The Washington herald., 1908-08-29
DECLARES HUSBAND
Is A WHITE MAN
Mrs. Johnston Is Sorry She
Filed a Divorce Suit.
WILL WITHDRAW PETITION
Unable. She says, to Understand Why
She Began the Action-AsSerfs She
Blood in His Veins-Married After
Courtship of Two Days.

4 love Albert. and I do not believe he
/ has negro bIooI in his veins. never
/ believed IT, have always loved him.
/ and why I applied for a divorce / do not
know
I 7 have regretted my action in trying
/ 10 be separated from my husband, and
+ I am going 10 withdraw the application.
/ I think he stiu loves me, and maybe If
( I prove I made mistake in applying
+ for "a divorce he viii come back TO me.
/ 1 would give anything in the world if
4 he were here this minute"
! These were the words Of Mrs. Annie NJ
/ Johnston. 2 years old. who entered suit
I against Albert r Johnston yesterday. al
I leEing he had negro blood in his veins,
and had married her under misrepre-
] sentations-
Last night she unfolded the story Of
her life, with its romance OF two days.
its marriage OF nearly three years ter
minatiug in the divorce petition
Several times IN her narrative she ap-
pea-ed on the point Of breaking down.
and tears shone in her large black eyes
some Mysterious Power.
She said she could not understand what
power made her believe Johnston was OF
African lineage, declaring she had no
proof TO uphold her allegations in the pc
uJion for divorce
1T was all rumor,~ she said. struggling
10 keep from s0bbing- Albert is as white
as any AncIo-Saxon who ever walked,
and I know he is I am ashamed OF my
self for bringing this disgrace upon him
and the baby To think the little girl WI
grow up and have the finger OF accuss-
yl0E pointed at her. with people whisper
ing behind her back that she had a negro
father almost sets me mad. don't know
how I viii stand IL If I were alone. with
no one 10 harm but myself. everything
. would be different but I have said some
thing about Albert that viii stick 20 him
. as long as he lives. and as long as the
baby lives, despite any denials may
make.
Two girls I have known all my life
caused me 10 think Albert had negro
ancestors. and the more I thought about
IL the more j believed IT, Il all seems
foolish and cH5IdIlks 10 me now. and al
though I had suspicious 1 did not truly
believe what I said about him. the worst
I thing a wife could say of a husband. l
began 20 think and think, and Ct night
would lie and wonder Il what the
girls told me was true Then I remem-
5e.ed 7 had never seen his father. and
that made me afraid 7 would see him
for fear he would be black
But 7 see now it was not AIbert'g
fault He tried 90 persuade me 20 60 20
his home time and again. and I refused
In the first year Of our marriage I went
20 his home three times, and each time
his father was either away Jr asleep.
After the first year. AI5ert's mother be
came SO disaEreeabIe I determined 70
stay away. Nv mOrher-in-law dislkeJ
ne.
Believed Something Wrong.
His relatives did not come TO see Us,
and. Of course. I thought there was some
thing wrong / had done nothing 10 cause
them 20 act as they did Although I
heard rUmors months ago. Il was only a
few days ago I gained courage enough to
tell him Of my suspicion
We have been married q few weeks
more than three years met him year
! before married him. but we were only
engaged two days Papa and mama died
when I was young and was forced TO
work, although had two brothers who
cared for me and who were willing 10
support ne. I worked in a number Of
department. stores IN washington and
was employed as q saleswonlan when I
met Albert He was then employed as a
clerk at the Hotel Driscou. It was there
met him.
one night We were sitting on the ter
race of the Capitol. looking at the electric
lights IN Pennsylvania avenue. He asked
ne 70 marry him. and two days later We
elCped to Baltimore That was the first
time I had been out Of Washington He
had lots Of money and we stayed in Bal
rimOre a few weeks.
I did not leave Albert because Of
cruelty 10 me In fact ne left me on
.. August 3 He came 10 see me on August
=. wearing the uniform of the National
+ Guard, saying he was going away to
fight but I knew he was only trying TO
frighten me I told him ne couldn't 20.
and closed and held the door He tried
70 push ne aside. but I put my arm
around his neck and he SAT- he would not
60
Yesterday I fled the petition for di-
7 vorce. saying he beat and choked me, but
he knows. and know, what I said was
wrong I think he will not return for
when I told him I thought he was of
! negro descent. he denied it and said I
had killed all his love He asked me 10
give him the baby. but I told him the
little girl belonged 10 ne as much as TO
him, and that I was going TO keep her
He asked me what I wanted with q negro
baby. and then We both laughed If.
when I withdraw the divorce papers. he
returns. I viii be the happiest woman in
the world"
Johnston Not Talking