Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-11-15
OPEN GRAVE OF
JOSEPH JOHNSTON
vitaIs to be Analysed for Traces
of Strychnine Poison.
ing.
UNABLE TO LOCATE BOTTLE
Said to Have Been Thrown Into
Vault on Premises-Feeling
In the Village.

| Ii will be some days before the au-
thorities will know whether Joseph
Johnston, the retired farmer of Rey-
noids. came to his death as a result
of strychnine poisoning, as his rela-
tives and others in the village believe
he did
| The body was disinterred this morn
ing at the village cemetery by Consta.'
| ole Charles Snow. under the direction
OF Coroner l.. V. Eckhart. and removed
TO the Freytag undertaking rooms.
where an autopsy was performed by
Drs. w. II. Ludewig and c. T. Foster.
Of this city. who accompanied the cor.
oner and Sheriff w G. Heider to the
village
The remains had reached an advan.
red state OF decomposition, having
| been buried for six weeks. but the
surgeons state that if poison was TAX
IN into the stomach it will be detected
at the analytical examination of the
| vitals that is TO be entrusted 10 Frank
Nader, the Davenport chemist. The
| brains, heart. liver. kidneys and other
Of the vitals were removed and placed
in bottles.
| Poison Bottle Not Found
| The coroner and sheriff. with the
| aid OF Constable Snow. searched the
Johnston premises for the bottle con-
| tanning strychnine that was said to
| have been thrown in a vault by the
wife of the deceased. but they could
| not locate ii. Mrs. Johnston at pres
L mi ic VII
| braska, having taken her adopted
| daughter with her. The daughter is
Ia years of age. She was taken from
a waits home in New York City. The
Johnstons never had a child born TO
them.
The couple had made all arrange
| ments to leave for California to spend
| the winter when the husband died. His
health had been poorly for years, and
| ne had been advised that the soothing
climate of California might benefit
him; at any rate he would escape the
cold weather of this section. which had
tendency To aggravate his ailments.
the chief of which were rheumatism
and kidney trouble. Mr.. Johnston
walked with the aid of two canes. He
could not dress himself without the
help of his wife. He took great
quantity of medicine of different var
ieties. and ii is said after the funeral
that his wife cleared the house of
probably one hundred bottles. which
were dumped into the vault
wife Alone with Him.
Mr.. Johnston was GS years of age.
His wife is 10 years younger. He was
in his usual health when he was sud
denly seized with commissions at the
breakfast table. He had drunk about
half his cup of coffee. Only he and
his wife were in the house at the time.
The daughter had been sent to the
depot on an errand by Mrs Johnston
Mr.. Johnston had four of the convul-
sions. He tried TO speak to the doctor
and the neighbors that had been called
IN before he died. but was unable to
utter an Ineligible word.
Ugly rumors began TO spread after
he funeral duplicating the wife of the
dead man. and feeling has run high
against her. While there are those
in the village who defend her they are
few compared To those who point the
finger of suspicion at her Johnston
believed he was in comfortable circum-
stances before he died. He had been
a successful farmer, and retired TO t.
village 10 years ago To- spend his re-
naming days in ease. He had en-
trusted all his business affairs to his
wife.
Poor Man at His Death.
His relatives say they supposed he |
lad fat bank account in addition TO |
MS handsome home in the village. AT |
or mis- death it was learned that there |
was not a dollar to- his credit in the |
bank. and the property was mortgaged |
to its full valuation. Besides Mrs. |
Johnston had borrowed several thous- /
and dollars on her personal note. 1t
IS believed she took along at least S10,-
roo when she left Reynolds.
Inquest Adjourns for Ten Days.
The jury that was impaneled by the
coroner TO determine the cause of /
death. after viewing the remains, ad-
jouTned for 10 days. by which date il is
expected that the result of the analysis
will be known. The jury is composed
OF l.. r. Blackman. foreman; o. l..
Bruner. William Stanley. Jacob Car
-as- q