Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-12-24
JOHNSON BROUGHT
HERE FOR TRIAL
Dentist Denies Any knowledge
of How Wife Came to
Her Death.
LETTERS TO FIANCEE FOUND
Name Plate From Wife's Coffin
Also Located in Room
at Wilson.
LETTERS TO FIANCEE FOUND

Dctective Sergeant willy TO answer the
charge OF killing his nineteen-year-o old
brido by poison one wcel. ago last Sat
urday night. The young doctor was
pale and worn. Much worry and tho
effects of the aconite which hc took
at Wilson, where he was apprehcnded,
have broken his health. and he was
placed in the hospital at tho City Jail.
Sergeant Willy will this mornin. ask
for a continuance OF ten days in the
preliminary hearing Of the case in or
der to give the prisoner 4 much needed
rest. In the meantime Scrgcants Willy
and Gordon Smith, who have conducted
the case. will continue their invcsti:a-
tion.
AS the prisoner sat in Police Head
quarters last night after his arrival
he wore pale and haEgard look.
Lighting cigarette after cigarette. lie
ncrvously denied with all the power he
could call to his faltcring command
that lie knew how his wife died. or
that he had ever had any cyanide OF
potassium In his possession. The ac-
cuscd doctor. who Is a mere bog, just
out OF school, presented pititul sight
as he told how lie had known tho
friendship of Miss Ollie White. of Mid
dlcsex. and added that his wife here
knew OF that friendship. The conver-
sation. OF course. brought out the fact
that tho Middlcscx girl did not know
Of the marriage OF the man TO whom
she had engaged herself He stated
that he had given the engagement ring
TO the young woman two years ago
LETTERS TO GIRL TO WHOM
HE WAS ENGAGED
In the room OF the doctor where he
attempted TO take his life there was
found a lette. to Miss White. in which
he profcsscd his love for her.
IL will not be with you any more
nc said but want YOU 10 know that
YOU arc the last one on II" mind" This
letter and others. Sergeant willy
brought back TO Richmond. lie also
took from tho room o. the doctor the
name plate. which. !, Is said the ac-
cuscd dentist surrcp.itiousiy took from
his wi!c's coffin. and also a card which
MAS attached to flowers he had sent
10 her grave. Cpon this card were the
words. My Wife" This, with the
name plate. had been placed in a box
directed to his mother at Middlesex
and strict orders were written on the
containcr that the contents were ey-
son. and no one else.
The condition and acts OF the young
doctor are such as indicate that he
was overcome b. his troubles and his
mind unbalanced. Other letters found
in hts room denote this. To DR.. Lewis.
OF Middlescx. hc wrote: When this is
over ! want YOU 10 take charge of my
:.TaIrs and protcc; my name. have
believed. Will constitute one OF the
strongest links in tho chain of c:rcum-
stautial evidence against tho doctor.
MISS JORDAN SAYS WIFE TOLD
HER HUSBAND PtESCUIBED
Up to this time there has been no
direct evidence uncovered which will
connect the poison from which the
coroner determined Mrs. Johnson died
with tho doctor. \ statement, how
cvcr made, yesterday by Miss Mary
Jordan. an intimate friend Of tho dead
wife. denoted that Or. johnson gave
10 his wife the capsules which she
took. and it was stated that Mrs. John
son coniidrd in this friend to tho cx-
tent OF telling her that the husband
had prescribed for his wife. Dr. John
son denied this last night. stating that
he had never had any cyanide in his
possession except last September whec
he obtained a little for use in clean
ing Instruments Even this, he added
lie threw away, because il was the
wrong kind-that which the photo
Sraphcrs use, and not for cleaning
metal. Other acts indicativc OF the
highly nervous character OF tho young
man arc the attempts which he made
In the hospital where he was confined
TO jump out the third story window
Following the serving OF the warrant
Sergeant Willy kept his prisoner un-
der tho closest surveillance. At three
distinct times. he stated. DR.. Johnson
requested tho detective 10 lend him
his safety razor. The taking OF the
ribbons from mis- wifcs caskct. every
act and the appearance OF the accused
make 1t appear that he is nervous
wreck.
|, was believed by Sergeant willy
that confession of the crime would,
doubtless, have been mado by the pris-
omcr had not his father and counsel
arrived In Wilson from Middlesex and
closed his mouth John Il; Woodward.
OF Wilson, Is the counsel the father Of
the young man has retained Alienists
VIII uounlicSS DC interested in the "a So
in behalf OF the accused man. as his
condition and acts invite scrutiny OF
specialists.
DIR. JOHNSON SAYS THERE
HAS BEEN INSANITY IN FAMILY
When talking to police officers and
newspaper men last night. he stated
that there had been insanity in his
family; that his grandmother had been
subject to epileptic fits, and that he had
brothers who suffered from the same
nervous af1iiction. and had the same
impcdimcnt in their speech that he has
Students who knew the young man
intimately when he was in college here
last year said that while he was not
brilliant in his classes. he was a hard
worker. and received more infrmary
Continued on Third pase.)
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