The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-09-14
DEATH OF MRS. JACK JOHNSON
Wife of Pubilist Despondent Over
Loneliness


Chicago, Sept. 13.-Mrs. Jack John
son, wife of the worlds champion
heavyweight pugilist who shot her
self through the head Wednesday
night, died early yesterday. She did
not regain consciousness. Facts that
came out after Mrs. Johnson had shot
herself showed that she had decided
to commit suicide as soon as her hus-
band left the house to go downtown.
She called Mrs. Veanie Rhodes, the
pus:!ist's sister, on the telephone and
asked her to come to her at once, as
Sir lad something important to tell
her. Mrs. Rhodes said she would
ard prepared to start.
Then Mrs. Johnson called her two
coloIod maids into her bedroom and
told hem she wanted them to join
her in prayer. With an arm about
each of them Mrs Johnson kne.t at
the todside, and the three prayed to-
getho- for several minutes. AS they
arcGo Mrs job son pressing her
ham. to her fec, 5aiG God pity
poor woman who is lonely She
sent each of the maids into other
rooms en- errands, and before either
had time to return shot was fired
and when they came back they found
her lying on the floor fatally wound
ed. She was taken to hospital
where she died
On the recent trip to Las Vegas,
where johnson fought Jim Flynn,
Mrs. Johnson is said to have remark
ed to friends that everyone Stunned
her because she had married a negro
and that she was unhappy. Mrs.
johnson was 81 years old and the
daughter OF Mrs. David Terry OF
Brooklyn, n. Y When she married
Johnson she was the divorced wife Of
Clarence Duryea, well-known New
York turfman.
Mrs. Johnsons act was attributed
by. her husband to a nervous attack
one,of a series from which she had
suffered for two years. Mrs. John
son is also said to have shown sym
toms of tuberculosis. She was to
have left for Las Vegas. y. NJ, We'd
nesday night but decided TO abandon
the trip Mrs. Johnson did not re-
gain consciousness after the shoot
ing. Her husband and seven other
persons, mainly relatives of the negro
nugilist, We're at her bedside when
she died a Roman Catholic priest
administered extreme JUNCTION.
Mrs. Johnson died after wreckng
her health in caring for her husband
who was victim of nervous prostras
ton and had been afflicted with sui
cidal mania a year on account OF in
juries and exertion during his fight
with Jeffries, according to the testi-
mony of her husband at the inquest
Yesterday. Johnson said that the ma
ture and extent OF his sufferings af-
tsr the championship fight had been
kept secret by hi wife ard himself.
Il am still suffelug from the effects
OF that fight to some extent he said.
Johnson gave his testimony in tears
He declared that his wife's efforts
to keep him from committing suicide
were what broken down her own
health.
He said: Il believe that incurred
brain fever or some similar derange-
ment from the c1ertions of the JEFF
fries fight and the heat that prevailed
at the time was nor myself for a
year. but the secret was closely kept
between me and Mrs Johnson. She
saved me twice when tried 10 choke
myself to death She seized me and
struggled with me and prevented the
act. She had an awful time taking
care of me for over year ] am on
~ telling this now in justice to my
wife. IL never has been told before
Testifying as TO his wife's suicidal
mania johnson said: During the last
two years she often told me she was
tired OF living. She tried twice be
fore to kill herself Once she at
tempted to Jump out of a window in
London hotel, and before that she
tried to take her life by leaping from
a train out West. ! did everything /
could TO make her happy and spent
money on her layishly, but most OF
the time she seemed Respondent. Her
father died four months ago and
since then she seemed more nervous
and Respondent than before.
Il employed two maids to watch
her after she attempted to end her
life the first time and one Of them
was. constantly with her Yesterday
morning she seemed in especially
good spirits and ! had NO idea that
she would kill herself The stories
that there was much domestic trouble
between my wife and my mother and
sister are untrue They both were
very fond OF her