Omaha daily bee., 1913-12-12
TAKES POISON AS WAITS JURY
Mrs. Maggie Johnson Swallows Car
bolic Acid at wahoo.
JURORS REACH AM AaREEMENT
Verdict Tn Murder Case Delayed by
Attempted suicide of Defend
ant After Nine Hours
watt

wAHoo, Neb.. Dec. 1i.-(speoisl Tele-
gram. )-Strain OF waiting for the verdict
OF the jury celebrating In her case,
wherein she was charged with murder
ing her husband. John Johnson. was too
great for Mrs. Maggie Johnson tonight
and she swallowed carbolic acid The
news had just reached her that the jury
had arrived at an agreement after being
out nine hours.
The woman was in the basement Of
the court house at the time, having been
allowed a little freedom by the sheriff
and the consolation Of her family, while
the jury was celebrating. How she Sc
cured the poison is not known, but at
s o'clock she was found suffering from
its effects and a physician was sum
moned.
Under the criminal law the verdict in
criminal case must be made In the
presence Of the defendant and the jury
will not report until Mrs Johnson re-
covers sufficiently 20 be borne into the
court room on a Ftretcher or until some
other termination Of the case is reached.
Tell of Fathers Murder.
Susie and Sibbie Johnson, witnesses In
the trial Of their mother for the murder
of their father testified for the prosecu-
ton yesterday. They told Of the fight
ending In the death Of Dutch" John
johnson and OF the subsequent dismem-
bermsnt OF the mans body by their
mother. They told of the quarrel that
led UP to the killing Of their father, say
ing that 1t was started by Mr.. johnson
and that II was concerning money.
Susie, aged ls, told OF her fathers at
tack upon her mother with a butcher
knife. and that Mrs. johnson in self-de-
fense struck him with club, which
floored him. Susie went up then and
took the knife from her father.
Her father then said: "Tn get you yet
and the whole outfit" whereupon Mrs
johnson delivered another blow with the
club, which caused his death. striking
him over the left eye and temple. She
then took the body down the ladder into
the cellar, where the following night Sib-
bic, aged IL, held the lantern while her
mother chopped his legs off with an az.
Later they drove up the Narrows. south
of Ashland, where Mrs johnson dumped
the body into Salt Creek.
Sheriff Daley testified that Mrs. John
son had told him in the presence Of
County Attorney Berggren that she had
chopped his legs off because johnson had
treated her so mean" also that Mrs.
Johnson said she had found $50 In the
barn after johnson had been killed She
found no money on his, person.
pr. Way. who is. physician on the
Board of Insanity Commissioners. testi-
fled that he had examined Mrs. Johnson
and he considered her below normal mem
tally; that her mind was that OF 16-
year.oid child. although he thought her
able to distinguish right n ON wrong.
Tho defense put on hat three witnesses
John Craft. the marshal OF Ashland
Louise johnson. the oldest daughter OF
the defendant. and Or. A. s. Won Mans
felde. The doctor testified that the de-
fendant worked for him before she was
married, when she was Is years old, and
that he had always considered her far
below person with a normal mind. HIS
testimony was very similar TO that OF
DR.. Way.
The defense rested and after a short
recess County Attorney Berggren opened
the argument for the state. Senator
Placek followed for tho defense.