The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1908-05-13
WIFE A STATUE OF WOOD
HERMIT MAYOR CREATED HER
TO SUIT HIS OWN IDEA.
Accused of Living With a Woman He
Was Forced TO Explain. Secret
Was Told in Court.

that he maintains in his household as
his only companion wooden woman,
which he carved from an ordinary
pine block.
Critics who have examined this bit
of handiwork proclaimed it a real
work of art. Mr.. Johnson spent four
solid months working out the almost
perfect lines of symmetry.
He drew no model on paper. but.
day after day, as the beautiful lines
progressed, he studied them with
great care and made them conform
as closely as possible with his ideal.
How Secret Became known.
Because of the seclusion of Mayor
Johnsn's habitation in the village
MS genius and love for the ideal
woman only recently became known.
and In peculiar way About eighteen
months ago a young minister, the
Rev. G. c. Jones, went from Old Vr-
glnla and took up the pastorate of
the Enou Christian church. Up to
the time of his arrival the villagers
paid little heed to the observance of
the Sabbath.
Although there were no saloons in
the place, the merchants saw nothing
wrong IN accommodating customers
with whatever they wanted on Sun
day. But when this young minister
arrived he started crusade against
what he termed the dissertation of the
Sabbath and to such an extent did his
missionary work extend, and so forci-
Bile were his denunciations of those
who opened their places of business
on the Sabbath, that a reformation
was accomplished.
But there arose a faction in the
otherwise quiet village which op-
posed the new order of things.
Friends of the church lined up with
the minister; friends of the business
men took sides against the Sabbath
led. Mayor Johnson numbered a ma
lority of his friends among the bust
ness men, and hence was forced to
take sides against the minister. Petty
arrests were made, one merchant be-
ing held for selling a loaf of bread on
the Sabbath, another for selling
dish of ice cream, a third for alleged
dice throwing. Nothing came of the
prosecutions, the defendants being
dismissed.
Minister Is Trapped.
The village magistrate, who was
also a friend of the business men,
could not see the guilty side. But the
arrests and the trials only intensified
the feeling The minister's opposi-
ton had their lines out to catch him
in trap. The opportunity came
when an attending physician recon-
mended that little boy who was
dying with fever be given some broth
from a wild bird. Here it was that
the minister's humanitarian instinct
proved his undoing
Procuring a gun and walking to the
commons near Mayor Johnsons her.
nit home he fired bullet that killed
an American robin. Mayor Johnson
heard the shot. He walked into his
doOryard and sa wthe minister car
rying the dead bird.
An affidavit was filed against the
young Virginian under the game laws
and he was taken into court with
Mayor Johnson as the prosecuting
witness. 1t was during this trial that
the strange features of Mayor John
sons life developed.
QuetisOned About Woman.
The attorneys for the defense had
heard that the mayor, although a.
bachelor, was living with a woman
Question after question was put to
Mayor johnson and at first he denied
the allegation. After a series of cross
questions both from court and attor-
neys Johnson was forced to admit
that he had woman in the house"
who is this woman?" asked the
attorney.
"She has never been named" an
swered Johnson.
Where did she come FROM" the
lawyer persisted.
81 made her." said Johnson.
81 don't understand your answer,
Ietorted the attorney.
eff you should see the woman,
then you would understand" replied
Johnson.
w nat are yOu uOluS Win n6i
''She is my ideal of purity and vir-
tue. l regard nothing so beautiful
and so perfect as virtuous woman"
the mayor answered evasively.
Spectator Given Clew.
Can you prove that this woman
is virtuous?" was asked
81 certainly can" answered John
son.
What would you offer as proof"
only the woman tainted John
son.
At this point one of the spectators
in the courtroom who knew John
sons secret and could no longer
keep it cried out:
my God, man, she is a wooden
woman"
Mayor Johnson then told for the
first time in public how he had
worked for hours producing this
beautiful figure, which he regards as
his highest ideal not only of purity
and virtue but of the beautiful as