Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1897-01-27
The Mar der of Henry.

This community is taking good
deal Of interest in the trial of DIR.
Johnston in Bloomfield, for The mur
der of druggist Henry, who the DR..
charged with being to intimate with
Johnston's wife. There is no ques
ton about the shooting, but John
ston does not want to be hung fer
killing Henry and es the case is a
clesr one as far rs the shooting and
killing goes, there is no chance for
the eeeape of Johnston unless the
Jury can be made to believe one CT
two things or both things, thai he is
insane or was insane when he shot
and killed Henry or that Henry and
Ars. Johnston were az the doctor
charged to intimats with ch other.
Up to last Saturday there was no
effort in tho progress OF the trial to
show improper intimacy between the
druggist and Johnson's wife. Up to
Saturday Mrs. Johnston had not
been in the court room and there
WAS 10 data TO base ststement on as
to when, or whether she will or will
not sppsar in court AS a witness in
the case. As the case appears now,
JehnstoR's chances to hang are good.
Ii, however, his wife should be put
on The stand and confess to improp
er intimacy between herself and the
druggist, there is the greatest prob
ability that the jury would acquit the
deetpr, takirs the ground that the
provccation of such liberties were
. sufficient and justifisble course for
the shooting, but as above stated
there seems to lie no indication what
ever that Mrs. Johnston will crimi-
nate herself, and she must be per-
senally free Of such intent when the
lawyers for her husband have put in
the plea OF insanity for him. There
are few people in this community, if
any who believe HIM to be insane
OF course the people here don't
know him, but they judge him sane
from the capability he manifested in
tie management Of bis affairs, and
in the trust that people reposed in
him in Duncannon as a physician. II
insane they say he would not be cap
able Of work or capable Of conduct
ing business or capable of acting in
the capacity Of physician. The
public do not take much stock ir
emotional insanity. Those who want
to be considered level headed cali it
dsviltry, and they also believe that is
the weakest plea that hs could make.
His strong plea they say would have
been to stand by his charges that he
made whsn he did the shooting, and
the weakness of his position is re-
vsaled III the fact that he permitted
the plea OF insanity to be IN de in.
stead of throwing himself for vindi-
cation into the hands of the jury on
the charge and proof of his wife's i'm
proper intimacy with Henry. 1t is
clearly unlawful to take the life of
another, hut under certain circum-
stances and amidst certain surround
ings, it is difficult thing to get a
Jury to convict man for shooting
another and ono of those cases -Sf pc,
cullsr surroundings iS when man
makes himself improperly intimate
S.th vi another mans wife. The case
Was resumed on Monday.
The court room was crowded and
the Commonwealth rested The de-
Tense for the doctor was begun and
was insanity. They declared that
DIR. johnson lsbored under an insane
delusion. 1t was delusion that his
wife was not faithful. That belief of
DR.. johnson was delusion and lead
him to commit the act of shooting DR..
Henry. Witnesses were produced to
narrate all the peculiar acts that they
had ever known him to do.
On Tuesday insanity experts and
others testified to Johnston's insaDi
ty. His wife testified that he had
been kind to her; that he had never
struck her but once; that she had
never had elicit connection with
Hsnry or any other man; that shs
and Henry had not spoken to each
other for years; that Johnston's mind
seemed changed since the death of
their daughter in 1892. He had
never done her bodily harm. The
acts OF insane people as described by
experts from insane asylums fit John
sons acts. Insane expert testimony
vas still going on at last reports as
we close our forms.