The morning times., 1896-08-15

John Meade johnson, OF Georgetown.
killed himself with poison yesterday. The
victim lived about seven hours after hav-
ing swallowed the fatal potion, and de-
spite the pain he suffered, expressed no
regret for mis- act. He. was CONSCIOUS TIL
ten minutes before death came
johnson was an Lnfortunate. He was
thirty years Old, and had been made an
orphan twenty years ago. His tathef,
Carl johnson, was o conspicuous Figure In
Georgetown n quarter ot century ago.
When he died, "a score OF years ago, Joon
wens to live with his motner's sister, Mrs
Wheeler. at Indian Head, Charles county.
Maryland. He drieted back TO George
town and led an unthriesy life.
He was not dissipated. but he was with
out trace and found some Difficulty tn
getting On in life- Four years ago his
brother, who clerked in Adlers hardware
store, On Thirty second street, Committed
suicide by shooting himself In the head.
This seemed to make John more unsteady
than ever. He lived down on the river
front and picked up scant living by doing
odd jobs there. For the last two years
he had made his home at Passenan's boat
house, at the foot of Thirty -second street.
1t was there, yesterday at noon, that he
drank rat poison. So tar as could be
learned he told no one that he intended
to take his life. During the forenoon he
sat and chatted with acQuaintances In the
second story OF the boat house. He was
rather more meditative than usual, but
his companions did not suspect him.
NOTES OF FAREWELL.
AT IL O'Clock johnson wrote four notes
OF farewell. One was addressed To MIS-.
Chappaiear, Ballston. Va; one to Mrs.
Whesief, ..,dian Head. Nd; one to Mrs.
Fowler, Iz2s Thirtieth street, aud one
To the public. These letters were loosely
written i'll pencil.
He addressed Mrs. Chappalear as Dear
Aunt Bet He said:
II have worried So much about 1T that
l am drove 10 90 it. You know why"
continued the man who was about to kill
hlIiself. He hinted that there was a dark
secret in his life, the thought OF which
IlEiuc him mad.
The letter to Mrs. Wheeler began, "Dcar
Edna," and contained the usual sentence.
when you read this 1 will lie beyond all
earthly help In this letter also he
said that lie had worried so much about
something that it had driven him 10 des-
peration.
The letter to Mrs. Fowler was similar
TO the preceding two, and the conmuni.
cation To the general public set forth that
Mrs. Chappalcar and Mrss Fowler could
throw ight ON the reason for his act.
While writing these letters he told his
companions that he was writing to his girl.
AT 12 O'Clock he entered an ante-rOom
on the main floor Of the boat house and
took from II shelf a box of rat poison.
He mixed it with water and drank it.
Then he laid down on some cushions be-
tween two rowboats. No one saw him
drink the draught. At 1890 he groaned.
Ion 20 IL, a.
Il am sick.' said Johnson.
Scrgt. Volkman OF the Seventh precinct
was called in. johnson told the sergeant
that he could not walk sergt. volkmau
bastened to call out the patrol. The wagon,
with Driver Bond on the box and Policeman
Fisher. soon reached the spot.
TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL.
johnson was taken TO Emergency Hos
pitaL The sufferer told Surgeon McGrath
that he had eaten too much pie for lunch
This did not satisfy McGrath and on being
hard pressed. johnson confessed that he
had taken poison.
Surgeons McGrath, West, and withers
shed their coats and worked with vigor on
the patient His stomach was washed out
and an aniidote administered. stimulants
were given him hypodermically, but the
man sank lower and lower
When asked as TO the reason for his act,
he would only say family troubles"
johnson died at O'Clock and the coroner
was notified. Tbecase will be Investigated
today.
Mrs. Fowler, when told of the suicide OF
johnson, could assign. she said. no cause.
so far as she knew Johnson had no affstr
of the heart which would prompt him to
take his life.
The frlends cf the suicide win defray the
Pxpense of the funeral