The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-04-15
TOOK own LIFE
AT GRAND FORKS

Grand Forks, N. D, April 15.-John S.
Johnson, about 40 years OF age, oWnor
and proprietor OF the Mountain Meat
market at Mountain, was found dead at
7:15 last evening in his room at the
Columbia hotel. DR.. w. H. W1ther~
slime, who was appointed coroner at the
last meeting Of the board OF County
commissioners. was Immediately noti-
and examined the body. From the state
Of the remains he decided that John
son had been dead for from IL to IL
hours and noticed an odor Of carboltc
acid from his mouth and from a cuSDl-
dor in the room.
Mixed Beer and Acid.
A two-ounce bottle Of carbolic acid.
with about one ounce poured into a
bottle Of beer, most of which had been
drunk, were found in the room. john
son had retired at a late hour Monday
night and a not been seen after be-
ing shown to his room by Stewart
Berg, q. bell boy, who stated that john
son appeared to be in the best OF sptr-
it's and who thought he was not under
the influence OF liquor.
Purchased Poison I'm west.
The bottle of carbolic acid had not
been bought in this city, but had been
brought to the hotel by Johnson, so
that It Is believed that the act was pre-
meditated. Coroner Witherstine de-
cided that the case was so clearly one
VI IlldI i L " "NAN AhSN ~ AiS>NN
sary to call a jury to hold a further in
quest and the remains were taken to the
Ashley undertaking parlors.
Bills and correspondence with pack
ing houses and liquor stores were
found In his pockets. Deceased was
well dressed and evidently we'll fixed.
He had $17.05 on his person aAd a grip
Of clothes.
Several phone calls had come to He
hotel during the day for Johnson, but
efforts to get an answer from his room
failed. One party went to the room to
see him., but told the clerk that the
door vas locked and that he supposed
that he (Johnson) was IL
Door Locked on Inside.
The door was locked from the inside
and at about Z o'clock one of the clerks
went to the door and showed young
Berg, the bell boy, over the transom.
He unlocked the door from the inside
and an investigation revealed the dead
only partially undressed and still ha6
his underclothes, socks, shirt and col
lar on.
From correspondence in the hands of
the coroner. it was shown that he had
considerable business in Mountain,
Edinburg, Crystal and other places in
the north central part Of the state,
No Motive Known
No motive could be ascertained for
the act of self destruction, as accord
ing TO local parties VINO nave formerly
resided in Mountain. he was a man of
good habits, had a wife and eight
children n a prosperous business.
Residents of Edinburg and Mountain,
who were notified of the death last
evening, could hardly believe it and de-
clared that they knew Of no reason for
the act. It is reported that he was not
a drinking man but from the bills In
his pocket, it was shown that he had
received several shipments OF liquor
during the mast few weekS.
The hotel clerk stated that Johnson
had registered at the hotel at about
10 o'clock Monday night, but had not
retired for some time. In a grip found
at the hotel were W bottles Of beer
and some clothes.
Johnson left Mountain on Monday.
arriving in this city at about $3.50
o'clock. Enroute he travelled with J.
S. Bjornson. field deputy superintendent
Of schools OF this county, who former
ly lived at Mountain. Mr.. Bjornson
stated that Johnson was apparently in
the best of spirits and health and that
he had never found him ~jollier.
A Pioneer Resident.
Johnson has always lived in this
state. most of the time at Mountain
and Edinburg. He was n of the Ice
landic colony which settled about that
part Of the state in the pioneer days OF
North Dakota. He had been In the
meat business at Mountain since 1908,
| where he had been employed for ever
al years in a meat market.
It was impossible to get into tele-
phone communication with his relatives
in Mountain and no arrangements for
the funeral could be made. He was a
member, according to local residents,
of the Lutheran church of Mountain, of
which Rev. X. K. Olafson is pastor, and
1t Is probable that the services will be
held at Mountain the end of the week.