The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-05-13
WANTED TO START
BUMBLEBEE FARM
Evidence in Will Contest Tends to
Show Albert Johnson Men
tally Incompetent.
The Defense Will Contend that
He Was Merely Humoring
His Brother.

Was Albert johnson mentally incom-
petent when he proposed to his brother
that they start a bumblebee farm, or
was he simply trying to humor man
whom he believed to be slightly unbal-
anced? r..
Was the project to build a steam
boat to carry the two brothers down
the Mississippi: and up the Missouri
q sincere vagary, or was it Invented
for the same benevolent purpose9
And was the proposal to trade vacant
lots for DR.. Asa Johnson's house the
act of crazy man or the clever sug-
gestion Of man scheming to get the
best of his brother?
Upon the answers to these questions
depends largely the outcome of the eef-
fort Of DR.. Asa johnson and his rela-
tives to break the will of the late mil
ionaire, who remembered only his
niece, Miss Edna Dickerson of Chicago.
Thought Albert Crazy.
Stephen Rogerson, for years the
trained nurse in charge Of DR.. Asa
Johnson, in Probate Judge Harvey s
court today testified that he was con-
WINGED beyond the shadow Of doubt
that Albert johnson was crazy. AS
reasons for this conclusion the witness
told Of the above suggestions, made,
! he said, in all seriousness by Albert
to his brother. -
| On crosse examination, the animus Of
the witness was shown to be markedly
against the defendant, and he admit
Would Won mot not have thought Mr.. Johnson
nearly as crazy if he had left part Of
his fortune to DR.. Johnson and the
Hunters. Y .5z @
The defense endeayored 10 show that
| the suggestions of the bumblebee farm,
the steamboat and the trading in lots
in reality originated with DIR. John
user, and that Albert simply acqui.
esced in them SO as not to excite his
sick brother. The defense sought to
attribute insanity to Asa and not to
I Albert Johnson. ~ .-,, =
The Doctors Decisions.
on know that DR.. johnson used tc
have insane delusions9 That he contin
ually thought men were hanging about
ping or killing him9' asked Mr.. Welsh
on cross-examination.
II know that he did talk about such
men in 1908, when he was sick.'
''Do you not know that he had these
decisions at times when Albert called
to see him, and that he talked then
over with his brother?' 49,
| L uOn I KNOW InaC LII. y OnnSOn 0Ve1
talked about that to his BROTHER
''Wll, you used to talk about al
sorts of strange things that the doctor
used to conjure up, did you not9"
''He was just joking:'
"How did Albert Johnson act to
ward his brother when he talked Of hi
strange ideas9" ..-s,...s ~
IT don It KNOW .....'-
-. " 7[h3 It he h. try to quiet the mind O.
Ono, sir; he just sided in with him. ,
"That's what I thought. Now in tn
matter Of the proposal to trade lots 70
the doctors house. Do you think tina
| was the proposal Of crazy manqo
"Well, think it was. DR.. Johnso,
would have been crazy if he had &C
: cepted the proposal. -
, "Perhaps; but was Albert johnson
r proposal crazy from his standpoint9'
8 "No-perhaps not from his stand
point. He was trying to cheat his poor
t sick brother, if he WASH crazy.'
) The hearing was continued to Tues
2 day morning. This afternoon the law
5 yers and stenographer are at DR.. Johr
son s residence taking the objector
deposition.