The Saint Paul globe., 1900-06-12
RELIES ON AN ALIB1.
johnson, the AnOka Murder Sus-
pect, Says He Can Clear Himself

pect, Says He Can Clear Himself.
ANOkA, MINI, June 11.-Ben Johnson,
charged with the murder of Mrs. VILLA m
Wise and her boy Willie, was brought
before E. P Hughes, municipal Judge. this
forenoon. John w. Arctander, the Min
neapolis attorney, appeared in his behalf.
and County Attorney Hammons repre-
sented the state.
Neither side was ready for the preIirni-
nary examination, and by mutual consent
proceedings were continued for one week.
until the 18th inst. johnson was taken
back TO the AnOka county iail. and will
be kept here in all probability, as there
Is no Vtndictive feeling against him and
he is believed to be perfectly safe Mr..
Arctander was closeted with him a goodly
part of the forenoon. Others also met
him and found him, for the most. in a
cool and collected condition. always main
tanning his innocence and expressing lit
tie fear at the outcome
Inspector Murphy, ex-Sheriff Eye. Sher-
III Merrill and his deputy and several
others are giving their whole time to the
case, and it is confidently expected an
other arrest, perhaps two, will be made.
A reporter had an interview with Ben
Johnson. Johnson was bearing up we'll in
his trouble, and said ne expected to show
an allbl that would convince the world he
cU;I,a cOuIa not nave committed the fearful
crime imputed to him. He said:
1T would have been simply impossIble
Tor one to have planned and carried out
such a crime. l have lived in this COM
munity Tor years, and l am willing to let
pubic opinion say whether l have borne
myself as criminal or have given any in
dlcauon that | could participate in so
foul crime. My record is all right. and
I am not afraid to have it examined The
of 4l1n 11Sx,I
is God in heaven 1 knew nothing about
1T. The real mUrderers could, have stopped
on their way and placed it there They
would naturally want to get rid of it as
soon as possible. Had any one from our
place committed the murder. it is not like
ly ne would have brought back the gun
and left 1t where, if suspicion was directed
his way, it would be more than likely to
pe found and used as evidence against
him. II
am innocent Of this awful crime w Sc
ana were not on the best of terms-hdf
not been all the time-but never thought
to inJure him in any way-rmuch less seek
his life. Do l look like a person who
thlrsts after the blood of a neighbor, and
OF wlplng out whole family, killing the
innocent mother and her children? Tee
mas been a great mistake made, and l
am am the sufferer. But 1 shall be cleared.
eventually the guilty persons will be
found and it will then be seen that Door
Ben Johnson has been cruelty suspected
ON Sunday the night of the murders I
left Thompson's farm at $50 o'clock and
started for home. 1 drove by the way of
j: W. Currys and was at home at 10:15
o'clock or thereabouts. There We're two
men at our place watering their horses.
one was neighbor and I talked with
him and he will say 1 am telling the
truth. am confident / can prove an alibi
by several neighbors who heard or saw
me drive by their homes The neighbor
VINO was at our house on my arrival will
also help me. The charges carnot be fas.
tened upon me, as 1 had nothing to do
with the shooting and did not hear of il
until the community was aroused the
next day
One Of the Thompson women has made
a statement which agrees with Johnson's
story to this extent, namely that John
son arrived at the house between and 9
o'clock p. m. Sunday night, remained
three-quarterS of an hour or more, and
left about $3.50 in the directiop of home
Much Importance is attached to the fact
that the two Wise girls rfOwsay that they
thought they recognized one of the men
outside the Wise house that fatal night
as Johnson. Their identification, however,
is not positive. Martha says her mother
when dying told her not to mention her
suspicious of Johnson. ~ ~
There is strong feeling in Ahoka and vi
cinity that Johnson could not have done
the murders. Those who know him best
say he is not capable of such an act
Many feel, however, that he somehow
knows about it and that eventually he
Will break down and tell the truth
Joseph Wise, the boy, continues to fail