The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1914-01-07
Befell Prominent Citizen
Of County.
Seems he WAS ASSAss|NATED
Terrible Fate Met Ed John.
son After a Few Days
Hunting Trip.
JOSH GROVE Is UNDER ARREST

Not in recent years has Hartford
and this section of Ohio county been
so stirred by tragedy as that which
came up over the disappearance and
murder of Mr.. Ed Johnson which
occurred within the last few days
beginning the first day of the year
Mr. Johnson was a well known
and highly respected farmer who
lived with his family consisting of a
wife and several children, about
miles overland below Hartford. The
family residence Is about half a
mile from Rough river on the north
side.
On Monday of last week Mr..
Johnson started out hunting across
Rough river and Wednesday night
found him at the residence of Mr.. l..
e. Charlet, about three miles from
his home, where he stayed all night.
Next morning Thursday he start
ed out for home, carrying over his
shoulder a little toy doll wagon and
having some apples, &C., consisting
of New Years presents from Mrs.
Charlet for his children. He also
had his hunting dog.
About IL o'clock Johnson arrived
at the residence of Mr.. Arthur
Nance, near Rough river, and asked
Nance ii he could use his (Nance's)
boat to cross the river In order to
get home. Mr.. Josh Grove, who
had been living on q house boat near
by. was at the residence of Nance, a
nephew of his, at the time. Nance
agreed to let Johnson have his boat
and the two started out the door to-
wards the river. Grove started to
follow, but Nance told him to sit
still---he would soon return. john
SON went on towards the river, about
\ $50 yards away, and Nance returned
to his house. He and Grove talked
a few minutes and the latter soon
left, taking the same route, Nance
says, that Johnson had taken.
This was the last seen of Johnson
alive and the last seen Of Grove for
some time. Nance says that within a
few minutes he heard JohnsOn's dog
howl and saw 1t across the river. AZ
ter awhile Nance started out and
followed the route of the men. He
found his boat tied at Knott's Ferry,
about 100 yards from where he usu-
ally kept it, Afterwards Grove
came back to Nance's house and he
and Nance went to Kelly's Camp on
Rough river.
On Friday the wife and neighbors
of Johnson, learning that he had left
the residence of Mr.. Charlet the day
before and had not yet arrived at
home, became alarmed and started
an inquiry. 1t seemed that nobody
had seen Johnson since he left the
residence of Nance. He was traced
to the river and Saturday the real
search began. Much inquiry was
made and the river was dragged,
but Johnson could not be found.
The search and dragging contin-
ued, however, and at about 8 o'clock
Monday morning these efforts were
rewarded by drag-hooks catching
the body OF Johnson at the bottom
of the river and bringing 1t to the
surface. In the meantime. however,
|adspicion had pointed to Josh Grove
y knowing something about the
NJ sappearance of johnson. This
Rllspicion was accentuated from the
Net that during the first part of
hay, 1911. Grove and Johnson had
u fierce fight over fish net, In
which Grove was badly cut by john
son and 1t was said that the injured
man had declared that he would
some day get revenge. Johnson
claimed self-defense and was later
acquitted In Squire Jackson's court
at Centertown. Acting upon this
suspicion, writ was sworn out be-
fore Squire Jackson by Arthur
johnson. a brother of ED Johnson.
and ON Sunday afternoon Sheriff T.
II. Black and newly-elected Sheriff
Sam Keown went In buggy down
to Groves boat ON Rough river. ar
rested him and brought him to Hart
foro where he was lodged In jail, |
As soon as Johnson's body was
found word was sent to Hartford