The morning times., 1897-01-07
WHOSTRUCK JOHN JOHNSON?
Perplexing Case Comes Up in Judge
Miller's Court.
Charge Against One Prisoner NOl-
pressed and Jury Discharges
the Other.

Like the late Mr. William Patterson,
who will 20 down the aisles of time
famous because OF his ignorance, John
johnson, Swede, and sailor on the
U. 5. s. Dolphin, will never know who
struck him on the head Christmas Eve
night. 1t has already been related in The
Times how Johnson in company with n
marine, went to the foundry of Petit X
Drip, on Fourteenth street, after dark, the
evening of December "a, and wanted to
have the model of q bcIler made. which
he has invented He met the watchmtn
at the place, Greenwood Johns and Joseph
Edelin,, both colored. Johns told the sailor
he would have to see the foreman, who
had gone, and whose address he did lot
know. There were some W ords, and the
sailor, with his companion, left the place,
going only a short distance down the
street. when Johnson was hit terrific
blow on the mead with some missile. He
was carried to the Emergency Hospital by
Policeman Mellin, but refusing t. he
treated, was removed later To the Naval
| Hospital, where he is still under treat
ment.
Mellin arrested both Johns and Edelin,
they appearing before jury in Judge
Miller's court yesterday afternoon for
trial on charge OF assault.
The'Saiiur said on the stand he nFade a
iocular remark To Johns about having a.
razor III his stocking, whereupcn the watch
man picked up something froIa the gFOa,ri.
Il left the foundry said the witness,
and had gone about forty feet when
was struck, but ! cannot say by wh JTn y
The marine could not tell either who
inflicted the wound.
Mr.. Campbell Darlington, Appearing for
Edeliu, moved that his client lie dis
charged, becauseltiIerc was nothing against
| him, and tlte government, ON a previous
| statement, made by Edelin,, that Johns
| hit the sailor entered a nCilc proSequi in
| his case. and used him as a itneSs against
| Johns, and very sorry witness he made
He swore positively that Johns struck
| thesailor with a weight, just as he reached
| the stl eet, because the latter had ma de a
threatening movement toward his hip
pocket this III defiance of Johnson's state
ment that he was forty feet away.
Johns said when the sailor made a re-
| mark about having a razor, he ordered
| him out, and Johnson apologiZed for his
! language.
II picked up sash weight said the
| witness, land ordered him to leave
| As he got near the door, he put his hand
| behind, and said, I've got something
| on me, anyway l slammed the door
| after Edelin went out. He came back
| moment later and said it is all right: I
| have fired him. He had hit him with a
scale weight
Judge Miller examined Johns closely,
| but the man stuck to his story.
A colored man named Dunning, who was
| in court, volunteered the information tina I
| he was locked up in the same cell with
| Edelin at the police court the Monday
| after the occurrence, and Edelin, told him
| he hit the sailor and was speculating no w
| much time he would get
| Both Mr.. Petit and Mr. J. Edward
| Chapman, who had employed John for
| ten years, testified to his good character
| and the judge, in disgust, gave the case
| I" the jury, they returning n verdict of
| not guilty after Il few minutes delibera-
| ton.