The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-07-08
TRICKEDWOMAN
TRAPS MAN OF
MANY WIVES
Bigamist's Victim Lures Be-
trayer to City and Into
Arms of Detectives
Seven Women Involved in One
Days Investigation of Odd
Marital Career

him by women whom he has made his
victims in a strange career of many
marriages, Christian C. Johnson, 65
years old and an admitted bigamist. is
in the hands Of the local police. John
son has admitted two different mar
riages within a few weeks of each
other. and reports of two other mar
riages have been practically substan-
tiated
arrested Johnson yesterday, believe
that all they have yet learned is but
the beginning of a marital history as
sensational and far reaching as any in
the criminal records of the country.
Seven women have become involved in
single day in the exposure growing
out of Johnsons capture. Four of
them have gone through the marriage
ceremony with him or have at least
been known as his wives; one, whose
identity has not been established, ar
rived in San Francisco with him yes
terday just prior to his arrest; sixth
has correspondent with him concerning
marriage and the last has been men
toned by him as an old time sweet
heart, now dead.
Johnson was married to Mrs. Henri
eta Leopold of 2144 Suffer street April
Is, and May Is was married to Mrs.
Jessie Trethway of 412 East Vine street,
Stockton. In the meantime he was cor
responding with Mrs. Ida Mitchell OF
Ingleside, San Francisco, and with Miss
Minnie NJ. Gather of 1870 McAll1ster
street. both of whom he addresses in
his letters as My dearest little WIFE.
WOMEN ARE MISSING
Neither Miss Gather nor Mrs. Mitchell
could be found last night to substan-
tiate the facts relative to their sup
posed marriages to Johnson, but Miss
Gather some time ago confded to Mrs.
Leopold that she had married him in
February After being chiefly respon1
sible for bringing about Johnson's ar
rest yesterday, Miss Gather disappeared
suddenly last night from the apart
ments where she has lived for several
months, announcing that she would not
return but would send for her trunk
later. Her mysterious departure is sup
posed TO have been due to her desire
TO avoid the notoriety of further con-
nection with the case.
Johnson is a man of as many aliases
as he is of wives. It was under the
name of John C. Anderson that he mar
ried Mrs Trethway, and under this
name he was also known TO Mrs. Mitchell
and Miss Gather although the latter
has declared her belief that his true
name was c. O. Moeller. He was en-
-oute Yesterday to Seattle under the
alias of Edward o. Mier, and has also
gone by the name of Moore. Miss
Gather, who was to have met him yes
terday under the Ilretext iof continuing
north with him. kept the appointment,
but instead of reciprocating renewed
promises of affection, turned him over
to the police.
The first charges against Johnson
were made in April, when Mrs. Leopold.
who is a woman of refinement, reported
70 the police that her husband had dis
appeared after having been with her
but two hours on the day of their mar
riage, taking with him $500 of her
money. The publicity given this re-
port brought about an acquaintance be-
tween Mrs. Leopold and Miss Gather.
The latter had known Johnson prior to
his marriage with Mrs. Leopold and
continued a correspondence with him
even after he had gone to Stockton and
married Mrs. Trethway BY dint of
promises that she would accompany
him north to Seattle, Miss Gather finally
induced Johnson to come to this city
yesterday morning from Los Angeles
and to meet her at the Third and Town
send street depot.
DETECTIVES IN WAITING
Detectives Bunner and Freel were
waiting when Johnson stepped from
the train. He was accompanied by
woman with a baby in her arms, Whom
he afterward declared he had met on
the train the night before. Miss Gather
Joined Johnson and this woman and
the trio were followed by Bunner and
Freel to Third and Market streets,
where the arrest was made. AS the
detectives grasped Johnson the woman
with the baby stepped aboard a car
bound for the ferry, while Miss Gather
slipped away in the crowd. Miss Gather
later called upon Mrs. Leopold, whom
she told of the arrest, and Mrs Leo
pold called upon Johnson at the city
prison.
The meeting between Johnson and
Mrs. Leopold was almost tragic. Both
broke down and wept. but while John
son pleaded with his accuser to helm
him find a way out of his dilemma and
not be hard upon him, Mrs Leopold
bitterly denounced him as a wretch
and besought those about her to assist
in securing his conviction. Johnson
broke down again while undergoing
the ordeal of measurement in the
bureau of Identification, and sobbed as
he told his version of his wrong doing
Il am an old man." he cried "and T
am sick. If they should send me to
prison I would die within a year.
could never live, that long. I don't
want this woman in Stockton to find
out that / have been arrested, for she
is very bitter against me and would
come down here and do everything she
could to- send me to prison. If I can
keep her from hearing of it 1 NAV fiv
this trouble"
Johnson is, in fact, an old man. T4is
smooth shaver face and a once mag
niflcent physique. give him the appear
ance of being many years younger than
he really is He was we'll dressed Of
the time of his arrest and had upon his
person valuable diamond ring. a fine
gold watch and $3.50 in money! His
trunk, which was left at the Southern
Pacific depot. contained several hundred
dollars worth of clothing, he declared
According to Jol1nson's own story he
was born in Germany and was never
married up to the time his present
troubles began. He came to this conn
try in 1871 and has been a horse buver
and trader for 3S years, most of which
he says he spent in New York.
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