Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-05-24
CONFESSION STORY
ATTACKED IN COURT
Detective Courtney Discredits
Testimony Given by Washing
ton Newspaper Man.
ACCUSED ON STAND TO-DAY
Defense in Johnson Trial Begins
It's Case With Character
Witnesses.
ACCUSED ON STAND TO-DAY

Opening the defense of DR.. Lcn,uel j.
Johnson. charged in the Hastings
Court with poisoning his wife. evidence
was introduced yesterday to discrtdit
the testimony Of 4. Cloyd :;ill. a WASH
nEton newspaper man. who testified
Wedre sday that the prisoner had made
4 confession to him in the City Jail
on Christmas Day Of last year Will
liam J. Courtney. a private detective.
xho stated that he read an account
of Gills testimony in The Times Dis.
patch of May 40 while en- route TO
Washing, OH. told tho jury thIt he at
once left tho train and turned back
- Richmond because he believed the
statements made By tho newspaper
man were untrue. The witness said that
Gill had met him and asked him to
get confession from Dr. johnson for
him: that Gill said he was in Dutch"
with his paper, aud if he couiL make
scoop it would put him in right.
Courtney was at Fredericksburg
when he purchased The paper, and upon
reading it. came back at his own eX-
pensc. he testified. The witness stated
that upon one occasion IN had met
the newspaper man OH the street. and
had been told by him that he had at
ono time murdered girl or been
charged with murder Courtney did
not recall which. and that h. had
newspaper mar write up the case. and
because of the sentimental character
of the storLs. lie had been acquitted.
Courtney said 10 the jury. ~ believe
in justice. and thought he was not
telling tic truth. so came back"
The newspaper man was the frs;
confronted by Courtney. he tcstitied
that he had never seen the man BE-.
fore. When on the stand. Courtney
stated that he had met Gill four tirles.
Gill underwent stif griiiing by Al
torney II. NJ Smith. and did no; falter
in Iciterating his testimony that John
son had confessed. and added that he
himself had told Attorney Smith in
his ofice that the prisoner had con.
fessed to him.
CHARACTER WITNESSES SPEAK
WELL OF YOUNG DENTIST
Gill and Courtney were the principal
witnesses for the defense yesterday.
Five character witnesses were called
.or the accused. and ell spoke we'll OF
him. He will doubtless tell his story
OF the Geath of mis- wife this morn
ing. Counsel thought best TO put the
prisoner on TIL" stand al the morning
session en- account ot the strain which
he is under in sitting through the
long sessions.
the detective testified that he had
never been Interested in financial way
in the Johnson case. He had called, he
said. at the oft1ce of Mr.. Smith between
January and IL. and solicited Jetcc-
tive work. He WAS never employed. il
appeared. Hc told of visits lie had
made 10 the City Jail. whore he talk
ed with DIR. Johnson, but never about
a confession. AT these times he was
allowed to see the prisoner by show
ing a card signed by Mfr. Smith. Court
ney said he was a native of Maury.
y. C., was thirty-eight years old, and
had been detective since he was
eighteen years old. at one time with
Offices in Connecticut. He had 70
license as detective in Richmond. One
time, when asked by Commonwealth's
Attorney Wise whether he had tried
to set a confession from the pris.
oner. he replied: Yes but later when
his attention was called to this. he
said he misunderstood the word con
fession," thinking the lawyer said
ompensat!on."
Courtney was questioned by Attorney
Wise with reference TO divorce case
tried in Hustinss Court, Part H.. as
to whether or not his name had not
appeared on the petition as Courtney.
al
by the witness. lie stated that il was
scheme whereby attorneys in the
case charged a tee. using that name.
in the petition in order TO set more
than the court allows in such cases.
WASHINGTON MAN FIRST WITNESS
PUT ON STAND BY DEFENSE
Gill was the first witness put on by
the defense. and after questions we're
put to him relative TO newspaper clip
pings which counsel had asked for.
hut which the court had not demand
ed. Attorney Smith inquired: do you
remember Courtney. A Washington de-
teciivc, with whom you talked at the
jail7"
Gill said he did not, and then Mr..
Smith had Courtney brought into the
courtroom. He stood directly in front
OF the witness. who unhcsitatingly
said: ITO the best of my knowledge, /
never saw the man before" The Shades
OF the courtroom had heen lowered
and when they were opened Gill was
again asked to lcok at Courtney, but
again he said he had never seen him.
and that he would remember if he had.
Crcss-cxamined further about writing
out a confession and never printing
il in his paper, and asked did you
tell that man Courtney that you were
in bad with your paper and had to
make good. and ask him to get 4 con-
fession for you?" the witness replied:
Now. Mr.. Smith. you know that
never talked to that fellow"
Mr.. Smith asked him whether he had
not met Courtney in his Office. and
the witness replied: ''If he was in
your Office. he was secreted some
where" Courtney later said that he
was III the lawyers waiting-room
while Gill was in Mr. Smiths Office
talking with hin, (,}l1 denied ayar