Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-10-27
JOHNSON is ExONERATED
JURY FINDS HIS WIFE's DEATH WAS
DUE TO ACCIDENT.
Result of COrOner's Inquest Held To-
day-TestfmOny Taken and
Verdict Rendered.

George Johnson, the colored barber who
has been in Jail nearly a month a charge
of having injured his wife, Patsy Carter
who died at the Washington Asylum Hos
| ptal yesterday morning. as published in
The Star. was exonerated today An in
quest was held at the sixth precinct sta
ton, and the jury could find no reason for
holding him to answer for the womans
death.
Attorney Frank P. Gloss appeared for the
accused who was present. The latter made
statement. AS soon the jury returned
| verdict finding that death was due to
an accidental fall johnson was discharged
| from custody.
| Deputy COroner's Statement.
Deputy Coroner Glazebrook testified that
| he performed an autopsy on the woman's
body this morning. The body in a
terribly emaciated condition and al
most bloodless On the left cheek bone was
! an old bruise and that was the only exter-
| nal indication of violence. Beneath the
| scalp, just behind the left ear, he found
| evidence Of a hemorrhage All portions of
the brain showed that there had been a Sc
we're hemorrhage. Death, the doctor said,
was due to meningitis, following injury
of some kind to the head
DR.. William r. Moulden, resident physi-
clan of the Emergency Hospital, testified
! that Patsy johnson was admitted to the
hospital the I'd of October. He went to
| the house in response to a call from the
police and found the woman in an uncon-
scious condition. There was no evidence
of fracture, and the case was diagnosed
as one of conclusion. After several days
! the patient was taken to the Washington
| Asylum Hospital in order to make room for
emergency cases. The injury. the witness
| said, could have been caused by fall. A
slap on the face could hardly have caused it.
Albert Carter. colored, 3oS H street south
west. testified that he lived in the Johnson
| house about three months. occupying the
| front room on the second floor. Mary Car
| ter his wife, occupied the room with him.
| The Johnsons occupied the adjoining room
| as sleeping quarters. Witness testified that
he in bed the night the woman was in
| jured She had come home about 1890
| O'Clock. Witness said he heard a knock on
the door, and looking out of the window he
asked:
who is that?'
| She answered, ITS me, Uncle AL"
Mrs. Johnson went in her room and asked
witness who had brought several articles
she had found there. Witness said he told
| her that her husband had brought them
| from his aunt's She then remarked that
her husband was bringing his aunt's things
there in order to get rid of her (Mrs. john
SOM. but she said she intended to remain
| there.
Witness told of the woman's movements
and said he let her have his lamp. Soon
| after the woman retired witness heard an
other knock on the door, Mrs. Johnson
! got out of bed and an instant later she fell
headlong down stairs. Witness went down
to if he could be of any assistance. He
spoke to her, but she unconscious and
could not respond. Witness said his wife
| opened the front door and let George John
son in. When witness wife informed
Johnson that his wifes neck was probably
| broken, the latter remarked:
Then she must have been drunk
Witness then heard his wife say to John
! son:
If you are going to kill your wife I'm
! not going to stay in here
| Had Johnson done anything to his wife?'
Il didn't see him do anything
Witness said when his wife told john
son about the accident, the latter remarked:
She ought to have broken her - -
neck"
The injured woman's husband went and
sat in chair in his barber shop He was
soon asleep. Witness did not send for a
doctor. as he thought her husband should
have attended to that.
| Alleged Conduct of Johnson.
| Mary Carter. colored, wife of the preced-
| ing witness, testified that her husband
aroused her, and told her that Patsy John
son had fallen down stairs. Witness went
down. and was bathing the injured woman
when her husband, George Johnson, came
home. Mrs. Carter opened the door and let
him ill., and while he was standing over the
injured woman he remarked: Il wish you
had broken your neck" He
said that his wife had been drunk all day,
and told witness that he would cut her
throat if he had his razor Witness said
that Johnsf n then looked behind the organ
for stick to on her. but the stick was
not there. She said that he slapped her
left jaw three times. Witness said that
Johnson had frequently come home under
the influence of liquor. In the morning
Johnson told her he would not have slapped
his wife if he had not believed she was
| drunk.
Estella Campbell, colored testified that
| George Johnson came to her house the
morning after The affair happened. and told
her she had better go and see what was the
matter with his wife: that she had fallen
down stairs and broken her - -
neck Using another oath, he said he
would not go back to the house. When she
| went to the house she thought the woman
| was dying. George Johnson returned to the
house. and while there he put his hand
his wife's throat. as if he intended to choke
her. Then he caught hold of her hand and
remarked id If you amt gone"
JOhnson's story.
George Johnson told the jury that he had
been married about two years. The night
of the unfortunate occurrence he closed his
| barber shop before o'clock. as he had to
| go to club meeting. 1t was after mid
| night when he started home. While stand
| ing in front of the house his next door
| neighbor told him that some heavy object
| had fallen in his house. Mrs. Carter opened
the door for him. and when he went in the
| house he was satisfied that his wife was
| only drunk. He went in his shop and fell
| asleep in chair, thinking his wife would
| sober up and go to their room. He denied
that he slapped her. Mrs Carter stated
| and said he only put his hand on his wfe's
| face and turned her head over. Johnson
| said he went for the doctor in the morning
| and did all he could for her. Later in the
| day he had her taken to the hospital. Wit
| ness said that his wife frequently got
| drunk, and many times he had been COM
PEELED to break open the door to get In his
| room.
Policeman Thomas Buckley OF the fourth
| precinct testified that he had known the
| Johnsons about year. They had never
| given the officers any trouble. This closed
the testimony and the submitted
A Jamaican Experience.
From Harpers Magazine
For some years after my marriage l lived
at Old Harbor, small place about twenty