The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1894-04-25

ploy of T. j. Corner, the well-knowr
mining man. Carter and "Hamp' John
son were engaged in fight resulting
from dispute over load of wood, il
which the former seemed to be getting
the best of 1t, when John, who was ther
abont II or Is years old, grasped sticl
of wood and struck Carter on the TEN
pie 50 heavily that he died in "a hour.
from the effects of the blow. For tbi.
he was sentenced on Nov. 16 to two
and one-half years in the penitentiary
but public opinion was aroused in hii
behalf and petition for his pardon
was circulated and largely signed, on
the ground, that, seeing his father be-
ing beaten in the fight, his act was but
a natural one, and, in a measure,
justifable. The petitioners were sue.
cessful, and Governor Potts granted
the pardon the following year.
After his release from the peniten-
tiary he became hanger-on of the
gambling houses and houses of ill-fame,
and soon developed into a travelling
sport, mainly combining his operation
to the eastern cities of the territory.
In 1879 he married one of the inmates
of Bozeman bagnio, and returned to
Virginia City, where he conducted him.
self fairly well until February of the
following year, when he became in
volved in a quarrel with the late J. N.
Markle, which ended in the latter be-
ing shot in the left lung.
The prime cause of the trouble was
jealousy over liaison which the two
had maintained with a notorious pho.
tographer ef Helena, since deceased !;
but the immediate provocation of the
shooting was dispute over a bet at
the faro table. A bystander, James
McAdams, was also seriously wounded
during the fusilade between the two
belligerents. Markle recovered, and
johnson was tried on the charge of
assault with deadly weapon with in-
tent to kill, and on April %, 1880, was
sentenced to three years Imprisonment
for his crime. Executive clemency,
however, again interviewed In his behalf,
and he was released after serving about
half his sentence.
By this time "Pinhead" had grown to
manhood, and, though not possessing
the intelligence of his brother, who was
a man of fine education, polished ad.
dress and brilliant conversational pow.
ers, was rapidly following in his Grim.
inal footsteps, and it was not long after
Johns second release from the peniten-
tiary before it became apparent that
the two were acting In concert In their
nefarious work. They moved to a
house on Slade creek, about five miles
from Virginia City, on the Madison
side of the divide, and the barrennese
of the valley farmers cows, with the
corresponding faculty of those of the
Johnson boys, soon became prominent
in the notice of the community. 1t is
freely asserted by their neighbors that
these rustlers would frequently drive
cows into sequestered places and then
shoot them to prevent them from fol.
lowing their offspring to the Johnston
corrals.
The Madison valley ranchmen are not
made of the stuff to tamelv submit to
this sort of business; and. as soon as
the matter was traced squarely home
to them, the boys were notified that
their absence was preferable to their
company, and that it would De more
healthful for them to seek fresh fields
and pastures new.
Subs equently to these events, but
little has been known here of the HE
:ory of the young Johnsons, except that
hey have been travelling in company as
general rustlers. In the year following
heir vacation of the Madison valley,
hey were in the National park, and
'everal robberies, mostly of a petty
character, were laid to their charge.
It is also suspected that they were the
:oad agents who held up the stage from
Beaver Canyon to Fire Hole Basin in
1888 or 1889, their close proximity to
he place of the holdup at the time and
heir we'll known character furnishing
he principal grounds of suspicion.
A little more than year ago they
we're seen in Helena, when they repre-.
'ented that they had been engaged in
'tock growing in the Northwest terri
ory of the British possessions, and this
$ the last heard of them by any resi-
lent of Virginia City until the occur.
.ence which heads this letter. At that
lime they were in the pasteboard bust.
less, John posing as the gentleman
gambler, and Ed as the verdant but
ucky cowboy. The information is re.
:eived here that Ed is serving life |
In the South Dakota peniten.
iary for shooting man in that state.
Ind this in connection with the killing |
If his brother, has, az above stated,
treated intense satisfaction here that
wo of the most hardened criminals !
.ver raised In Madison county have |
,een removed from the opportunity of |
loing further harm.
Parenthetically, it may be remarked |
n conclusion, and as evidence of the