Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1915-04-12
RALPH Johnson 5
BODY IS FOUND
Remains Of Unfortunate
Youth Discovered Close
< TO Bridge
MISSING SINCE DEC. "A
Generally Believed Young Johnson
Walked Overheard While on H:e
Way Home Late at Night.
EvNE

u ~'s
The body Of Ralph Johnson, the
nineteen year old youth, who disar'
peared from Alexandria on the nig!s
Of December 24th, and for whom a
wide search has been made by his
parents and the authorities, vas
fcund in Hunting Creek, near the
Hunting Greek bridge, at lid
o'clock this morning.
The body was badly decomposed and
evidently been in the water er
since Christmas eve. The bouy Was
dressed in the clothes that the young
man wore wher he left home with
the addition of a yellow raincoat and
rubber boots which he had purchased
in Alexandria on the day of his dis
appearance.
There was an ugly cut on the fo'a~
head, three inches in length, but thls
seemed to be a fresh cut and had
evidently been made by the pody
coming in contact with the Hunting
Greek Bridge or piece of floating
debris. Considering the fact that
The body had very probably been nn'
der the ice for the past three months
end had been washed to and fro by
,he tide that there are not greater
and larger cuts or more serious
8 rs;ses on me body is regarded d"
remarkable.
The discovery of the remains "t
-,onnp Johnson vas made by negro
how who was crossing the bridge or
his way to Alexandria. He notlhed
some passersby and they in turn lnlor-
med the police authorities. Sergeant
srott jumped into an automobile ana
quickly made his way to the brio&e :.
4 number of residents Of that part o.
town had gathered in the meanwhile
and the body had been tied to one
ef the piers of the bridge waiting
tho arrival of'th'e authorities. The
remains were fully identified.
Sergeant Scott notified City :oFo
nor T. Marshall Jones, who ordered
the body removed to Wheatleys un-
dertaking establishment from when
Mace he will conduct an inquest, Inc
hoay reached the undertaking es'
tsblishment shortly before one
o'clock.
s,Young :Johnson was found on the
west side of the bridge, a few feet
from the center span, : at almost the
exact spot where ne was supposed to
have fallen in the creek when he was
first missed.> The bed of; the creeE
had been thoroughly examined at TINS
noint, and it:seems almost impossible
that the body has been there for az
the months that have elapsed since he
went overheard.
The last time Johnson was seer
alive. was on the night of December
24th. On the morning of that day he
had gone to his employer, Carol
Woolf. who operated a dairy in Far
fax county. two miles. south of Alex
andria. and had :drawn the none!
that was due him. in order to come u
Alexandria and make some purchases
He lived with his parents near IN
Woolf farm. He bought numoe
of articles in Alexandria and late II
the night started to walk to his nom
across the creek. Among the thlng
that he purchased was box OF cana
for his mother.
Young Johnson was said to be
very steady boy. but during his da,
in Alexandria he had taken nu,nbe
of drinks, and when he left store i
the southwestern" portion of the cit
shortly after l.s6'clock he was sal
to have been under the influence O
liquor
When he failed to show up at h
home on the following morning h
father came to Alexandria to scare
for him. He traced his movemen
up to the time he left the store a
then followed his footsteps doS
south PatricA street extended to I
bridge.