The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-08-06
ACCIDENT SWINDL[R
SHIELDS ACCOMPLIC[
Mrs. Maud Johnson Decides to
Return North for Trial With
out ExtraditiOn

son the streetcar accident swindler,
saws she intends to return to the north
for trial on charges of obtaining money
under false pretenses without extradi-
tion and it is believed she wishes to
shield an unidentified male accomplice
who acted as a 'spotter' for her in
various places.
The police suspect that this is the
case. for developments today indicated
that Frank Johnson, the imprisoned
husband. had little to do with her ex-
ploits She got hurt on streetcars after
her marriage only when Johnson was
away. and the husband did not learn
until today of his wifes versatility.
Luther Johnson, the woman's brother
in law, seems to know even less of her
career.
BROTHERS PLEAD IGNORANCE
Neither of the brothers can explain
who the man was that aided the
woman, then known as Gertrude lie
Clair. in escaping from Kansas City,
where she was trailed and in fear of
detection.
Frank Johnson, the husband, is on
the verge of making clean breast of
his supposed completely. The police
dub him the woman's dupe and believe
his declarations that he knew only
that his spouse was fugitive without
Knowing what her offenSe was. He
saws the woman's feigned hemorrhages
made him and three physicians believe
she was a victim of consumption.
The. police interviewed Mrs. Johnson
today and were told by her merely
that she would return to Portland or
Seattle for trial without combating
extradition. She refused to talk about
her Kansas City escapades.
LETTERS FROM ACCOMPLICE
In Captain of Detectives Petersen's
possession are two letters, unsigned
written TO Gertrude LIE Clair which
reveal the activities of Mrs. Johnson
supposed accomplice. One of the letters
refers to a meeting in Kansas City.
The letter is anonymous nd>closely
typewriter. Evidently Mrs. Johnson,
or Gertrude lie Clair, was being closely
Swallowed, for she failed to keep the
rendezvous. Another letter, written
from the Blossom house Kansas City
has scrawl at the bottom of the
page which may be the name tom. =
This name occurs in other correspond
ence of the womans. and by it she has
been traced to Boise. Idaho. There all
tract of her allies is lost, and later she
was married to Frank Johnson in the
north.
TWO MARRIAGE CEREMONIES
Some within or design caused the
woman to have two ceremonies per-
formed. She and Johnson were first
married at Chehalis, Wash, and the
second wedding was at Oregon City
Mrs. johnson told her husband she had
given a wrong initial when they were
first welded, and she wanted it cor
rected.
In the north Johnson worked in vari-
Gus capacities, according to his state
ment. His wife would get hurt or
have hemorrhages and persuade John
son to move.
They made several trips through
Oregon and Washington, while Mrs.
Johnson pretended she was waiting for
money from an estate in Kansas. John
son admits that he married the woman
because of the inheritance she talked
of. Finally, after Mrs. Johnson had
been hurt on the Portland cars, and
had got damages, she found the climate
hard on her lungs, and the two broth
ers accompanied the woman and her
baby to Oakland and remained one
night. Then they went to Santa Cruz
where Johnson took up chicken raising
but soon returned to Oakland, where
Mrs. Johnson was apprehended yester-
day at the Merritt hospital while plan
ming to defraud the Oakland traction
company.