Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-18
Police Believe William John
son to Be irresponsible.
MAKES A STATEMENT
DOES NOT KNOW WHY HE AT.
TEMPTED MURDER.
Prisoner Arraigned in Court This
Morning and Committed for
Hearing.

| L AASohSA leu 40 SSAS $500
Morning and Committed for
Hearing.
| 1t Is the belief of members of the police
department that William johnson. the col
I ored man who shot two of his brother Off
GERS yesterday morning, published in The
Star, was not mentally responsible for his
conduct. Johnson is a native Of this city.
His father, John ]. Johnson, lives at 313
| Wilson street and is employed at Glenwood
cemetery. A brother of the prisoner is en-
| ployed in the War Department. The father
and brother visited him at the station last
| night and conversed with him. Johnson
| complained that he was sick and declined
| to be interviewed. A written statement
| given by him to Lieutenant Mathews reads
as follows:
"About 1 o'clock of the morning of the
| 18th of March 1 left the station house, after
coming off duty at IL midnight, and went
I at once to my home and to my room. There
the desire seized me to go out on my wheel
| and went out H street to 18th street. then
| by a roundabout way to South Capitol
| thence to o street southwest, where l left
my wheel. l went across the lot to LIST and
| N streets southwest, where first saw Pr1-
Yates Hall and Waters. l walked up to
them and commenced shooting, continuing
until my pistol was empty.
II had no i'll feelings against these Off
| GERS, and do not know why / shot them,
1 but think 1 was influenced to do so by the
woman room with, Mrs. Americas, whom
| think has Influenced me for evil all the
| time l have been with her I have been
| trying to get away from her ever since
have been there, but cannot do it. In doing
| the shooting 1 used my regulation police
l.G- fho III yao
Mathews gave me about three weeks ago.
After the shooting 1 returned home by the
same route. The above is a true statement
| of facts, which is made of my own free
will without fear expectation of favors
| of any one
Belief in His Mental Derangement
While the shooting of Policemen Hall
| and Waters by Johnson was surprise to
| the members Of Lieut.. Mathews command,
there was more than one policeman in the
precinct who expressed the belief that his
| mind was unbalanced. 1t is stated that
| Johnson would sit in the station when not
| on duty for hours at time and never vol
| unteer a statement to any one or act in
| manner to indicate that he had any object
| in life. He enlisted in the army in March,
| 1898. and served three years. He was mus
| tered out as corporal. Nine months after
| leaving the army he was appointed men,
| Der of the police force and was assigned to
! duty in South Washington. He proved a
failure a policeman and had the shooting
not occurred he would probably have been
| tried for inefficiency.
| Surprise was expressed by the police that
Johnson insisted for so many hours that ne
| was innocent in view of the convincing
proofs Lieut.. Mathews and Detectives Wee
| don and Lacy had against him. During
the afternoon he informed Policeman WertZ
that he wanted to see the two wounded
| men.
"Then." he said "I'll tell ALL"
A few minutes later he sent for Lieut..
| Mathews and told the story Of having been
''hoodooed.
The Wounded Policemen.
Policeman Waters is still under treat
ment at the Emergency Hospital. His con-
| dition is still serious. but the physicians
| think he will recover. The other victim,
| Hall, Is able to be about although he Is
| suffering from the effects Of the wound in
his arm.
The X-ray instrument was brought into
requisition yesterday and the surgeons
| found that the bullet that caused the in
| jury to Waters had entered the back and
lodged near the arm. In the certificate sent
| to the police court this morning they stated
| that blood poisoning is the worst thing to
| be feared in the case.
A piece Of lead found in Halls arm
and this was removed today.
Arraigned in Court.
johnson was taken to the Police Court
| this morning and charged with assault with
| intent to kill. The case was postponed in
| definitely and on motion of Prosecuting At
| torney Mullowny the accused was commit
J ted without bail. When seen in court by
| Star reporter the prisoner said he served
| during the war with Spain and was wound
| ed at the battle Of San Juan Hill. He re-
ceived a bullet wound in his hip and he
was not we'll when he returned to the
| United States. Since his appointment to
| the position on the force. he stated, he had
| not been sick He said he had never had
any trouble with either of his victims. and
| made no effort to explain why he fired the
shots.
Attorney Campbell Darlington appeared
| in court as the defendants counsel, and
| said he would apply for the release of his
client bond as soon as the physicians
could give a more definite idea about the
condition Of the man in the hospital.
Dismissed From the Force.
Major Sylvester, the superintendent of po-
lice has forwarded to the Commissioners the
formal recommendation for the dismissal
Of Policeman William Johnson from the
force With Major Sylvesters recommen-
dation is forwarded a brief report from
Lieut. Mathews of the fourth precinct re-
garding the occurrence. Addressing the su-
perintendent, Lieut. Mathews says:
IT have the honor to inform you that
about / o'clock the morning of March II
a colored man approached Prlvates U. W.
Hall and F. A Waters, who were on duty,
and at the patrol box, corner of LIST and N
streets southwest, and without a word of
warning began shooting at them, one shot
taking effect in Halls arm, one in Waters
hand and another in his back, which may
prove serious. Neither Hall nor Waters
could identify the man who did the shoot
ing, but circumstances strongly pointed to
William Johnson private of this precinct,
as being the guilty party. l therefore ar
rested Johnson, who strongly protested his
innocence. Later however 1 suspended
him from duty and locked him up, when he
soonabroke down and made full confess
sion, saying he was the guilty man. He
also insisted that he had i'll feeling
against either Hall or Waters, but said he
was bewitched by his landlady."
The Commissioners have approved the
recommendation for dismissal.