Bridgeton pioneer., 1898-01-13
DELIBERATE SUICIDE.
Ahe woman Attempted Suicide lively,
Years Ago. This Time She Was
Successful.

successful.
Lewis Johnson's wife hanged herself
Thursday" were the words that were on
nearly every ones lips this morning. 1t
proved too true, for the woman had
hanged herself. There was much excite
ment out Irving avenue this morning,
when the news of tragic death reached
the ears of the inhabitants, and there was
also much confusion in that disheartened
household, the husband and three chill
dren mourning the loss of a wife and
dear mother.
Mrs. johnson had hanged herself.
| what reason she had for doing s.. no one
will ever know. None, perhaps, did
know but herself, and this she has car
! RED with her to her death. She tad not
been despondent, but on the other hand
for some time, had been feeling better
than formerly.
According to the children's statement
Friday, their mother retired shortly before
ten O'Clock Thursday evening. She was
In her usual spirits and they noticed
nothing unusual about her that would
excite any suspicion whatever. Mr..
johnson came home later and retired.
Friday morning aboutquarter of seven,
Mr.. johnson said he called his wife, but
she was not in bed. He ewent down stairs,
but she was not there. He saw light in
the cellarway, from crack under the
door. He opened the door and went in,
and there a terrible sight met his gaze.
Hanging from the joist was his wife, cold
IN death. He gave an alarm to Albert
Turner, storekeeper across the way,
who ran over, and the two men cut the
rope which encircled the neck of the dead
woman, and she was carried up stairs
and laid on settee. DIR. David Streets
was summoned, but there was no chance
to save her life, for she had been dead
several hours before being found.
Mrs. Johnson had arisen some time il
the night, and going down to the cellar
had procured the clothes line. She ha6
placed one end over and through the
braces on the joists at the first one after
leaving the landing of the stairs. She
mad tied this securely, and making slip
loose, placed it around her neck and step
ped off into eternity. She could easil,
have stepped back after swinging off
had she wanted to. but the icide wa
deliberately planned. She hat died o
strangulation. The other end of the ropt
was coiled up on the cellar floor. Tht
woman's feet were about six inches from
the bricks.
Mrs. Johnson had evidently been hang
ing for several hours. She was cold as
ice and the rope had cut deep cash in
the side of her neck. The woman was
dressed in her wrapper the same as when
doing household duty.
There is no cause assigned for the rash
act, and it seems to be case of dell lberate
cool suicide from the preparations made
of the ending of life. Mr.. Johnson, who
is the Junior partner of the firm of Appel.
gate 81 Johnson, shoe dealers, stated this
morning that his wife tried suicide about
twelve years ago, by taking poision, but
the physician saved her life.
The suicide. Hope L. johnson, was a
daughter of Mr.. and Mrs. Jacob Van
meter. residents of Salem county. She
was thirty-nine years old. Her mother
resides at the johnson house, lS9 Irving
avenue Mrs. johnson leaves behind her
husband and three children, the eldest
gir. about thirteen years old, and the
youngest about three years.
County Physician Thompson, viewed
the body but deemed an inquest unneces-
sary.