Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-04-18
FOURTEEN YEAR OLD MISS
CHARGES MOTHER WITH be.
ING MURDERER.
TRAVELLING COMPANION
KILLED WHILE he. SLEPT
Woman Charged With Stunning Body
and suryins Bones in Forest in
Southeastern Iowa-Girl Tells start.
ling Story to Sheriff Of Monroe
county-May Be investigates.


ern Iowa, south of Abba, along the line
of the Milwaukee, the charred bones
Of man lie in the forest mold along
side the railroad tracks, according to
the story of 14-year- Marie john
son, as told to Sheriff Griffin, Of Mon
roe county.
The girl declares her mother MUIR
dered the man by stabbng him as he
slept alongside the campfire, which had
been built to keep off the chill evening
air. -
AS she watched, the girl declares, she
saw her mother creep to the mans side,
plunge a knife into his breast. When
he became quite still, she declares, her
mother searched the pockets of his
clothing, and took out some money.
The girl says her mother scoOped a
shallow pit in the ground near the
fire, covered the body with leaves, and
partially burned It, They slept there
for the rest Of the night, according to
her story.
Like Arabian Nights Tale.
Sheriff Griffin has listened to the
story, as wild as any Arabian Nights
tale. and he has started searching
parties to look for the charred remains
from practically every station along the
line of the Milwaukee south of Abba
to Kansas City.
The girl Gays she can not fix the
place of the alleged tragedy. except that
1t was between two big railroad
bridges. She declares, however, that
she could fnd the place by retracing
the trip, in company with the sheriff
and arrangements to take her back
over the line by which she and her
mother arrived in Abba about three
weeks ago, may be made by the sheriff.
The woman, whose name the daugh-
ter says is Annie Johnson, remained In
Abba for some time after her arrival
here. She left more than a week ago,
however, and she did not take her
daughter with her. The girl has been
staying with colored family at Hook
ing, near here.
Her Remarkable Story.
For several days she has been shock
ing residents Of Hooking with the story
of her mothers alleged actions, and
yesterday the matter was reported to
the sheriff He questioned the girl.
This is her almost unbelievable story:
During the second week in August
last year Annie johnson and her
daughter left Girard, Kan, to walk to
Buxton, Iowa
They reached Kansas City after many
days of hiking, and after remaining
there for little time, started on their
way to the Iowa destination, following
the line of the Milwaukee.
They lived almost entirely in the
open air, walking thru the day, and
sleeping at night by campfires. Stops
Of several days sometimes were made
in towns, but there seldom was little to
eat except what could be begged along
the way.
The girl believes they but recently
had crossed the Iowa line. They were
walking along the railroad tracks as
the shadows of evening were lengthen-
ing about month ago, when man,
who was also walking up the track,
caught up with them from behind.
The three walked along together I'M
til it became quite dark. when they
went into woods alongside the track
and prepared to camp for the night.
Stabbed in Sleep.
The man was fast asleep. according
to the girls story. Her mother, she
says, waited only long enough to be-
come assured he really was sleeping
before welding her knife.
In the morning the two walked to the
nearest station and bought tickets to
Abba.
Nothing can be learned Of the wo-
mans past, or of her reason for de-
string to reach Buxton. Why she should
have left Girard in such circumstances
as to force her to walk out of town also
remains to be learned.