The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1908-05-22
Murderer Frank Johnson Mar
rates Story Of His Ac-
tions and Crime.
REMEMBERS BUT ONE SHOT
Free Love Affair and a Bargain
Made for the Woman TO
Marry johnson.


according to the evidence Of
Frank Johnson. colored. related by
him on the witness stand Friday in
circuit court in his own behalf, a
free-love affair caused the killing of
Beuiah Martin by him at Gypsy on
March 8 last.
Admitting that he killed her, he
proceeded to narrate in detail the
history that led up to 1t, and 1t seem
ed as II he were seeking to lower the
death sentence to life imprisonment.
Prior to July 16 last. when he
went to New ChleftaIn beyond VIII
soEburg he had known the Martin
family at Gypsy. They were in desti-
tute circumstances and he moved
them to New Chieftain and provided
them with feed and clothing. July
lG he was at house with Mrs. Mar
tin and she told him she cared more
i Sor him than Martin and their re-
/ Lions were familiar. After that by
= 4gnal, that of tacking a newspaper
on tho end of the house, whenever
Martin was away. johnson was inyit-
ed to the Martin home. Those as
sociations continued until about
Christmas. when Mrs. Martin set up
the wall that the holidays were at
hand and that she had no clothes for
herself and child OF which she was
, the mother but Martin not the father.
That set Johnson to bawling and he
offered to buy them clothes, provId-
ed that Martin would reimburse him.
So. she and Johnson came to the city
and he paid $3.50 for clothes
bought for them that day.
Returning home tho woman con-
clnded she wanted to live with John
son and not her husband. Shortly
after that the child was badly burn
ed In some unknown manner on the
back Of the head and on one OF its
sides. johnson had a physician call
ed, nursed the child and paid the doc
tor bill. Martin borrowed money
from Johnson and the latter stood
I good at the store for the purchases
OF the Martins.
One night Johnson, Martin and
others went down to a shanty to
play cards. Mrs. Martin followed
them and quarrel cnsued between
4 Martin and his wife. A little later
Johnson went to the Martin home
and found Mrs. Martin injured. She
complained that while she was in
he'd her husband hit her on the head
with 3S six shooter Colts gun and
shot at her the bullet going through
a pillow six inches above her head
Johnson dressed her injuries, and
then she wanted to go with him
again.
February 20 Johnson saw Martin
and asked him why he assaulted Mrs.
Martin. Then, a bargain was struck
up for Mrs. Martin to leave Martin
and live with johnson. They
agreed to leave 1t to her and went
to the house to see her. Both gave
their guns to sister of Martin and
she carried them into another room.
Mrs. Martin concluded she would
stay with Martin. Johnson was
about to leave, when both called to
him to stay. They told him the
proposition had been rather sudden.
but that they had changed their
minds, and it was planned for Martin
to obtain divorce and then John
son was to marry the woman.
Tuesday before the murder John
son came to Clarkshurg and made
some purchases and returning he
saw the Martins at Adamston stand
ing on a platform and that Martin
made motion as If to shoot into the
street car at Johnson. The woman
ran into the store, while Martin pull
ed out a gun. johnson went on
home, then came back to the city,
went to Pinnieklnnick 90 Martins
sisters house, inquired for the Mar
tins and was told by the sister that
she did not know anything about
them and did not want to he mixed
up in the trouble Johnson next
went to Fairmont and loafed all
night, taking the s o'clock morning
car for Gypsy and requesting the
conductor to let him off quarter Of
a mile from Gypsy, his reason for
this being that he did not want to
meet Martin at the station and per-
haps shoot others in an attempt to
shoot him. The conductor did this
and he went into house and from
E4he stcond story saw Martin board
lie car he had gotten of. Martin
was carrying Winchester rifle. Soon
Mrs. Martin came out OF the Broden
house and Johnson fired at her with
Winchester rife. Then he ran to
the Broden house and went in and
remembered nothing until going