see who the man was and what he
wanted. Mrs. Johnson asked who was
there and the reply came, "a. p. D." She
said he lived down on Sixteenth street. The
Johnson's house is at 1906 Broadway, Coun-
Gil Bluffs, and Sixteenth street is around the
corner. After Mrs. Johnson had answered
the fellow went away for a moment, but
the reply did not seem to suit him and he
returned and knocked at the window. There
he asked If Walter was at home. Walter
is the boy, and the man, whoever he is,
thought the male voice on the inside was
his.
When the man went to the window John
son asked him what he wanted. The man
replied he wanted to go out on his run.
This caused Johnson to be alarmed and he
got up to go to the door, but his wife sprang
to the doorway and threatened to kill him
if he made an effort to get out. She said,
Get back into bed" Johnson was de-
termined and he succeeded in getting on his
clothes, but when he was ready to put on
his shoes his wife threw them away and he
was compelled to go out into the street with
out them. AS he got out somebody ran
from the window. He followed, but could
not learn anything as to the mans identity
beyond the fact that he was colored. He
returned to the house and told his wife he
would never set his foot in the house again
and left. The next morning he went out
on his run and returned again in the even
ing. He heard then that she had threatened
to kill him on sight, so he made Omaha his
headquarters.
Yesterday he was in Omaha and had Just
returned from a run and was going up town,
when he encountered his wife at the place
mentioned. He was afraid she would kill
him and was afraid to go out on the street
alone. Finally he determined to go to police |
Headquarters and swear out a warrant for
the arrest of his wife, but 1t was too late
and he could not procure one.
About one year ago last July a second cook
on the train with Johnson, named James
Benoit, thought well of Mrs, Johnson and he
was instrumental in getting her to go on n
visit to California. he paying all the bills.
Within two weeks from the time of her ar
rival her husband walked into the room
where she was and compelled her to return.
Johnson says his wife has nearly caused
him to lose his mind, She has caused him to
lose his position three time and he says he
is through and that II he can live safely
without running any risk of being killed
he will willingly forego married life, even If
the woman is little whittier than he.
Plumbing Thieves Busy.
There has been a wholesale destruction of
plumbing in vacant houses of late. The