Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-10-20
MITCHELL DIES
JOHNSON IN
TOWER
YOUNG MAN WHO WAS STRUCK
WITH STICK IS DEAD AND
JOHNSON SAYS BLOW WAS
NOT RESPONSIBLE.

Without ever regaining consciousness,
Emmett Mitchell, who was hit over the
head by VIII f. Johnson early Thursday
morning. in Folsom's restaurant on Mari
Friday night just before s o'clock. John
last night shortly before o'clock. Jonn.
son is already In the Tower. having been
arrested Friday afternoon at the fair
grounds.
The affair that resulted in Mitchell's
death is most peculiar. He was found
unconscious at the foot of the steps lead
Ing from Broad street down to the rear
entrance of Folsom's. 1t was at first
thought he had fallen down the stairs
Later IL was learned he had been struck
while in the restaurant with a stick by
Johnson. He was then supposed to be
suffering from the effects Of the blow.
After Johnson's arrest the theory was
again advanced that he had fallen. John
son says the stick he struck him with was
a light one, and that the blow was not
hard, 1t could not possibly have injured
to any great extent, Johnson contends
The man must have gone out of the res
taurant and fallen down the steps, John
son says.
The difficulty in the restaurant was be-
tween and 4 o'clock Thursday morning.
Mitchell was carried to the hospital in an
unconscious condition, and from then UNI
til he died he never regained possession of
his faculties. A strange feature of the
case is that the mans head, externally
was not injured in the least. The skin
was nowhere broken, nor could any
bruised place be found. There were
hemorrhages from the ear, which, the
physicians say. proved that the brain had
been injured. The man at no time showed
any Improvement, and Friday night hC
became worse. Saturday his condition did
not change much until the afternoon
when he began to sink gradually until the
end came about o'clock Saturday night
The case is a very peculiar one from
medical point of view as well as other
WISE and a post norton was held at
late hours Saturday nighth.
Johnson has told the story OF why he
struck Mitchell. He says he was driving
out Peachtree street. going to put up his
buggy and horse in the country. lie
took Mitchell in the buggy, he says, and
they rode together until they came to
Fourteenth street. There Mitchell an
nounced, says Johnson, that he was go
ing to take the horse and buggy back to
town and put them up at Stewart q
Rays. Johnson says this surprised him
as the horse and buggy are his own prop
erty. He told Mitchell he could not do
so. Johnson says he put his hand in his
pocket, and when he did so, Mitchell drew
a pistol and placed it in his face. With
the gun held on him. Johnson say
Mitchell took the reins from him and
turned the horse about towards town
Thus the trip back to the city was made
Johnson states, Mitchell driving with one
hand and holding the gun with the other.
They reached the restaurant and both
got out. johnson says Mitchell had said
he would kill him and he was afraid he
would do so. There was small stick on
the scales near the entrance OF the res
taurant and he seized this and struck
Mitchell across the side of the head.
Mitchell still had his gun, Johnson states.
After being hit Mitchell went out thu
front door OF the restaurant, which opens
on Marietta street. Johnson thinks he
went out to either dispose of his pistol
or else TO slip around to the back door
and shoot him. Johnson says Mitchell
was drunk
The dead man was just % years of age
He was married and leaves wife and
two little children. He resided at 15c
Walker street and operated a meat
market.
Johnson is a young man. only p or %
years old. He is nephew of Police Com
missioner Johnson. His father, who was
for years the manager at Folsoms t.
dead. Johnson lives at % Venable street
He has been working for several months
on farm near Buckhead.
AT the post moINeH nelu Dy Ut. CLAUDE
A. Smith, the pathologist for the Grady
ahospital a bruise was found behind
MitchelTs left ear under the scalp. Ex-
!. ternally there had been no evidence Of
any lick having been received on the
head, either from a blow with a stick or
from a fall, but under the scalp a bruised
place was discovered. There were blood
clots on the brain in several places These
caused a pressure, which produced the
hemorrhages from the brain. The clots
were in several places on the brain, nota-
bly, on the top of the head.
The doctors are unable to tell whether
the injury was inflicted by a stick in the
hands of another or whether IT was
caused from fall. 1t is thought it could
have come from either.
Besides DR.. Smith there were several
of the hospital physicians present. There
were also two doctors present at the re-