The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-12-12
Looks As If the Wrong Men
Were Jailed.
JOHNSON GETTING BETTER
He Remembers Everything Up to the
Time He Was Assaulted Doesn't
Know Who Struck the Blow
Which Felled Him.

continued 10 improve yesterday and
last evening was so much better that
Or. Wells was very much encouraged
at his condition and said he believed the
| man now mad better than a lighting
chance of recovering. For all the. UNI
fortunate man is far from being beyond
critical condition his lions consutu-
zion has manifested itself in a marked
degree during the past n nouns, and
Dr. Wells is hopeful that his Inc phy-
seal condition VIII pull him through
the meningitis, which IS Yet 10 come.
should tins not take a violent form,
Johnsons chances may be SAID To be
good, but barring the uncertainty IN
tnis contingency 50 much cannot be
said at present. for should II take the
form of a malignant attack the chances
would be much against him.
With his rap1d Improvement john
sons mind has cleared CORRESPONDENCE
and yesterday ne was able to recail
people ana events much more distinctly
Than on the preceding day. whereas ms
lucid periods on that day We're brief
ana came only at intervals, he Is now
conscious all The Time. Yesterday he
spoke frequently with the friends
around him, ana for the first time Was
entirely rational IN speaking of events
which happened prior to his injury. lie
remember Is borrowing $40 from his
brother before leaving the smelter, re-
calls starting Tor nome and taking the
snort cut, as the path Is known,
which leads across from the smelter to
the corner of Second and George street,
and along which ne was walking when
struck down within 50 on TO feel al the
corner, but from mat time until he re-
gained consciousness at the hospital his
mind is a blank.
Johnsons faithful wife stays by him
almost constantly ana II is TO her That
he prefers To .alk more than TO the
others she held several conversations
With him during the day, and his state
mcntS 90 her prove that his replies TO
inquiries on the previous day as 10
whether he remembered VINO struck
him, in which he said ii was Hefrlsou
were but semi-conSci0usneSs utteranceS
ana that he really did not know what
ne WAS saying, Win clearing OF ms
brain, he remembers, as stated, every
occurrence up to the time of the as
SauIt bul<that is all. lie says now that
ne does not know vino struck him.
Mrs. johnson during her conNersa-
ton with her husband yesterday took
advantage OF the opportunity cacn time
he SiguIned a deSiie to talk, TO question
him with regard 10 the assault. she
asked him il ne remembered walking
along the cut of, To Which ne replied
mat ne did. Then she asked il he knew
Who struck him. The sick man tried
hard to think, but at las, confessed
4 tnat he did not, and said he could not
I all. but added that he was firmly con
/ Vincei Herrison was the man. From
ms statements it seemed apparent tnat
whoever assaulted Johnson struck him
from behind, and although he may re-
cover the fun use OF his mental powers
he Aill never BE- able TO tell of his own
knowledge who committed the BASTARD
~ crime.
Mis-. johnson is disposed 10 scout the
idea mat ner former husband and Nell
SON We're her present husband dSSdll-
ants. In speaking OF the matter last
evening she Satd neulsun was not only
of toe coAalulY a disposition and lar
too puny physically in comparison WITH
Johnson FOR her 10 be willing to believe
he would attempt such an assault un-
less eggei on 10y someone else Who hdd
II gfulge 10 settle, ana although she
Knew Nelson felt hard toward ner Tor
garnsnecing his wages, she did not like
70 believe anyone would commit such
crime With no stronger motive. While
sne was 10th 10 believe the men III GUS
tudy are responsible for her husband
condition, MIS-. Johnson sand there was
no one else against whom she had any
suspicious, as she had never known hef
/ husband had an enemy in the world.
4 She secuted the idea that the assault
/ might have been committed by some
i one for being discharged by her nus
j band, as she mad not known of his dls-
/ charging anyone Tor Il lonS time, and
i said she was utterly al sea FOR a the
Dry.
4 other things begin to indicate the
/ possibility that the WRONG men have
/ been arrested. Mrs. Johnson denied last
evening that she had eyer stated To the
police that HerrisOu had tried 10 eNtort
money from her or had ever threate n
1 her. She also denied that she had ever
asked her husband to see Herrisoh and
/ wafn him against annoying her.
i 'tfThpTt never any occasion 1nl
! that" she said. soon after l separated
] from the man, az 4 year perhaps, lie
i came to me ANA said he intended marry
] ing again. / told him | had no concern as
! To what he did and he promised never 10
modest me again. lie never has and |
i have never spoken to him since.
/ This is another reason Why MIS-. john
/ son does not believe tnat Herrisoh
/ had hand in the crime. Another
! thing which points to Il contradiction o1
i the theory that Herrison and Nelson COM
4 mitted the assault IS the statement Of
! shelton Martin, painter, who lives II
/ the corner of Colorado and Silver streets.
Mn Martin is building house near the
corner Of Second ana George streets, and
. on the evening the assault occurred WAS
/ just staring for home lie had just reach
cd the intersection of the two streets,
when he saw several persons running to-
ward the PROSTATE form al man Who
Ian upon the ground some 70 OF 20 feet
from the corner. up thr 'eut of. path
At the same time his attention Was thus
attracted he saw man running away
from the scene. The man took The or
pusile side of The street to MIN and ran
tow ard south Butte The runner was be-
tween the man lying ON the ground and
the street corner when Martin first SAW
him, and did not stop OF slow Up at the
/ corner to speak to any one, ana Martin
Gid not see any one II the corner Tor him
To speak 70. Martin only saw one man
! running away and did not hear any Cries
Of police" which, being 50 close. lie
must have heard had There been amy, sit
I OF which uOutradicts the statement ri
4 Witness Wright. vito claims he SAW tnc
assault while standing ou the corner at
/ Second and George streets. that Two men
engaged III it. and that both ran, CRYING
police. and that the tail one stapp. ii al
/ Tie corner ana spoke 10 him. which IN
ahIri him 10 identify Wright II the police
station.
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