Evening journal., 1906-11-10
JOHNS WAS COMING
TO MURDER GIRL
Philadelphia Police Gets Ne.
gro Before He Again A.
taCks Linda Taylor
WROTE WILMINGTON
GIRL lie WOULD KILL

The murder OF young colored Kirl
was probably prevented In the arrest OF
william, alias "Tojy," Johns. colored,
aged 25 years, in his room at No. 1909
Lombard street. Philadelphia, early
this morning. The man had swoRn te
kill Linday Taylor, aged 1s. who v ~
ing az her home in this city, SUFFERING
from nine razor wounds, which he in
hicted on her IN late attempt 20 talks
her life. Johns was preparing to come
to Wilmington to-day. and intended "a
kin the girl this time.
Knowing no wdesperate a man they
had TO deal with, Special Poaicamen
Moriarity and Marks. OF the Philadel-
phia force, made a stealthy advance on
his room this morning They learned
that he was In a second floor back
room talking to another colored man.
They crept up, and, opening the door
suddenly. pinioned ions arms and
handcunfed him in a few seconds. That
he anticipated attack was hown by the
disclosure Of an opcn-hladed knife IN
his pocket.
Johns is a well built ana physically
strong colored mans and he made a
fight even though handcunod. Several
blackjach blows we're necessary TO quiet
him. When arraigned before Magis-
trate Mackin, he was still In an ugly
mood and would say nothing when
charged with aggravated assault and
battery on tho girl. who was his mis-
tress. He was held in $1,000 bail for
further hearing on Tuesday. when an
endeavor viii be made to have the Tay-
Tor girl testify against him.
So terrorized is the girl, however,
that the police fear It will be hard to
get her 20 appear against Johns.
A colored girl OF respectable parents
In Wilmington, Linda Taylor went to
Philadelphia several months ago to
lseok work in service. She engaged a
lroom IN the colored section around
Lombard street and fell into bad COM
pany. Johns, a big huilxing brute, soon
appropriated her as HIS own. and they
: lived IN a room near Twelfth and Lom-
bard streets.
jealousy OF her aroused his ire, ana
three weeks ago. az she sat talking TO
a man and woman. he burst into the
room, carrying a razor. with which no
slashed right and lfet. Linda Taylor
was cut nine times by the infuriated
negro, and was taken to the Pennsyl-
vania Hospital.
Vowed He Would XIII Her.
Johns was in hiding. but kept him
self informed OF the girls condition,
and was heard to openly avow that he
would kin her when she was released
from the hospital The knowledge that
she was TO be brought to her home I'm
Wilmington when she recovered reach
ed him.
The girl was brought to Wilmington
yesterday. but Johns had anticipated
this the day before and had gone to her
home disguised and inquired for her
He had disguised himself by powdcring
himself 10 make his skin lighter but
the girls mother who had never be-
fore seen him, described the visitor
TO the girl when she arrived. and his
identity was thus disclosed.
r Wrote His Threat.
Yesterday Johns wrote the girl a.
p follows;
; Il put you in ths hospital. I put yol
: there TO die. hear you are getting
, better and VIII soon be out. 1 want T.
C tell you the very day you come out
2 win be around, and this time I vii
g make no mistake / will kill you sur
4 and ] win do it slowly. I will TO o-tur
G you and laugh when you scream am
Il YELL The day you leave the hospta
n that day you die And nothing les
d than as quad Of police viii ever TAX
e me alive"
Y "The man who wrote that IS william
e Jones'" she said I'VE lived togellei
r as man and wife sor years. and II any.
sr body should know his character I do
le know that when he says he'll do q
s. thing that thing is as good as done
p I am already dead woman. He grew
ic tired Of me and fell IN love with an-
other girl When ! tried to win back
is his love he cut me with a razor. Ho
rs Intended to kin me and he almost did IT,
IA This time he'll make sure Of the Job