Evening star., 1909-07-14
NAMES TWENTY WIVES
Biqamist Johnson Forgets
LDts of Others.
LIVING ON CUPID'S BOUNTY
Goes to Prison to Serve Seven. Year
Term.
WEDS AND sWINDLES WOMEN
Sixty-Four Years No Bar to
Phenomenal Series of Triumphs
Over the Fair Sex.
7EDS AND SWINDLES WOMEN

SAN FRANCISCO. July 14-It is all
over with Christian Johnson. the German
horse buyer and bigamy expert, cham
pion to date of all his kind
Johnson was taken Yesterday from San
Jose. where he was convicted Monday. to
San Quentin prison, to serve a 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 he has married so many women
that he cannot remember them all. He
is able to recall twenty of his victims. As
his list consists, with only -wo exceptions,
of western women. and as he is known to
have operated heavily in marriage vows
in New York and New Jersey and New
England. it is believed that the twenty
represent less than half Of his actual
wives.
He does not include Miss Julia A. Fred
.ericks Of Freeport, L. l., whom he mar
ried in 1900, decamping next day with
S1,6oO of her money.
johnson is sixtyfour years old. portly
and fine looking and. despite the handicap
of years. is known to have married eight
women since November, 1905. His love-
making mas DeSn on even a more generous
scale. and according to his own statement
ne courted ten Portland (Ore.) women at
one time, but married only one of the
lot.
In probably hundreds Of instances he
merely made love to women and skipped
away with sums of their money varying
from 500 to several thousands.
Made It a Profession.
Johnson dates the beginning Of his GRIM
inal career three years back. but as the
marriage with Miss Fredericks took place
nine years ago, and he came to this coun-
try in 1871, there is no telling how long
he has made a living by the role Of lover.
I'm 1906 he said, Il quit my business
of buying horses, and from that day to
this time. I have been making my living
by marrying. making love to women, get
ting their money and deserving them"
Johnson was known as John Madison,
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 a woman hater, having been
separated in Germany from sweetheart
who later died.
Il married only one woman under the
name of Madison" he said. Her name
was Jones-if l remember rightly-Ada
Jones. l got $1,6OO from her because she
said she loved me. could have got
$4,000"
The bigamist credits Mrs. Mary Brown,
whom he married in Springfield, Mass, In
1865, and Immediately deserted. with be-
ing his first and only legal wife. It is be-
lieved that perhaps score antedate her.
Johnson says he was born March II,
1915, in Flensburg. Schleswig- -Holstein.
He learned marine engineering and work.
ed as a machinist in Trenton, n. j., when
he came to America In 1871.
But he left this five years later and re-
turned to his fathers trade as a horse
dealer. He bought cavalry horses for the
United States Army, and later bought
horses for the British government, MAX
ing many trips across the water. He act
ed for Japan in the same capacity during
the Russian war.