Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-02-24
JUMPS into WELL
Mrs. Samuel Johnston, Men
tally Unbalanced, Takes Own
Life at Home Near Milan.
NOT DISCOVERED FOR HOURS
Body of Woman Is Found Late at
Night, After Being in Water
Since Early Morning.

After she had been missing for II
hours. Mrs. Samuel NJ. Johnston. resid-
ing south of Milan, was found dead in
an abandoned well near a driveway
not far from the home, at 10 o'clock
Saturday night. Coroner Eckhart was
notified at once, and went Immediately
to the scene and conducted an inquest,
the jury returning a verdict that Mrs.
Johnston came to her death by jump
ing into the we'll with suicidal intent,
while temporarily insane.
Mrs. Johnston was not seen after 10
o'clock Saturday morning. Her hus-
band was working at a neighbors' and
did not return home until evening, and
her step son, Josiah Johnson. was at
Milan. Because of Mrs. Johnston s
condition. the family had employed a
woman to work about the house, but
while the woman was out for a few
minutes, Mrs. Johnston disappeared.
Deed Not Discovered.
Little was thought of her absence,
as it was supposed that she had gone
10 the home of neighbor. No search
was made for her until Mr. Johnson
and his son had returned in the even
ing. Then the members of the family
became worried and telephOned to diff
ferent neighbors to learn whether she
had been there during the day. No
trace of her being found, the stepsOn
suggested that perhaps she had come
to Rock Island, but it was quickly
found that her coat and hats were in
their accustomed places.
Convinced then that some miSfor
tune had befallen her, the husband and
stepsOn and neighbOrs who were sum
moned began a thorough search OF the
premises. No trace of her was found
until the stepson noticed that the GOV
er of the abandoned we'll had been re
moved. A lantern was secured ant
lowered into the well, and its rays re
vealed Mrs. Johnston's feet sticking
above the surface of the water.
Went Head First.
Mrs. Johnston had thrown hersel
into the well head first. The we'll
which is about 50 feet deep, contained
several feet of water, but had the wo
man not gone down head first sh'
would not have drowned. The well i
provided with stone steps on the in
sid, and in her fall the woman hat
struck on several of these, receiving
many severe cuts and bruises.
Tried for Insanity.
In October last year, Mrs. Johnston
was brought before a jury in the cour
ty court and tried for insanity, on con
plaint of members of the family. Will
there was some evidence to show tha
she was mentally unbalanced, the ev
dence was not sufficient in the mind
of the jurors to adjudge her insane
and she was found not insane.
Just before this time she had sui
mitted to an operation at St Anthony
hospital. and had not fully recovered
Her extreme nervous condition was a
signed to the effects of the operation
Mrs. Johnston in 1894 was adjudge
insane, and was for a time an inmat
of the Jacksonville hospital.
ONCE the inquiry lHIO HeT meHti
condition in the fall, Mrs. Johnsto
had lived in Rock Island part of ii
time. but recently had returned to IL
home in Black Hawk. She was, hoy
ever, planning to return to this cit
and had purchased some furniture wit
this in mind. She had for some tin
desired a division of the property /
her husband, and had declared tn
she intended to go to England to Wis
a sister. At the hearing in the coun
court members of the family testifi,
that she had complained that she W;