Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1909-07-21
ADMITS HOST OF WIVES.
Was So Busy Marrying He Could Not
Remember Them All.

San Francisco, July 16.--Christian
G. Johnson, sentenced at San Jose to
serve seven years in the penitentiary
for bigamy, is reported to have con-
fessed that he is the mysterious
John MADISON" wanted in many
parts of the country for matrimonial
ventures and systematic swindling OF
number of women under promise
Of marriage
On the train to this city women
crowded about johnson and seemed
to take great interest in him.
1T just goes to show you that wo-
men are FOOLS" remarked Johnson to
\ the sheriff. Look at them. If any
man would come along here and say
nice things to most Of them, be polite
and show interest in their doings and
hopes, they would smile and smirk
until the poor man would find him
SELF taking pity on them and pro-
posing.
THAT was what got me into trou-
BILE. Men ought to be careful of wo-
men and what they do and say to
them. That is, such men as I. Men
of my temperament are always in
danger unless we refuse to talk to
women"
His "Philosophy of Women"
Johnson's confession is full OF
comment on his success. Here are a
few extracts which show his philoso-
ply: ,.
"The women ! met fell in love with
me after | had talked to them only
few times. / have found it did not
pay to be soft and sweet with a wo-
man. Treat her harsh, and be a lit
iCtD hn will 70
Once started with the idea of get
ting money from women, ! continued
to dupe them, and | did not marry
those that ] could get money from
without SC doing.
'My advice to women who want to
marry is never to marry through a
, matrimonial agency.
r. 81 would also warn women against
marrying man who talked too
sweet. Mary business man, one
who will talk business always"
Johnson's alleged confession, how
ever, is full of inc c0nsistencies great
ly at variance with statements he
has made since his arrest in this
has been married to SO many women
that he cannot count them off-hand.
Lived by Marrying.
In 1870, ne says, II quit my bus
mess Of buying horses, and from that
day to this time | have been making
my living by marrying and making
love to women, getting their money
and then deserting them"
One of the most amazing feats, ac-
cording to his own confession, was
making love to ten women at one
time in Portland, Oregon.
While he admits that he got money
from most of them, and that his
marriages We're part Of a "get-rich-
Quick" system, johnson declares that
Il, every Instance he spent the money
ne received on the victim herself.
Woman Halter at First.
IOhrson declares that he was born
- Germany, and coming to this
country in the seventies, obtained a
post with the United States govern
ment buying horses for the army on
commission. This took him all Owe.
the country. At first, he says, he
was woman hater, because he had
been separated from a sweetheart in
Germany, who died later He mar
ried the first Of his many wives in
Springfield Mass, in 1905. She was
Mrs. Mary Brown.
81 married only one woman under
declared. Her name was Jones-if
| remember rightly-Ada Jones.
got $1,SOO from her because she said
she loved me. l could have had
$50, 900"
Eighteen of the Victims.
Eighteen of the women whom
johnson married, according to the
confession, were:
II Mrs Katherine Hoen San Diepo
= Mrs. Josephine Tretheway, Stock
ION, Cal.
Mrs. Sylvia Pollard DeBonnett,
San Francisco.
Mrs. Henrietta Leopold, San Fran
cisco, Cal
Eliza Jones, Portland, Oregon.
Mrs. Mary Brown, Springfield,
Mass.
Mrs. Frances Hepburn, Oakland,
Cal.
Miss Minnie Gather, San Francisco.
Mrs. Josephine Henninger Oak
land, Cal.
- Mrs. Birdie King, Hot Springs,
y rkansas.
Mrs. Elizabeth NJ. Jackson, lola,
Kansas.
Mrs. Mary Frick, East st. Louis,
Illinois.
Katherine" hospital nurse, st.
Louis.
Mrs. Alice Richardson, st. Louis.
Mrs. Catalina, Baughman, St.Louis.
Mrs. Minnie Allen, ST. Louis.
Mrs. Bertha King, Memphis, Tenn.
Mrs. DeLoem, widow of a sea cap
tain, Portland, Oregon.
From most Of these women, john
son says, he obtained money or jew