The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-05-19

their heads when anxious friends and
relatives asked them if anything could
be done to remedy the condition. Grad
ually the intelligence which marked his
career as politician and lawyer began
to fade until absolute imbecility result
ed, and for some time before his death
it was necessary to keep him constantly
attended.
When first the dreadful aff1iction over
took Judge johnson there was a par
ticular incident which revealed his ter
rible condition to his many friends. This
was no other than the well remembered
attempt to throw the Santa Fe road in
Kansas into receivers hands in the
Jefferson county district court.
Within week after the suit praying
for receivers for the road on the ground
that more than 20 per cent of its stock
was held by aliens and that it's opera
ton was therefore contrary to the alien
land law, was filed in the Jefferson
county court, the Santa Fe legal de-
partment was in possession of absolute
information that the entire proceedings
was the result of a conspiracy. Stock
speculation formed the basis on which
the conspiracy was formed
The rapidity which marked the dis
covery of the scheme by the Santa Fe
attorneys startled the men who had
been interested in it. They were wholly
at loss to account for the circun-
stances. Had they been able to see an
affidavit then in the hands of General
Solicitor Kenna they would have had to
marvel not a moment The affidavit
d
Judge johnson was one of the men in
the scheme, With his fellow conspirators.
OskalooSa, he went to Chicago and spec
ufated on Santa Fe stock the day before
betting on a fail. This Was i'f fhe scheme chez
of the party, as they expected the an
lowing SO closely on the first. to have a
depressing effect on the Santa Fe stock.
IDEAS, for instead of Santa Fe Stock fall
ing it went up and all the interested par
ties. Judge johnson among them, lost
Strangely enough, the discovery of the
tied to George r. Peck Mr.. Peck. it
seems, knew that Johnson was in Chi
suit wa2 fled i Sent for him ana T f'e resu
of the conference was. a complete confess
associate and benefactor.
Had Judge johnson been in his right
mind he would probably never have
tered into the conspiracy, or after enter
ing It would never have stopped to a be-
At the time of his death Judge Johnson
Was Was bor6 nea 0xep 90 years On 9 S
what education he received was secured
at the Prairie academy in McDonough
Judge Johnson twice enlisted during the
clVlI war. De first became a recruit to
served in the ranks until the battle of
made a second lieutenant He remained
with his company until the fall of 1862.
count of wounds received during engage
ments. For over a year he was absent
from the army. but early in 1864 again en-
listed. this time in the One Hundred and
Thirty-seventh Illinois infantry, and was
soon attire elected a captain of one of the
companies. He then remained in serv-
ice until the close of the war.
The war had not much more than closed
when Captain Johnson turned toward the
west and journeyed to OskaIoosa, Kan,
arriving there in September, 1860 He at
once opened a law office and worked up
a profitable practice. In Oskaloosa he
remained until 1877, when he removed to
Topeka to become a partner of George
r. Peck and Thomas Ryan.
Judge Johnson was a member of the
G. A. r. and a Mason in high standing
The funeral of Captain J. B. Johnson
will be held from the family residence
N West Sixth al n m d.