Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1909-07-21
he HAD So MANY WIVES he DIDN'T EN0E WHAT TO DO
Bsaist johnson Recalls Twenty Spouses But It is Believed
the Returns Are ncompeteMade Living by Wedding and
Swindling Wonen-Goes to San Quentin Prison
to Serve Seven Years at the Age Of Sixy-four

=. !. : Z
San Francisco, Cal is all over
with Christian Johnson, the German
horse buyer and bigamy expert,
champion to dateS Of all his kind.
Johnson has been taken from San
Jose, where he was convicted, to San
Quentin prison, to serve a sentence
Of seven years. When he he's. served
his term most any city or village In
the country can claim him at will
and send + IN away On another charge
Of bigam. He says that he has mar
ried 80 l!ys.Women that he cannot
renembe hem all. He was able
to recall enty Of his victims. but
as his II. insists, Vithtonly two ex-
ceptions, WesterIl women. and es
he is kncH to have operated heavily
in marie &C vows III New York and
New Jergew and New England, 1t Is
believed that the twenty represent
less than half OF his actual wives.
He does not include Miss Julia A.
Fredericks, OF Freeport, L. l.. whom
he married in 1900, decamping next
day with $1,000 Of her money.
John-on Is sixty-four years old,
portly and fine looking and, despite
the hardicap Of years, is known to
have married eight women since No
vember, 1905. His lovemaking has
been on even a more generous scale,
and. according to his own statement,
he eourted ten Portland (Ore.)
women at one time, but married
only one 6f the lot. In probably hum
dreds of instances he merely made
love to women and skipped away
with sums Of their money varying
from $500 to several thousands.
Made II q Profession.
Johnson dates the beginning Of his
criminal career three years back,
but as the marriage with Miss Fred
ericks took place nine years ago, and
he came to thiq country in 1871,
there is 10 telling how long he has
made living by the role Of lover.
''In 1906" he said, II quit ny busi-
ness Of buying horses, and from that
day to this time I have been making
my living by marrying, making love
~ women. getting their money and
asserting them.
Johnson was known as John Mad
con, John G. Anderson and G. o.
Moeller, and It was undsr the name
Of Madison that he married Miss
Fredaricks. He said that at first he
was e woman hater, having been sep
arated In Germany from a sweetheart
who later died. Unmarried only one
woman under the name Of Madison. "
he said. ''Her name was Tones-if
remember rightly-Ada Jones. I
got $500 from her because ahe said
she loved me. I could have got
$56,00e."
The bigamist credits Mrs. Mary
Brown, whom he Married In Spring
field, Mass, in 1905, and immediate
ly deserted, with being his first and
only legal wife, but 1t is believed
that perhaps score antedate her.
Johnson says he was born ON
March IL, 1S45, in Flensburg,
Schleswig- HolsteIn. He learned mar
ine engineering and worked as a ma
ohinist in Trenton, N j., when he
came to America in 1871.
To Live on Cupid's Bounty.
After his desertion of the Spring
field widow Johnson went to, New Or
leans as a horse trader. Then his
health failed, and he determined to
live on Cupid's bounty. His next
venture, according to his story, was
with Mrs. Sylvia Pollard de Bonnet
at San Francisco.
Two weeks after this false mar
riagc Johnson said he had TO 20 to
Germany and left town. Next he ap-
peared In Portland, where he mar
ried Mrs. Eliza Jones, a widow of a
wealthy coal dealer. Two weeks
after the marriage he took her TO
Oakland. Cal, where, with $500 Of
her money in his pockets, he. skipped
out for Memphis. His next marriage,
victims name forgotten, took place in
the East. A ceremony was gresorted