The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-04-18
A CORPSE
In The RIVER.
Found Floating by a Duck Hum
ter Near Oakland.
In the Pocket was Bottle Con-
tanning a Note.
BODY is IDENTIFIED
AS That of n. Johnson, Who Had
Committed Suicide.
Had Two Daughters, Who Are
Teachers of Music.

.
4 Floating in tire river a mile and a
I balf below Oakland +f,A dead body OF. n.
/ . 80 -. T,-tl +.+ nos
o--i-7o-- - - - - 75 -
! Aoullo tl-IS morning ~ & SoioA ~ l-ie-ii
named Albert Bryan
Brvan with a Young brother went to
/ the river This morning tn fish and hunt
- -, - - -
uuSAs- AHey llau D97I Ill7i
\ short time and had taken one shoI at
I wild fowl when Bryan saw what he
I fh0l7ebt was a loer H0atina- in the chan
7 - 49, -s- 4.-7 H. 7,,+
llel Oh tile RIVER 10" us MS ooele'
The river rose last night and IS nlleQ
l with floating logs and foam The OBJ
5ec+ which cs7,e erlf5ira toward +be
/ -. - -..l...-7 -, -. 80
oo@1 vas H9e-lls 9-'iliSi seA III Oii9 "
/ er and nothing was visible except the
rounding surface of what was appar-
I entIv a black water soaked piece of
-
, 1900
me ODJecl was IN me Clls-illiSl - -
LHe bdllA attA came 4LS~etS pa ~
/ cOlored nshefmah- W men AZ came
along side he was hofrlHed 20 see tne
/ white 1ace OF q man Slowly sihkihs anu
I rising at one END OF the PACK OBJECT
/ He Immediately threw out ms DoaI
! hook and drew the body along side the
boat and made it fast with piece on
I clOthesHne. He rOwed rapidly to the
bank. chained the boat with its dead
burden along side and started to town
on reaching town Bryan notified Cor
oner Westerheld and the coroner with
Bryan Undertakers L. M. PenWeH ana
H. - DeSioss' anu d 9ld1S ooui ~, ~
iIeI, oioNe 70 tHe pia09 "ii9i l-i7
rT5a foateI. 15Z1 rnon its back with
the left hand folded upon the breast.
AS soon as it was pulled up the steep
bank the body was seen to be that OF
an Ol4 man ne IlaQ a-l-lo7l per A71lls
II lle.ie 80 ~ ~ ,leo,,+ e,-a eea+
oi--t+ y. 1ina f+aIIae i5 5eie-bt rIlbs bo1z-
vas dressed in a black cutaway coat.
and jeans trousers which were torn be-
low the knees Stout laced Dlack shoes
meIg uloll lii sa,lr Iiso5- a,, y r
iit+la 5isci- bo[,- tie v-as 1l-oTn Abo,,t
the neck of the bodv were several
strips of willow bark. and as it after
ward proved, these must have been fas-
lel-ea 10 Z rock oI Welsht' tnoush lnal
s,I4I Wy To- ola5r,a7 mr. NJ
Moss as he unbuttoned the coat and
pulled a two ounce bottle from the
right hand inside coat pocket with a
paper in it, The bottle was tightly
corked ana the POCKET vas pinned to-
~ 20 - ~ ~ 517 - +
flask, and when it was broken on a
stone a perfectly dry piece Of paper
torn from a little pocket memorandum
oooA was qI'Lolaea. ~ Il had Wrltlng on
ias5 r.ci7 - - ,3ifIi.l,I4 IN
cipher.
lit was written In broken English. 1t
was as follows:
"'I do this myself NV daughters
tried to poison me two times After
they rob me of all my money. and then
drove me out. / have more To ten Won
but it is too big. Please coDv this
N JOHNSON"
A small purse was taken from the
trousers pocket 1t contained a key
and q piece Of water soaked paper with
a So gold piece in it. The BODY was Dut
into the undertaker's wagon and
brought to the city.
The body arrived at the undertaler's
rooms at 1870. AIessrs DeNoss & Pen
weu had known an old man named
Johnson who lived at 212 East Fourth
street running a small street stand.
His wife and three daughters lived
there with him.
The door was opened bv one of the
drowned mans daughters. when q re-
porter went there
Does Mr.. Johnson live here?" was
asked.
yes. sir"
"Is he here2''
mo, he is not at home at present"
she replied.
How long has it been since he has
been at home2'' was asked.
THE last time we saw him was about
a O'Clock Wednesday afternoon )
was he an old man with white hair
and beard2~
Yes. sir; he was So wears old ,,