The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-02-28
FITTED BY SMALL FOX, PAINTER ENDS
 LIFE WITH RAZOR
Despondent Because Repul- sive Appearance Estranged Former Friends.
First Tried Hanging, ButFail- ing, He All But Cuts Head From Shoulders.

Twice gashing his throat with strength almost superhuman, Isaa c Johnson, aged 30, unmarried, paint CT. ended his life in his room at the home of Neils P. Johnson, 692 How ard avenue, just before Il o'clocK this morning.. While no reason why he should end his life is apparent, friends say Johnson's mind had been troubled for four years, since he Suf- fered an attack of small pox, be- cause former friends summed him cn account of his marred features.
 Johnson was last employed by G. A. Douglas, a painter at roc Howard avenue, but a fortnight ago gave up his job. He declared few days ago he would never work again. While rot ordinarily given to drinking, he gave way to melancholy several days ago. and up to yesterday had been imbibing heavily. Since yesterday morning however, he had not been drinking at all, according to Neils r. Johnson, at whose home he boarded. They are not related.
 At 10:45 this morning Neils John son sat at his cobbling bench when he heard a heavy jar on the floor above, in the room occupied by the bcarder He waited a moment, then arose, in time to meet Isaac descend ing with strap he wore for belt, dangling in his hand. He said he had fallen in his room.
 Suspicious that he had attempted to hang himself, the cobbler became alarmed when Isaac entered the eel lar. A few moments later he des- cended into the cellar, and found the place vacant. He lighted a candle to make a more thorough search, then climbed up to the boarder s room.
 Here ghastly sight awaited him. Johnson was stretched across the bed, blood streaming from his throat, his head almost severed by two deep gashes, one under the left ear, the other extending across the windpipe and under the right ear. The head was more than severed.
 It was minutes before II o'clock that he reached the third precinct police station, across the street, to spread the alarm. Patrolman Bulk . ley ran to the scene, then hurried back to have Captain Redgate send in an ambulance call. Dr. Krause arrived within a few minutes, but he found that death must have been al- most instantaneous. The windpipe had been severed, and frightful bemorrhage had resulted from the cuts. He telephoned to Medical Examiner Downs, who viewed the remains at noon.
 Johnson was a native of sweden. He had been in Bridgeport for about 10 years. His mother resided With him for several years, but two years ago returned to Sweden. He IS sur vived by a married sister, said to re- side in Connecticut avenue, and a brother-in-law in Stratford. About five years ago Johnson was stricken with smallpox while working in Stratford, and he was isolated with a family in that town and left under care of a physician who volunteered to live in the isolated place and treat him.
 He had not been in the best of health since affliction, and poor health coupled with worry over his badly pock-marked features is be- lieved to have mentally unbalanced him. Early this morning he walked into the cobbler's workroom and said, They haven't come yet, but they're going to burn me up." The scobbler had noted his eccentric ac- tions for several days, and paid little heed to his wandering talk. It was