The Washington times., 1917-12-26
DR.. JOHNSON
SAYS HE DID
NOT JOURNEY
TO NORFOLK
CONTINUED from First Page.l

as 1 said the ceremony. It was a
beautiful sight As I pronounced the
benediction-a short prayer at the
close, as is my custom-you placed
your arm about your bride and she
turned her face and kissed you.
after you had gone on your way
my wife remarked that OF the many
young people I had married. never
had she seen two who seemed so de-
voted, so enamored one with the
other. We have often spoken OF it
since.
"The news OF your wife's death was
naturally q shock to us both. and the
charge later against you has pained
US"
The young dentist was moved by
the minister's statement. After the
first interruption he offered no fur
ther word until the minister asked IL
he wished for him to pray with him.
lie said, Yes" and a prayer for the
soul OF the young man was uttered
Former LandIady COmfOrts-
Another visitor was Mrs. F. c. Cos
well, OF 4O7 North Eleventh street,
with whom johnson boarded during
his last year at the Virginia Medical
College in this city, from which he
graduated last June
'I think It Is absolutely out OF the
question that anyone should accuse
you OF any crime" said Mrs. Coswell.
''Of the large number of young men
that have made their home at my
house while attending college here, 1
have never known a more perfect
gentleman. I want to assure you
that 1 have the utmost confidence in
you and will do everything in my
power to get you out OF this trouble.
J feel certain that everything will
work out for the best"
Mrs. Cosweu promised to send the
young dentist some home cooked
food, for, she said, "this jail fare Is
not good enough for you"
When johnson told Mrs. Coswell
that his dead brides family were still
his friends, and that the mother. Mrs.
George E. Knight, had already visit
ed him at the Jail and expressed her
belief in his innocence, she replied,
why certainly she trusts you, and
should stand by you"
Other friends of johnson and his
dead bride brought books and maga-
zines, fruit, cake, and small gifts.
Prisoner More Rational
Since the effects OF the poison he
swallowed at Wilson have passed off,
johnson is more rational, and at the
city Jail he discussed the death OF
his bride and his attempt at suicide
at length.
Il thoroughly understand just what
a predicament am in,' said john
son to The Times representative.
Summed up, this Is the situation that
80 f.
Il am a doctor and know something
about pOisons. particularly cyanide.
because that is a substance used by
dentists-my profession-in cleaning
dental instruments. know its dead
ly effects. In college we were prohib-
tied from handling it because IT is so
deadly.
Then, granting that the newspa-
per stories are true, / was in love with
and engaged to another girl. In that
case, It would be easy to find a mo-
tive for giving my wife the poison.
1T is true that / was with my wife
in Richmond on Monday before her
death left on that date and it is
claimed that a few hours later she
took a capsule that made her sick;
that she took another OF the same
kind on the following Saturday, caus-
ing her death.
Excitement Was Natural.
"When I returned to Richmond to
the funeral, the newspapers report
that was excited, upset. and that my
mind was wrong. Was II not natural
for a man to be upset when his wife
had died just a few days before he
was to take her to his home and start
life together?
The report is that kept my mar
riage a secret; that ] never intended
making II known back home in North
Carolina.
The police produce letters showing
that / wrote to Ollie White, a music
teacher near Middlessx, in which
used endearing terms. She was the
girl, they say, that l really loved.
Then comes the report that !
sought to purchase cyanide OF potas-
Sium in Wilson.
Yes, can understand how some
people would conclude that / was
guilty. but in the face Of it all, can