The Mankato free press., 1905-12-22
Trial of Wilda Johnson Develops
Something
PARIS GREEN AT THE PUMP.
Ground Thereabouts Had Been Freshly
Dragged With Disc Harrow;
0,her Testimony.
From FridaY'S Daily.

From Fridays Daily.
Owatonna, Dec l4.-At the trial to-
day of Vida Johnson, accused of at
tempting to poison Mrs. Gertrude Lund
strom, j. L. johnson, the father of Mrs.
Lundstrom, testified that on June he
went to the barn to do the morning
work. His daughter was preparing
breakfast when he left the house, and
shortly after he arrived at the barn she
came and told him she had discovered a
peculiar condition of affairs at the
pump, near the house. She was pumping
a pail of water and noticed the water
was very green. Proceeding to the well,
they found Il sediment had formed in
the pail to marked degree, and an in
vestigation revealed the fact that it was
paris green.
About the pump he said, were evi
dences of the poison, it having been
spilled on the platform and down the
sides of the pump. Leading to and from
ured, showed they were unmistakably
those of a woman's shoes, marked by a
popularity that the left heel was badly
run over. These they followed down a
private road to a public highway, and
from there, two miles out on the road,
leading into the home of Wilda Johnsan.
They approached her house as far as
possible without being discovered and
the same tracks were plainly seen They
were measured and found to be the
same as those at the Johnson home. Re
turning home, Sheriff Chambers was no
titled.
Later in the day the sheriff and Mr..
Johnson drove to the home of Wilda
johnson and upon entering the private
road, they were surprised to find the
ground had been freshly dragged with
disc harrow. Driving to the house,
The sheriff was met by Wiida johnsoiis'
She stated that before leaving the house
to look at the road she wished to speak
to her mother, who was in the garden.
Returning, Johnson said he stepped out
of the buggy and William Johnson and
the sheriff drove down the road to look
for the tracks.
During their absence he talked with
Wilda and the mother. When the sheriff
and William returned they went into
the cellar to see if they could find
traces of paris green, which Wilda had
first denying she ever had any poison in
the place. No poison was found there.
Asked when he had previously seen
water from his pump before the morn
ing after the poisoning, Johnson stated
that the night before, at that time, it
had not been polluted. On his way
from the barn to the well with Mrs.
Lundstrom that morning, she had called
his attention to a paper lying by the
path.
Picking it up, it was found to be
paper sack, bearing the label, ''Paris
green, Nelse & Ninton, Owatonna."
When shown a sack, he identified it as
the same one. 1t was entered as an ex-
hibit
The witness testified he did not touch
the pump for four days, and then, in
cleaning it out, paper sack came forth,
containing label the same as the one
previously found This sack also con
tanned considerable poison. 1t was intro
duced, and being identified, was admit
ted as evidence. When shown a bottle
containing green water, johnson stated
that it was a sample he had taken from
the pump and had turned it over to the
county attorney.
The defense took the witness for
cross-eXamination. Johnson stated that
he had known of defendant ever since
her birth, though he had never been
personally acquainted with her. There
had always been friendly relations be.
tween the families before and since the
death of defendants father, some years
ago. He said the defendant had never
been to his place so far as he knew. He
had retired at ten o'clock on the night
of the alleged poisoning and got up
shortly after five o'clock the next morn
ing.