Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-07-22
FRIENDS RALLY TO AID
.FLAGLER CLAIMANT
She Occupied Old Russian Embassy
During Her Residence in
Washington.
Left a Husband, Who Gives His
Name as John Henry John
son, Here.

| Washington friends of a woman, held
in New York by the police. who says
she is the third wife and only lawful
widow of Henry NJ. Flagler, and who
| for the more than two years that she
| lived in Washington posed as a fifty
million dollar heiress and lived in the
! former Russian amba ssy. 1925 NJ street
northwest. are raliying to her support
today and are making arrangements to
I assist her attorneys in establishing her
identity.
( The woman who claims to be Mrs
! ''lasler. and who is neld in New York
I "a $4,000 bail on the charge of obtain
/ ing money under false pretenses, left
many unpaid bills and a husband
John Henry Johnson-in Washington
when she suddenly left the city, it is
declared.
Mr.. johnson, who is seventy years
oid' claims that he married Mrs. Flag
Ter IN the west. and still has conf
dence that she is the rightful heir to
the Flagler millions, which she at va
flous times represented to friends here
as running from $50,00O.OO0 to SIS, 0OO,-
| ooo. Since her hurried departure he has
slept in the loft of a stable in the rear
; of their former home on M street and
eaten the bread of charity at the kitch-
en- table of their former landlady with
the colored maid who previously had
served in their own home. He is now
iFlns at l1l4 18th street with friends
who formerly roomed with Mrs Flag
Ter at the NJ street house
An "odd Job" Man.
! Neighbors say that Johnson is an
odd job man, making himself gem
orally useful. running errands. or most
I ny n i'm hat he In o
and Mrs. Johnson, or Mrs Fla gler, have
talked great deal to acquaintance
here about how big fortune they were
! to get from the Flagler estate
! Johnson lived last summer and part
/ of the winter in the loft of the sta BILE
; in the rear of 1922 NJ street; where lives
| Mrs. Celestina A. Smith. who owned
premises 1925 NJ street. Mrs. Smith
| allowed johnson to eat in the Kitchen
with her colored cook. She feared last
| winter that johnson would freeze to
| death, and permitted him for time to
sleep on a cot in the attic of her home.
| When warm weather came he went
| back to the stable.
| Mrs. johnson was known by several
names here, including Mrs. Fora Emma
| F'lagler. Mrs. Fora ZouC.1rs and Mrs
Fora FlagIer. She was known a the
Commercial National Rank as Mrs.
| Fora Flagler. She started account
| there with 81. and occasionally drew
/ checks against it for LOCO or $1,000,
which were not honored by the bank.
/ Mr.. and Mrs. Johnson appeared in
Washington before the Inauguration of
! President Wilson and rented the house
| of Mrs. Smith at $125 month.
| She took the house in January, 1913,
and left it August g, 1914 The house
| was closed September "a.
/ Present occupants Of the house say
that mail frequently has come there
| addressed to Mrs. F'lagler. 1t has been
| returned with the statement that her
whereabouts were not known.
Married in 1909, She Says.
! The woman maintains she was mar
ried to Flagler in Washington at the
| home of friends of his June IA. 1909 by
/ Rev. DR.. Brown" After a year and
two months. she says, she left Mr..
Flagler because of his infatuation for
another woman, but did not divorce
, him. She says he gave her s250,000 in
cash and s25OO00 in the stock of his
FIoriday East Coast railway. He also
signed an agreement, she says, by
I which she was to receive $4,000, 900
two years after his death. providing
! she maintained a residence in his state.
She signed the agreement, she declares,
in lieu of her dover rights