East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1910-01-10

Declares Judge Fee Prevented
Her from Voluntarily Returning to
Vancouyer-Says She Has Been
Twice Injured
Surprising developments may fol-
low the arraignment of Mrs. Maud
Johnson, said to be an expert "in-
jury faker.' in the justice court in
Vancouver. Wash Monday. when she
VIII be arraigned on the charge of
obtaining $3.50 from the Northern
Pacitic railroad by fraudulently rep
resenting herself as having been in
Jured through the negligence of the
transportation company, says the
Sunday Oregonian. Mrs. Johnson was
returned to the Washington town last
night, after having been extradited
from Pendleton, Ore, where she was
arrested several days ago upon the
complaint of Vancouver officials.
Testimony she may give in court
Will perhaps expose a conspiracy on
the part of Northern Pacific employees
in the claim department to rob the
road through this womans suit. Lead
ing members of the legal department.
of the company, it is said, believe that
the woman brought the suit in which
damages were awarded her at the in
stigation of some Northern Pacific
employees, and that she divided the
money she received with them. Up
on what grounds these suspicious are
based is not made public, but every
a n-t h0 haa anIa .
partment of the road TO persuade the
woman to implicate railroad men in
confession.
Woman Cries Persecution.
SO far the woman has refused to
admit that any employees or officials
of the railroad We're concerned in anv
way with her suit against the COM
pany. Upon her arrival in Portland,
last night, on the way to Vancouver,
she made the following statement,
declaring that 1t was absolutely all she
could say in regard to her troubles
with the railroad
81 believe that I am the victim Of
persecution by the Northern Pacific
railroad. I do not know why they
should keep after me as they have
unless it be that they hope TO prove
some crooked work among their own
people. l have received repeated Of
fers from them that if 1 would reveal
to them the names of persons higher
up who profited by my damage suit
they would not only release me from
all further court action. but would
pay me further damages for the trou-
BILE they have caused me. I cannot
tell them anything because I have
nothing to tell: my damage suit was
for bona fide injuries that I received
on the road, and th IS all there is to
it. 1 did not divide the funds I got
with anybody; and am not the
Queen of Fakers,' 1 have been un-
justly called.
Twice Injured She Says.
Il have been unfortunate. IL is true,
having been injured twice recently
while travelling. My ankle, that was
hurt in the last accident, Is still weak.
and I have been bothered with it re-
peatedly Aside from this I am a
sick woman. and have had fainting
spells of late. In Pendleton. before I
was arrested. had planned to go to
the hospital to have a tumor remov-
ed, and as soon as I get clear of this
present trouble I shall undergo that
operation Then I believe shall leave
this section of the country"
Asked whether IL she were freed
in justice court of the present charge
against her. she would sue the North
ern Pacific for false arrest. Mrs.
johnson smiled and shook her head.
NO" she answered, "I do not believe
will, though I would certainly have
a good case against them. I want to
get the whole matter ended, and want
to get away. I am sick of this per-
secution. And right here I want to
say that l did not object to coming
back to Vancouver to face this pres
ent charge. I wanted to come, for I
am sure they can prove nothing
against me. But my lawyer in Pen
dleton insisted upon fighting extra
dition papers-you know how lawyers
are that way. Even If he had won I
should have returned to Washington
voluntarily"
Baby Coos Along.
Mrs. johnson reached Portland last
night, in charge of Sheriff w. D.
Sappington of Clark county who went
to Pendleton to bring the woman back.
She had with her her baby, a little
boy just over year old This is
the child that is alleged to have been
an 'incubator baby" obtained by
Mrs. Johnson to enable her to make
a stronger appeal to juries in her ac-
tions for damages against the Seattle
Electric company and the Northern
Pacific. She denies that the baby is
a founding, and says she has proofs
that it is her own offspring.
At the East Side depot Mrs, john
son was Joined by her husband, whom
she greeted affectionately. He ac-
companied her to Vancouver, parting
with her only when she was placed
in Jail. The two discussed their case
freely. and Johnson Joined in denying
the charges against his wife. While
husband and wife were conversing,
Sheriff Sappington spoke of his trip
down from Pendleton.
Mrs. Johnson has been an ideal
prisoner" he said, land gave me no
trouble at all In fact she was more
anxious to get to Vancouver than l
was They are having fine sleighing
in Pendleton. but even this did not
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