People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1898-12-16
Inquiries have recently come to this


Office regarding Mrs. Lulu Johnson,
who is in jail at Pond Greek, o. T.,
accused Of numbering her husband.
The VOICE printed an account Of
the crime and her arrest last summer.
Mondays Atchison Globe gives some
information concerning Mrs. Johnson
and her career. She formerly lived
in Atchison, and was known there as
Mrs. Ketcham. She ran the Ketcham
house on South Seventh street, Atch.
ison. She has had a strange career.
Her first husband was Leonard Davis
Homsher. She married Hemsher some
years before the civil war, near Rich
mond, Mo-, and two girls and two
boys were the result Of their union.
When the war broke ont, Homsher
Joined the army, and during his ab-
sence his wife secured a divorce. In a
few years she married man named
Parks at Quincy, Ill. Parks was very
wealthy. He went wet with his
wife, and made money trading with
the Indians. He spent his money
freely, however, and 1t was not many
years unit h. WAS broke. He died at
Richmond, Mo-, pneumonia being re.
ported a. the cause of his death. Mrs.
johnson lived with Parks over ten
years. Parks had son as a result of
previous marriage. Before Parks
died his son married a daughter OF
Mrs, Parks. They afterward parted
and Mrs. Parks remarked. After The
elder Parks died his wife went To
Atchison. This was about fifteen
years ago. There she met Elisha
Ketcham, who was reported to be
wealthy, and soon married him.
Ketcham owned the Ketcham house,
and his wife assisted him In running
it for several years. Ketcham took
down with the measles, and died.
There was suspicion attached to his
death because she would permit no
one but herself to attend Ketcham.
Within year, Ketcham's widow
married D. NJ. Wighton, an employe
Of Noyes & Co.'S dry goods store 10
AtchisOn. They lived together six
years, when Wighton left his wife,
and secured a divorce. Wighton mar.
ried a woman having considerable
property, at Potter, Kan, at which
place he sow lives. After Mrs. John
son was divorced from WightOn, she
bought farm near Barnes, Kan, but
lost and returned to Atchison, where
she became prOprietress Of the St.
James hotel, on Second street. In a
few months a huckster named George
Shirley came along, and Mrs. Johnson
dropped the st. James hotel, and
travelled with Shirley as his sis
ter. They travelled overland to
Topeka, where Mrs. johnson had
Shlrely's life insured for a large
amount 10 favor Of her SOD, c. l..
HOmsher. Shirely's wife arrived from
Illinois about this time, and exposed
the fraud, and Mrs. johnson narrowly
escaped prosecution. Shirley contin.
ued with Mrs. johnson to Oklahoma,
and both made run for claims, secur.
ing land In the same neighborhood.
Shirley is the man Mrs. Johnson is
accused Of killing. Both OF Mrs.
Johnson's daughters are now dead. G.
l.. Homsher, one of her. sons men
TONED above, issaid to be employed
in the Santa Fe shops 10 Topeka, and
her other son, l.. M. Homsher, |:
proprietor of a barber shop 10 Guth
ris, Ok. G. L. Homsher lived In
Atchison until few years ago. The
Globe says that Mrs. johnson is &C
cused of poisoning half brother
named Humphreys, In Sumner county
last July, but this is mistake.