The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-12-14
.WILDA JOHNSON
TAXES The STAND

TAKES The STAND.
Young Woman Accused Of At
5 tempted Poisoning Testifies in
Own Behalf.
spsaasso The Journal.
MI &t onna,. Minn.,Sbec. 14.-The Sec
on Naay's trial ofEssWilda johnson,
cha4kEed with attempted poisoning, was
married by a full courtroom and the dis.
play of great interest on the part Of
the spectators. The first witness called
who stated he was pastor of the church
which the Johnsons and Mrs. Lund-
strum attended the Sunday before the
alleged poisoning. On that day, he held
confirmation services and the church
was unusually crowded. Vida John
son was there He had known her four
years and did not notice anything un-
usual in her actions or appearance, tho
he spoke to her after the services ,8
Albert Erie, farmer Of Aurora town
ship, testified that he was at church son
the Sunday in question and acted as as
sistant usher with Carl Prestegaard. He
did not remember seeing Mrs. Lund-
strum there, but did see Vida. She
appeared perfectly natural. Miss Broin.
niece Of Vida johnson now attending
school at Owatonna, went to church
with Vida on the Sunday preceding the
alleged poisoning and sat with her.
Vida appeared quite natural, but for
the fact that she looked tired, having
returned home late the night before.
John Anderson, kbrother-1n-laW. =, OF
the day she was arrested and had no
ticed the slippers she wore. He 1den-
titled the slippers previously offered in
the case, as the same pair he saw her
wear. ..,,.. 80 . ..sg.I -,
Defendants Brother Testihes.
James johnson, a brother Of Vida,
who was at home the day the sheriff
came to their place, said that he was
discine cornfeld. He was In the
habit of discing the private road lead
ing to their house every year; When "
the sheriff drove up, Vida asked him
in Norwegian if that was the sheriff,
and he replied that it was. They
drove on north and he continued h his
night of the alleged poisoning. He
had locked the front door before going
to bed. He remembered this because it
shut SO hard. He also locked all the
other. DOORS: He did not sleep sound
ly that night because It was SO warm.
His mother and Vida were both up
next morning when he, arose. He said
ing the night. Wilda's window had
not been opened that summer and she
could not have got out of it. because
it was stuck He was at Owatonna
Saturday, with Vida, and on their re,
turn home, he assisted her in unload
ing the purchases made that day.
Wilde had told him to be careful al
she had a package of Paris green, but
Notwithstanding this, the package was
ground. She used the balance Of the
package to poison rat holes in the cellar
the next morning. " F..
Defendant Takes Stand.
Vida Johnson was put on the stant
and the crowd in its eagerness, cranet
forward to catch every word Of her tes
timony. She answered quickly.
She said she was at Owatonna on tn
and bought some Paris green Of MI
Vinton Just before going home. sh
bought Il to kill rats. Sunday morninl
, she mixed what was not spilled whel
the package dropped from the buggy
Z and placed it IL the rat holes. Sh
}. went to church, but was not feeling wei
and the crowded church made her fee
: faint. She did not remember lookin
"ugly'' at Mrs. Lundstrum. She ha
; afternoon, the sheriff came to the kitcf
/ en- door and pushed his way into tn
t kitchen. She became frightened at hi
| boldness. He told her he was the She
J if, but she did not believe him.
l While in the dining room, he toll
e her he had three indictments agains
her, and said he supposed she knew
she did not know anything Of the ma
}. ter. He then went into the bedroom
and he asked her If she had a pair Q
high shoes. He ordered her to 90 wit
him to examine the tracks, but she ID
q not want to go, as she was not wei
. She went, however, and as they came u
. to, her brother, she said, the sheri
+ to disc the road d. she replied that 81
Il had never spoken to, him about sue
! thing. Driving to j. L. johnson
: place, the sheriff showed her a .poisone
Y orange and told her some one had dor
l. a poor job with that. She did not III
derstand then what he meant.
- Shoes Were Too Large.
y Arriving at the Johnsons' home, tt
= sheriff got out Of the rig and told he
u to take off her shoes. She said tt
,, sheriff measured three Of the tracks b.
q tween the house and the mailbox; thu
>, when she asked him how they fitted, /
q replied, ."pretty, good:" -. When re-e1
e tering the rig, she said the sheriff pl
B. his finger on the toe OF her shoe an
| said the shoe was too longfor her, an
II was not her own. She told him it VIZ
r. the only pair she had.
y Returning, they met j. L. Johnso
: and he accused her Of poisoning tt
we'll. She told him she did not ar
knew nothing about it.. johnson g
into the rig, and she said that as the
drove home, johnson and the sheri
- tried to have her admit that she hs
poisoned the we'll. When they reacht
y home, she went upstairs to take off h
{ wraps and the sheriff followed her. T
saw a skirt in the closet and asked h
: hows.it got SO muddy. She told hi
she had walked to Pratt station. TIL,
: then visited the cellar and when 81
l looked at rathole. a stone she b;
> placed over it was gone. She said t
S sheriff scarcely looked at the hole to S
! if any Paris green was there. s.
testified that her bed. abutted a boa
# partition between her room and h
mothers and the latter could ha
e heard her had she gone out the night
,, the alleged poisoning. She went
= bed at 10 O'Clock, her brother going
v bed last. She had never seen any fot
prints on the road leading to their pla'
IS Late Yesterday afternoon Mrs. G.,