The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-10-05
DEATH CHEATS THE
LAW Of ITS PREY
AGED coUNTERFErrER SUMMONED
BEFORE HIGHER COURT FROM
DISTRICT DOCKET.
A PATHETIC FIGUR
SPENT MANY YEARS IN FEDERAL
PRISON AND WANTED TO GO
BACK BECAUSE HE HAD
NO OTHER HOME.
A PATHETIC FIGUR

John Allen Johnson, noted South
ern counterfeiter. will not return TO
the Atlanta Federal prison. where he
has spent many years of his life.
Death--sudden and relentless
ped in yesterday and cheated the law
of its prey. and Old Man Johnson last
night was ushered before the final
bar of judgment just forty-eight
hours ahead OF the time he was
scheduled to appear before United
States Judge Waddiu to answer the
charge OF passing a counterfeit dol
lar. to which he had confessed.
johnson, who has been confined in
Henrtco county Jail since his arrest
a month ago. and stricken yesterday
afternoon at 2 o'clock while standing
in his cell talking to a guard He
was Immediately removed to the Jail
hospital and given medical attention,
but he never regained consciousness,
and died quietly at $3.50 O'Clock.
Was Alone In World.
SO far as can be learned the old
man has no immediate relatives liv-
ing and unless some one in North
Carolina claims the body 1t will prob
ably be buried in the potters' field.
Notwithstanding, Johnson's Grim
inal record, his declinig years. and
his end make a pathetic story. He Is
said to have been distantly debated
to the infamous Allen clan OF Hills
Vile courthouse fame and has been
repeatedly convicted Of counterfeit
ing. He hailed from Wake county,
n. c., where at one time he Is said
to have been a prosperous farmer.
until the lust for wealth got the bet
ter Of him, and he started the man
ufacture OF spurious coin of the
realm. Repeatedly he was detected.
convicted and sent to prison. only to
return TO his nefarious profession.
About a month ago he was arrested
at Seventh and Franklin streets
while attempting to pass o counter
felt dollar. He had never operated
in Richmond before and this fact to-
gathcr with his age and. gaileless ap-s
pearance predisposed the loeai au-4
thorities inAhis favor.
Fate Against Him.
But the fates were against the old
man. United States Secret Service
Agent Thomas. stationed at Charlotte.
saw the item concerning the arrest
of Johnson In a Richmond paper and
Immediately hied himself to Rich
mond. He identified Johnson and
the old man broke down and confess
ed Mr.. Thomas stated while in
Richmond that the case was one
which strongly appealed to his SYM
pathy---it was pathetic. Old and in
firm, homeless, with neither. family
nor friends, he firmly believed. he
said. that the old man pulled off the
counterfeiting stunt In Richmond for
the sole purpose to getting sentence
to the Atlanta prison in order that
he would have a roof over his head
when death overlook him. Detective
Thomas statement was borne out
in part by the fact that the dollar
which old man Johnson attempted to
put over would not have deceived the
veriest yokel.
And the old man did have roof
over his head when he cashed In
not counterfeit this time, but genuine
the only difference being that II
was the roof OF Henrico jail instead
Of the federal prison at Atlana.