The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1909-07-20
HE HAD SO MANY WIVES HE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO Do
BGamiSt Johnson Recalls Twenty SpouSes But 1t is Believed
the Returns Incompete-Made Living by WeddnS and
Swindlin8 Women---Goes to San Quentin Prison
to Serve Seven Years at the Age of Sixty-four

San Francisco, Cal.-It is all over
with Christian Johnson, the German
horse buyer and bigamy expert,
champion to date of all his kind.
Johnson has been taken from San
Jose, where he was convicted, to San
Quentin prison, to serve sentence
of seven years. When he has served
his term most any city or village in
the country can claim him at will
and send him away on another charge
of bigamy. He says that he has mar
ried so many women that he cannot
remember them all. He was able
to recall twenty of his victims, but
as his list consists, with only two ex-
ceptions, of Western women, and as
he is known to have operated heavily
in marriage VOWS in New York and
New Jersey 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.
Johnson is sixty-four years old,
portly and fine looking and, despite
the handicap 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 courted ten Portland Gore. J
women at one time, but married
only one of the lot. In probably hum
dreds of instances he merely made
love to women and skipped away
with sums of their money varying
from 5000 to several thousands.
Made 1t 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 this country in 1871,
there is no telling how long he has
made living by the role of lover.
I'm 1906 he said, Il quit ny bust
ness of buying horses, and from that
day to this time have been making
my living by marrying, making love
to women, getting their money and
deserving them"
Johnson was known as John Mad
son, John c. Anderson and c. o.
Moeller, and it was under the name
of Madison that he married Miss
Fredericks. He said that at first he
was woman Halter, having been sep
arated in Germany from sweetheart
who later died. II married only one
woman under the name of Madison, /"
he said. Her name was Jones--if
remember rightly-Ada Jones. !
got $500 from her because she said
she loved me. l could have got
$50, 900"
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 it is believed
that perhaps score antedate her.
Johnson says he was born on
March IL, 1845, in Flensburg,
Schleswig- Holstein. He learned mar
inc engineering and worked as ma
chinist 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 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 Bennett
at San Francisco.
Two weeks after this false mar
riage Johnson said he had to go to
Germany and left town. Next he APP
peared in Portland, where he mar
ried Mrs. Eliza Jones, widow of a
wealthy coal dealer. Two weeks
after the marriage he took her to
Oakland, Cal, where, with $1,000 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 resorted