The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1913-03-11
FAMILY PAID
FOR MACHINE
James T. Horton Gave John
sons Several Lessons in
High Finance
HAS LEFT TOWN
AND CAR IS ATTACHED

Said to Have Married Victoria John
son, but Search of North Adams Rec
ords Today Fails to Reveal Confir-
matory Record.
James F.. Horton, who came to Brat
tleboro last fall from Connecticut,
married in North Adams Miss Victoria
johnson, daughter of Eugene johnson
of Spruce street, according to state
ments of relatives, and has since been
engaged at times in exploiting the |
merits of a Michigan automobile of |
which he had the agency for Brattle /
boro and vicinity by virtue of having |
purchased the first machine with mon |
| ey furnished by his wife 5 relatives, |
/ has taken high rank with local tnan- |
ciers and departed from these parts. |
He said he was coming back to get !
CHS machine back with money fur |
nished by his father, who, he said, is
a wealthy retired railroad engineer
with a residence in Derby, Conn.
Horton, it appears, met Miss John
son in Hartford, Conn, where he
claimed to heve been employed in an
automobile factory and where Miss
johnson was employed at the time.
They came to Brattleboro and last fall
went to North Adams, Mass, and were
married. according to the certificate
said to be in possession of II. G.. & +. f.
Barber, attorneys for Eugene johnson,
Horizons father-in-law.
Horton 5 high financing began after
his return as a member of the johnson
family. He decided that he would be-
come an automobile agent for this To-
calitv and selected the Michigan car
as one he desired to demonstrate
Carefully he prepared the way with
well-told tales of his father s wealth,
according to Mr.. Johnson, and the
readiness with which his father would
come to his financial aid to start him
= in business. He took his various rela-
tives into his confidence, unknown to
each other, and arranged with his IA
ther-in-law to 20 with him to Boston
, last Christmas day and buy the car.
, On the morning they were to leave
. Horton exhibited letter to the mem
; bers of the family saying, in effect,
. that his father had contributed $500
towards the agency, as he had said his
fond parent would do, and later he and
!, Mr.. johnson left for Boston where the
. combined resources of the Johnson
family bought the desired car. Not a
= single member of the family at that
: time suspected that they were indi-
vidualIy or collectively aiding in the
l. game of modern high financing.
= Not long since, it somehow leaked
II out that Mrs. Eugene Johnson had
I contributed to the purchase price of
the ear. Suspicious began to grow in
T the minds of Horton : mother-in-law,
/. father-in-law and brother-inlaw and
}, they investigated.
:, Horton had said that he had prac-
-. r,fI -I,a 4
last week he went up there with the
q machine to close the deal. Meantime
I Mr.. Johnson decided to take some
steps to protect himself and consulted
Attorney Barber. As a result an officer
u went up as far as the BrattleborC
. Retreat. armed with attachment paper,
: and proper authority and awaited the
= return of Mr., Horton from his Towns
II bend trip.
Z: This was considered advisable as ht
II had told his wife, before his depart
II ure for Townshend, to be dressed ro1
a. a ride upon his return and had ever
10 specified the clothing in which he de
% sired she should be arrayed. He HAD
rs said that they would take a ride afte
r his return. Mr.. johnson was not sur,
n where the ride would end and he con
er sidered that an attachment of the ca
might serve to give him and othe
members of his family some securit,
for money they had advanced to star
an automobile agency.
Mr.. Horton eventually gave a bin o
- sale for the car to Mr.. johnson an,
~ the new Michigan car now reposes i
~ the Johnson barn, the property of Nh
he Johnson. Horton left Friday for Cor
81 necticut, saying that he was going t
NO see his father, get funds to settle u
- his indebtedness and come back t
- take over the car and agency one
:, more. Nothing has been heard of hiI
~, since his departure and, for some res
ld son, Mr.. Johnson does not expect I
OF see him again unless it should prov
as that there are other grounds for NOV
~ ing against him. as he claimed that 4
had been divorced from woman h
had married before he met Miss JOIN
son, according to the latter's fathe
He said, among other things, that
= was a graduate of Harvard universit
The records in North Adams GOVERN
period of four years were searched f
~ The Reformer today, but the search TAIL
on to show any record to confirm the repol
III ed marriage of Mr.. Horton and Miss job
idSt