Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-12-02
The Mystery Surrounding the
Death of johnson at Rey-
nolds Not Solved
HAD BEEN IN POOR .HEALTH
Now Almost Certain That He Was
Poisoned, But Whether the Dose Was
Taken With Suicidal Intent or Ad-
ministered With Criminal Intent is
Unknown.

Special to Times-Republicans
Davenport, Dec adjournment OF
the inquest over the body of Joseph
Johnston was taken at A.: 80 Wednesday
afternoon until II o'clock Monday
morning of next week, when Coroner
l.. V. Eckhart states that he expects
to have witnesses in addition to those
who were heard Wednesday.
Not in years has Reynolds and the
surrounding country been so stirred
as it has been over the circumstances
attending the death of Johnston. For
fifty years he and his wife had lived
among them. When Johnston had &C
cumulated competency, he sold the
farm and removed to the village to
spend his declining days in tho en-
joynent of the fruits Of the frugality
of his younger years. His health had
been miserable for eighteen years. He
suffered from rheumatism principally,
and had made preparations to pass
the winter in California. His wife and
the daughter Mabel, were to accom-
pany him. One morning in September
the village was shocked to learn that
he had died.
The analysis conducted by Chemist
Nader having borne out the sus-
picions Of relatives who were instru-
mental in the beginning Of the in
quiry by the coroner that death was
not due to natural causes, and that
strychnine had produced the convul-
sions. in one Of which he passed away,
the investigation by the jury Wednes-
day proceeded with view to gain
ing light as to how Johnston came to
take the poison. whether Intentional
ly, having wearied Of his infirmities,
whether by mistake. or whether it was
placed in his medicine or food for the
purpose of getting him out of the
way.
Two small bottles, containing strych-
nine We're produced by Constable
Charles H. Snow. He found them in
the vault.
Mrs. Johnston, while on the witness
stand, identified the cone shaped bot
tie as the same size as the one she
found in the barn and threw into the
vault. She said she never saw the 9TH
err bottle. She could not account for
three bottles that she threw into the
vault. Tow of tenn she knew had con-
tanned strychnine, for she had used
some of the poison on the rats, mixing
it in molasses. Two of the bottles had
been kept on the shelf at different
times near to the medicine that hel
husband was taking. But the bottle
with the blue label had never beer
in the house. That was left in the
barn by her husband, and the day af-
ter his death she found 1t, and with
out removing the wrapper, threw II
in the vault.
Connecting this statement with the
suggestion of Mrs. Johnston in hel
morning testimony that she could
not say whether her husband made
his customary visit to the barn where
he usually had a bottle of whisky, ir
the half hour intervening while she
was alone in the basement doing hel
chores, there is an inference of pos
sible suicide. Did Johnston take q
drink Of whisky with strychnine in 1t
placed there for the purpose of de-
stroying himself?
When the inquest adjourned the
following statements were secured:
States Attorney H. A. Weld-''The
circumstances and testimony indicate
strong suspicion that Joseph John
ston was victim of foul play. If
were to continue as prosecuting attor.
ney, from the evidence at hand,
would insist at least on a grand jury
investigation"
E. H. Stafford, of counsel for Mrs
Johnston.-"The whole day was de-
voted to trying to establish a motive
for the murder of Mr.. Johnston. There
is not scintilla of proof against the
widow. 1 believe she told the truth ir
every statement she made. I believe
that she has been a wronged woman