The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-04-16


acquitted OF the murder Of
her sixth husband. |. r. Johnson. and 10
accused az pcssontuS many ef hla preooe
esssers. The caxs IA progress Is one %
the NEST sensational and Important pca<-
oninx cases ever tried In the United
States. and the history OF the accused
woman II SO strange and weird that u
Will forever remain illustrative of one aS
Lomhrosc's leading criminal types.
No one casually locking AT Mrs. Lulu
johnson she sat in the court room be-
ing tried for her life would have noticed
ny;hinx remarkable in her appearance.
She Is we'll preserved for a woman ef -,
net too small. nor too thin and pale.
dressed N deep black. with very consrte>
uous widows wees1M A second and closer
examination. however. would fix the at
tention. and even stranger would icuk.
and lock again. ard the face he gaaed
upon return ard live Ike haunting
shadow of some dark memory.
A deadly pailor overspreads the Wns
mans features. The high cheek bones.
the prominent elongated and sharpeneS4
nose. the very frm bat somewhat retreat
ing chin. the small. haif-ciosed light gray
eyes, set far APART. with the Ids drawn
straight across them the forehead xsenn-
ing 10 fali hack from the eyebrows In .
rapid retreat. until stopped by ;hs Iron
gray hair. which has pushed its way down
over the forehead IL trying 10 conceal
some OF the disagrseahle secrets Of time,
all blend into a remarkable picture and
form an easily read title page To isfe
filled with strange and seeming unreal
eeeRts which. la the light Of her arrest
and OF recent disclosures, charge the mind
with suspicious Of the most grewscue
character.
Luln Murphy was born In Southern Iit.-
noiS. and as girl developed a remarkable
character. leading by her strength Of Will
In all local events and entirely disrssard-
ing convsa1tlanalities. AZ ~ she clipped
with young farmer named William
Kent. from Whcm she separated In few
months.
Of RssSeesahie Par~msage.
Her parents. proud and respectable peo-
pie smarting under the disgrace Of this
escapadf. removed to Ogden, Utah. hop-
ing thus Ia he forgotten, and that Lulu
who seemed deeply repensant. would b.
come good and v.rsuous woman. In
less than year. however, at the ago of
H. she married f1avius Green, railroad
man. She lived with him three years
aud two children were horn. Green died
very suddenly. and. II Is said. suspicious
iy. I'm 1854.
met and married Leonard Davis HON.
sher. private In the Tenth cavalry.
United States regular army. After the
experiences through which she had passed
she seemed 10 have settled down AT this
period. and apparently enjoyed military
life. She lived with Hcmsher fifteen
years. following the movements OF the
regiment. during which time nine chl-
iren were bore in addition 10 the two
by Der former husband.
Homsher died IN isss and his widow
went 10 Colorado. living an adventurous
Efe In that then wild and iawiess coun-
try
&fvs eff tt, hsp
cabin one evening early In 1879. "A man
giving the nam. Of Frank Smith came
to the door and asked for work saying
he was hungry. She told him she had no
work. but asked him In 20 supper 10
was clean shaver. good looking bold and
strong. While eating hr suggested that
she seemed To be alone and In need Of
protector. and offered 10 marry hsr. Such
courtshsp was apparently agreeable 10
the untamed nature of the woman. Toe
they We're married that very night. and
lived together for years. after which he
disappeared. leaving a little girl two
years old 40 a remembrance.
After that she drffted Ia 81. joseph.
Me-. then TO Atchsou Kan. where she
married Elisha t.stchum. reported 10 be-
very wealthy and became mistress OF tho
ketehum home. Ketchum died Of measles
soon after. and suspicious were aroused
that ali was not right as no doctor hal
been called I'm and no on@ hut his Wits
had waited upon him, bat no investigations
WAS made,
In less than year from this occurrences
this much married woman is found again
changing her name, this time ieaping the
ehasm II matrinony with - ~ Wright.
man. Mr. and Mrs. Wslghtman lived In
different cIties along the hanks az the
Blg Muddy fer s.x years. when Wright
man secured divorce and. u ss sa!d
married widow az Potten. Kan. where
he now lives.
Met George Shirley.
Perhaps feeling that after the exciting
changes and experiences of her remark.
abba career rural life had ia eharms.
she purchased a little farm near Harness.
Kan. and stocked IL with poultry pigs
ard cows, ard hired man whom tho
nsighbors recommended an expert az
sneh things. Eut the quiet rnonosory Of
't3est desn' nnshin' bus rasssp. shlngss
socn paiIed upon her mere aspiring sp-
petite. and. selling tbe farm. she 70.
turned 80 AtchSson. and became Ianaiady
% the st James hatei.
Here she met a stroiiinz pai5ier named
cs"osg~ Shirley. who WAS apparently very
eonxenfsl. for. abandoning the hotea
business. sire started on tour Of KAN
sas with this man. passing fer his sister.
At ihts time II - presumed Mrs. Wright
man had made ap hsr mind that such
little pfsllFninaries AS the marriage aers-
rn0ay were mere frises sr1 entirely 1n-
necessary 10 that trus happiness which
ste sought and wax ssgn.ns fer Then,
;no Mr. Shirley had wife bark ia In.
ataua. Who. although very poer ard \
wee tit q q thing. might have heeosns
3 mighty haTrseK To domestic felicity in
case sire had called ~ mr. asd chs law
he this " may. SRA. WrfKntwan
climbed inso tbs Shirley huekBtrf wagon
oas Morning ard sent go Tog@ka Hsrs
they seem Go have formed q perpetual
broffsr ami stefsr eo-psrtn.fsilp as :.
- rec8rzssd thar she had ghITIry.s Tia
Insa.ysst fcr large ans9urs
Buf Esfls Mrs Shirley from far Of In
diana had heard through friends Of rms
epnase, IF Shirley. and she suddenly ap-
r,~srad upon tire scene. Shirley ard Mrs
NrsgfSmsn fed ignesusnsosssiy leaving
ihs ~orse than widow aion- In the city
30 fssa her way back 10 q fersaksr ana
loseissr home.
consinassg With ssh.rsey The wansferipx
life wfseh seemed 10 suit them ne wssf