Birmingham state herald., 1897-01-03
LIVE WOMAN'S TOMB
Has Mrs. Diamond Johnson Ar
 ranged for Herself.
1T IS OF HEAVY GRANITE
She Expects to Have Her Gems Buried With Her and Fears Grave
 Robbers.

following special from Norwich. Conn.,:
 Mrs. Mary Futile, ('Diamond') John son, formerly resident of this city. now of Chicago for whom conservator was recently appointed by request of her hus- band and sons, has had a remarkable grave Constructed in her lot in Yantic cemetery, destined to receive her body. It is the most costly, massive unique and elaborate one in this state.
 Mrs. Johnson purchased her cemetery lot some time ago and had her grave made She is haunted by an overmaster- ing dread of graveyard ghous and rob- berS and she had barely completed her grave when she decided that it was not strong enough to baffle a possible as- sault after her body had been committed to it..
 With corps of skilled professional worknen she went to work at once to reconstruct and immensely strengthen It, carrying on the work clandestinely in order to forestall oppositionN on the part of her conservator and her watchful husband and sons. The result of her craftiness and the dispatch and dex- terity of her workmen was that she not only accomplished her project without betrnying her design but so neatly that there IS not an outward token to indicate to a, casual observer that the old grave had ever been disturbed
 CRAVE SEEMS IMPROBABLE
 The grave is in many respects the most remarkable and wonderfully contrived one probably in New England. Appar- ently 1t is impregnable to assault
 It's floor is a huge smoothly chiselled slab of Rhode Island granite, weighing more than ton, while a similar gigantic slab Of stone, which weighs 2,700 pounds and can be handled only with the aid of a derrick, forms its cover
 The walls of the grave are of cen1ented pressed bricks, solid as adamant, and as thickand enduring seemingly as those of modern fort. esND's .
 Mrs. Johnson is greatly pleased with the remodelled tomb, and convinced that after her body is placed between it's two ponderous granite slabs it will be abso- 1uteiy secure.
 Not long ago Mrs. Johnson had mag nlhcent granite monument erected on her cemetery lot at a cost of SIS, ,00O, which is said to be the most ornate, unique and eexpenslve private mortuary memorial in New England. It is a lofty, shapely shaft, handsomely polished and carved, bearing the sallegorical figures, also superbly seulptured of Faith, Hope and Charity. The monument was erected by famous granite cutters of Westerly. R, I.
 Mrs. Johnson's ruling passion is an inn moderate fondness for diamonds, on ac- count of which the title of Mrs "Dia- mond1 Johnson was popularly bestowed on her. more than quarter of a century
 
 gems from head to foot, and she rarely appears in public with less than s25. .OOO to S50,0Oo worth of them displayed on her person.
 It is said to be her intention to have her Iaouious store of jewels buried with her body fancy that may account in part. Tor her determination to make her tomb absolutely impregnable to grave robbers.
 MRS. JOHNSON'S CAREER.
 Mrs lM Toh ohy,c t,o esting figure before the public for many years. She Is known as Diamond" Johnson to the people of Norwich, ow- ing to her passion for this variety of precious stones.
 One of Mrs. Johnson's sons was cap- tain for the Yale varsity crew in 1893, and rowed in the crew the two previous years. Another son is a member of the stock exchange, of this city. third is member of the New York Yacht club. Two years ago Mrs. Johnson and her husband separated by reason of mari- tai infelicity. Mr. Johnson began pro- ceedings in the probate courts of Nor wien before Judge Carter for the ap- pointment of a conseryator.
 The. trial was long one. In the course of the trial the fact was brought out that Mrs. Johnson had given a coachman. about s40,00O during the term of his em- ployment. To this day the coachman is called the s40,000 man."
 GIFT TO DIR. STARK
 Another revelation which came in the nature of grand shock to Connecticut society was the fact that Mrs. Johnson had given Dr. Stark, a. well-known phv- sician S5,O00 worth of stocks and bonds. Subsequently she engaged the sheriff of the county to hide himself in the closet of her house on Broadway, Norwich In his hearing she carried on a converse tion With pr. Stark, in which he acknowI- edged having receiveds the stocks and bonds. Then the sheriff came out and confronted Dr. Stark with the evidence but Dr. Stark would not give them up
 MT Johnson won his suit. He had al- legged mental incompetence, and con- Servator was appointed. Previous to this. however, Mrs. Johnson had become well-known through her eccentrcities. Several years ago she came to New York and bought several thousand dollars worth of jewels, which she put in a bag and carried aboard the train for Nor wich.
 En route she lost valpable diamond brooch. She immediately offered s1, ,OOO reward newsboy in New London. Conn, found the jewel and returned it. She gave him the reward.
 After Mrs. Johnson had lost the suit with her husband she converted all her wealth into money and disappeared. She was next heard from in Chicago. She left Norwich without providing for her house. The municipal officials of Nor wich seized upon it for taxes and the sherifs jury to put it up for sale
 INSTANCE OF HER DISLIKE.
 A few months later the election was held in Norwich for probate judge. The reelection of Judge Carter, for whom Mrs. Johnson had strong dislike, seemed assured. His opponent was an almost unknown lawyer
 A few days before election stranger appeared in town mysteriously. He spent money lavishly among voters and made himself agreeable all around When elecIDn day came Carter was overwhelm- ingly defeated.
 The story was printed that the mysteri- ous stranger was an electioneering emis- sary from Mrs. Johnson, who had been sent to Norwich with unlimited resources to secure Carter's defeat. ~T
 To a friend Mrs. Johnson is said tn have 'written: This Is my revenge" Tn letter to a Norwich paper, however. she denied all knowledge of the stranger
 Mrs. Johnsons husband is rich ranch owner in the west. Order Splint Coal. .,na..,