Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-08-06
MURDER MOTIVE
CONCE|VED|NA
DEMENTED MIND
johnson's jealousy the Product
OF Typhoid Fever and Pro-
tracted Drinking.
WIFE WHOM HE KILLED
WAS COLLEGE GRADUATE
Met Him while a Nurse in a
Hospital, Diary of Her
Life Shows.
WIFE WHOM HE KILLED
WAS COLLEGE GRADUATE
sI,ecial to the Evening Star.

sFecial to the Evening Star.
MADISON, Aug. ct was not
necessary for an inquest to be held
Yesterday afternoon over the bodies
OF George W. Johnson and his wife,
Monice, who was shot by her hus-
oand, who afterwards shot himself in
the right temple and died an hour
later.
coroner Lawrence Welsh, of Norris
town, who had charge of the case,
pronounced 1t plain case of pre-
meditated murder, because of un-
founded jealousy, and suicide as a re-
suit of reaction.
It has so far been impossible for
the authorities here to get in touch
with relatives of either johnson or
his wife. A search conducted by
Coroner Welsh about noon yesterday
yielded number of letters and postal
cards sent from different parts Of
the country But they We're mostly
signed with first names, and gave no
definite addresses. Captain Fred r.
Johnson, of the local police force, last
night dispatched telegram to A. M.
Taber, of PEBBLES, o., who Edwin,
the fiye-year-old orphan, says is his
uncle. Mrs Johnson's mother is
known to reside in Roanoke, Va,
where the young wife was about to
go when she was interrupted by the
cal of death. But the author les
wish if possible, to break the news
to- her indirectly, through her son,
who is in that vicinity. There are
supposed to be relatives of the man
and wife in Bluefield, Va A message
has been sent to the authorities OF
that place.
Johnson. who was forty-five years
old,-appears to have come from the
--asfindle Wes., having relatives in diff
ferent parts of Ohio and receiv-
ing numerous communications from
people further west. Mrs. Johnson,
ofscourse, comes from Roanoke, Va,
where she lived previous to meeting
johnson.
Reyolver's Source Mystery.
The police are still at a loss to learn
where johnson secured the revolver
with which he did the shooting. If it
was his own property his wife did
not know of it's existence, and al
though it is apparently a new gun it
is impossible to buy revolver OF
that character anywhere in this sec
tion. The revolver with which John-
son previously Threatened his@swife
was taken to the homeFof Mrs Sadie
Draper. who lives directly opposite
and Mrs. johnson believed herself
secure, as she did not think that he
could get another weapon
After asking Mrs. Draper if she
would help his wife pack to go home
to Virginia Johnson left his home
apparently TO see the timekeeper for
Hyde, MacE'arlin & Burke, the firm
for which he was working on the
Iackawanna railroad on the cut be-
tween Madison and Chatham He
has been out of work recently, as the
town would not let the contractors
cross Sampson avenue with their
temporary tracks. He had only been
gone short time when he returned,
made a commonplace remark to his
wife and as she turned shot her. He
used three shots on her, all of which
took effect, and then shot himself
Mrs Draper, after seeing her friend
meet her death, ran from the house
and telephoned for the police. When
Officer S. Fred Burnett arrived he
found the pistol cooked in the mans
hand. He took it outside and
snapped the trigger, firing the shot.
liaby Clasped in Dead Mothers Arms.
When Mr.. Burnett arrived two
year old George was still clinging in
his mothers arms where he had been
al during the shooting. He seemed
to think she was asleep and was try
ing to awake her. When the officer
started to take the child away the
little one still chung on and began
crying. Both children are now being
taken care of by Mrs. Draper, pend
fY.er he orr.ixr Of o1uf
Johnson's fits of jealousy came over
boarders, which he secured himself
against the wishes of his wife, and
then became jealous of until all had
left He was a chronic drinker, but
apparently had not taken a drink
yesterday morning.
DIR. b. III. Seward, who was the
physician in attendance stated that
the man had been demented for the
past six weeks, but that he seemed
rational yesterday morning, when
the doctor called with Officer John
Welsh, who was called on account of
the disturbance the night before 1t
is thought that Johnson's anger was
made more acute by the calling of
the police into his house. He said to
his wife; you have disgraced me-"
Diary Told Her Life story.
Among the effects of Mrs johnson
was found a diary of her life since
she was four years old. at which
time she lost her father She was a
college graduate, and afterward be-
came a trained nurse in a Roanoke,
Va, hospital. II was here that she
met her husband, who came there
with an attack of typhoid fever In
her diary she tells of her liking for
him. They We're married in 1907, and
the first child Edwin, was born in
Roanoke There is no record of
where George, the youngest. was
born. They We're in Scranton, Pa,
not long before coming to Madison
last October.
1t is thought that Johnson's attack
of typhoid is the cause of his peri
odical arrangements ever since.
Mrs. johnson was only twenty-six