The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-09-18
He DIED IN THE HOSPITAL,
BUT HIS WIFE's INJURIES ARp
NOT THOUGHT TO BE
FATAL.
MIDNIGHT
SHOOTING AFrRAy
Al seventh and Locust Streets END.
Season of Marital Infe-
licity.

fhGn
sent bullet through his own head
from temple to temple. Mrs. Johnson
VIII recover, but Johnson died shortly
alter at the city hospital The
shooting occurred at II go D. m. on the
slueWaiK In front Of a vacant store
aooat thlrty feet east of Locust street.
Ohcers Ashe and Miller heard the first
shot and turned about just in time to
see johnson fall to the sidewalk as he
nred the second shot through his
brain. Mrs. Johnson did not fall. but
ran around the corner Of Locust street
ana leaned against the building.
Offlcer Ashe summoned the patrol
wagon, while Officer Miller ran to the
scene of the shooting.
On the sidewalk lay Johnson totally
unconscious. but with a thirty-ei eight
callber revolver grasped in his hand.
and the blood gushing from each tenn.
pie. The patrol wagon was prompt in
arriving, and in a quarter Of an hour
husband and wife were in the city hos
pital
Upon examining Mrs Johnson.
wound, it was found that the bullet
had entered the left side of her neck
In front, and missing the juguIar vein
+ had passed downward and fnallv
lodged in the left shoulder blade. 1T
was apparent to the hospital physi-
clans that the wound was not fatal.
Jealousy seems to have been the
cause Of the crime. johnson and his
wife had been married for five years
and until week ago yesterday they
We're living together at 303 Plymouth
avenue Minneapolis. Johnson was en-
ployed as a porter in Minneapolis sa-
Ioon.- They had no children A week
ago Mrs. Johnson left her. home and
came TO st. Paul. AS she did not re-
turn, Johnson set about to find her.
He ascertained that she was stopping
at the home of Mrs. j. H. Cunning
ham, 436 East Seventh street, between
Locust and Neil streets, and last night
he came to st. Paul to find her Early
In the evening he visited Mrs Gun
ningham's house with an officer, but
after searching the place. could not
find his wife. though he did discover
her trunk.
Just before the shooting Johnson met
Mr.. Cunningham In front of the latter,s
home, not fifty feet disant from the
corner OF Locust street AS the two
were talking together, an east-bound
Fort Smelling car stopped at the cross
ing and two ladies alighted They
were Mrs. Johnson and Miss frankie
Williams.
Johson moved toward them, and as
his wife stepped upon the sidewalk he
called out to her:
Here, you - -, want to
talk to YOU.
Mrs. Johson stopped for an instant.
Quick as a flash Johson> whipped out a
revolver and fred Mrc TcI
shrieked, and staggered. but did not
fall. IN an instant Johnson placed the
muzzle Of the revolver against his
right temple and again fired. The bull
let passed clean through his head, and
Johson fell like a log on the edge Of
the sidewalk.
Mrs. Johnson did not lose conscious
ness at any time. At the city hospital
she told Jailer Stadfield that she left
Johnson because he was not working
or providing for her, and that she had
decided to go to st. Paul and earn her
own living. Mrs. Johnsons maiden
name was Clara Simpson and her
home was in Keokuk, Iowa She Is
twenty-four years of age. and Johnson
Is thirty-sIx
j. HI. Cunningham, who witnessed
the shooting, said:
Although I had been talking with
Johnson and knew that he wanted to
see his wife, / never suspected from
his manner that he intended to harm
her. had always found him a we'll
behaved and sober. Industrious
man. But the moment he saw his wife
he quickly left me- Then followed the
two shots In quick succession That IS
all I know about the case.
When Johnson first met me, he ask
ed me If his wife was at my house
l told him no. but he was sure she
was, so said would go upstairs and
see. l did SO, and she was not there.
returned and told Johnson So
ASHE TALKED WITH HIM.
Officer Ashe met Johnson early in the
evening, and the latter told him that
he was looking for his wife He said
he lived in Minneapolis, and told the
officer that his wife had left him with
the intention Of comm to ST Paul
and that he had been Informed that
she was stopping at the home of J. II.
Cunningham, 436 East Seventh street.
Johnson said he wanted to see his wife
and try and persuade her to return to
Minneapolis with him, and asked the
officer to go with him to Cunningham's
for the purpose Of ascertaining for GER
tain whether or not she was there In
compliance with his request. officer
Ashe accompanied him to Cunning
hams house and the two were shown
into the room of Mrs Cunningham.
who was sick in bed johnson told
Mrs. Cunningham that he had reason
to believe that his wife was hiding I'm
the house, and that he wanted to talk
to her. He was told that the woman
was not in the house, but to convince
himself, he might search the place.
This, Johnson, accompanied by the Of
fcer, proceeded to do, and In one or
the rooms was found a trunk which
johnson said belonged to his wife.
The woman, however, was not 10 be
found, and Ashe left the place. and
started out on the route OF his beat.
leaving Johnson standing at the corner
of Seventh and Locust streets Officer
Ashe says that Johnson was cool and
collected while talking Of his wife and
only expressed a desire to have her re-
turn home with him. Johnson briefly
told the offices Of the trouble between
himself and his wife, saying that he
had a good home In Minneapolis and
that until recently, when he had lost
his position. she had had every COM
fort which she had desired Recently
however. they had fallen out and his
wife had left him. He blamed the
Cunningham's for. as he believed, en-
deavoring to influence her to remain
away from him.
How long johnson remained stand
ing at the corner Of Locust street is
not known. but he was there when his
wife alighted from Fort Smelling
car. He greeted her and they both