Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1895-05-10
A DOUBLE CRIME.
Rape and Murder Attempted
Fred johnson Assaulted His Sis
. ter and Shot His Brother.

ter ana NIlOI Ills 1EOiutIs
The Revolving story Of a sunday After
noon at Jamaica Farm House---the
Flight, Arrest and Hearing---in Jail
Under $1,000 Bonds---the Victim of
the shooting in u Critical Conditions
the Prisoners bad Record.
The most revolving case in the criminal
annals of Windham county shocked the
people of Jamaica and Wardsboro Sunday
and those of the other towns on Mon
day, when it became known that Fred
johnson, aged "a, had raped or at least at
tempted to rape, his 12-year-old sister, Jen-
ME. and had Shot his l4-year-od brother
Leon, who sought to defend the girls hon
or. The scene of the affair was the John
son homestead in the south part of Jamai-
ca, in what is known as the South Hill
district, about four miles from Jamaica
village and one mile from WardsbOro vii
lage.
The father of the family is Lewis John
son, farmer in comfortable circumstances.
He has six children by his first wife,
whose maiden name was Sophia Day. The
oldest son is Lorenzo, who is as ignorant
as the second son, the assalant. The
third child is Mrs. George Wilder of ia
maica, woman of good reputation, and
the fourth is Edward johnson, a young
man about 10, who is intelligent, industri-
Gus. and of good appearance. The next
in order is Leon, the wounded lad, who,
although only If, is large and very leshy
for one of his years, weighing l7j TO POO
pounds, a fact which has caused him to be
ncknamed Jumbo" The girl who was
assaulted is also very large, much like the
brother She will be remembered in Brat
tleboro. where for time a year ago or
more she lived with Mrs. Laura Haskins
of South Canal street. The fathers sec
ond wife's maiden name was Starr, and
they were married several years ago. By
this marriage there are two small children.
The two older boys have not lived at home
for several years. They claim that the
father abused them, while ne says they
were stubborn and vicious and that he
could do nothing with them. Mr. John
son has no trouble with his younger chill
dren.
Mr.. johnson and his wife went Sunday
forenoon to visit relatives who live in the
Pixies Falls neighborhood. They left at
home two sons, Edward and Leon, and the
daughter. During the forenoon Fred John
son appeared at the house. He had of late
been working for John COlson, a Swede,
and a short time before for Lyman May
and Dwight Bowen, who live in the dis
trict known as Maynard Hollow About
noon Edward johnson left the house to 90
to WardsbOro village of an errand. Be
fore leaving he warned Fred that he must
not attempt anything improper, having in
mind previous actions to which reference
will be made later.
About an hour after Edwards de-
parture Fred suddenly seized his young
sister, who was in the kitchen, and carried
her forcibly into the bedroom. He threw
her upon the bed and tore off her clothing.
She screamed loudly for help, and Leon,
also screaming, ran to her assistance. The
burly Fred knocked him back with fierce
blow, swearing that he would kill them
both if they did not stop screaming, and
continued to persist in his fiendish pur-
pose and at least partially accomplished it.
Leon ran into the kitchen and from a shelf
secured a 22-calibre revolver, loaded in
either four or five chambers. Returning
to the bedroom he fired one shot, with the
intention, as he says, of frightening his
brutal brother, rather than hitting him.
Fred seized Leon, and his superior strength
enabled him almost instantly to wrest the
revolver away. This struggle gave the sis
ter an opportunity to escape and she ran
from the house.
Instantly, upon gaining possession of
the revolver, Fred opened fire. The first
shot struck Leon, who was only three or
four feet away, squarely in the face below
the right eye. He ran from the room and
Epnl EVnl 81, IL
none of them took effect. The girl and
the wounded boy started for the home of
their nearest neighbor, Silas May, a broth
eT of A. n. May of Brattleboro, who lives
about half mile away. Mr.. Nav, a man
of about go, and Edward johnson, who
had returned to Mr.. Mays from Wards
boro, heard the screams and shots and
hurried toward the johnson house. On
the way they met the two children, both
nearly exhausted, and Leon bleeding pro-
fusely from his wound. The children con
tinued on their way to Mr.. MAYS while Mr..
May and Edward johnson went to the
johnson house. Fred johnson had in the
meantime taken an axe with which he
smashed open chest in an upper cham
Der, securing a bottle of whiskey, from
which he drank. AS Mr. May and his
brother approached he attempted to seize
the axe, but they quickly grabbed him.
They at once asked him why he had shot his
brother and he replied that he didn't know
that he had shot him. He denied that he
had a revolver, but Mr.. May, reaching
around him, took it from Q hip pocket 1t
then contained nothing but empty cart
ridge shells. Mr.. May and Edward John
son released their hold of Fred, and he
soon ran away from the house. Mr.. Mays
son went to Wardsboro village, where Drs.
Brigham and Doane of Jamaica were sum
moned by telephone. They arrived soon,
but were unable to locate the bullet in Lee
on Johnson's head. The boys face was
badly swollen, closing one eye. He often
threw off blood which had gathered in his
throat.
Mr.. and Mrs. johnson returned home
later in the afternoon and the wounded
boy was brought home from Mr. Mays.
The father of the family went at once to
Jamaica village to notify j. Q. Shumway,
the deputy sheriff. 1t was now so late
that search for the fugitive was not at
tempted.
Early the next morning Mr.. Shumway
and W. l.. Phelps a muscular young man
who has been in the meat business in ia
maica, started out to hunt for the culprit,
first telephOning the circumstances of the