The Medina sentinel. [volume] (Medina, Ohio) 1888-1961, 1919-11-07
LITCHFIELD FARMER
KILLED, cleveland
DRIVEN INTO CORNER,
PAUL JOHNSON is SHOT
Claim Made by Murphys That John
son Shot at Them and Then Killed
Himself-Murphys in Jail

Himself-Murphys In JAN
Paul Johnson, %, who owned a farm
in Litchfeld, was killed in Cleveland
Saturday. Early in the day he drove
to Medina, accompanied by his house
keeper and her son, aged IL years,
left his horse at the home of his
father-in-law, Chas. Wass, and the
party went by car to the Forest City.
After arriving in Cleveland Johnson
went to the home of Hazel Murphy,
who lived with him while his wife
was still alive-she died in March
the girl having lived in the johnson
family for a year and Mr.. and Mrs.
johnson having planned to adopt her,
legally, before the death of Mrs. john
son.
At the Murphy home johnson be-
came embroiled in "a dispute and at
some stage of the dispute he was
killed. After Johnson's death his
father, Wade Johnson, Of near Chat
ham, and brother went to Cleveland
and brought the body back to Medina
county, Lodi undertaken having
charge Of the remains. Funeral was
held from the home Of Wade john
son, in Litchfeld township Wednesday
at 10 a. m.
At the preliminary hearing held in
Cleveland Monday, the girls father
testified that Johnson had called to
settle for an assault he had made on
Hazel; that in the dispute johnson had
threatened to kill himself and "take
some one with him." that johnson had
begun shooting and then, and only
then, he ran to a bureau draw and
secured a revolver and shooting in
self defense, killed johnson. He was
bound over for further hearing as was
also his wife, the charge being muir
der.
Friends of johnson cannot believe
that he either contemplated murder or
suicide. Thy say that the Murphys
are of doubtful character, and go so
far as to make claim that Johnson
was driven into the corner and killed
because he would not yield to the de-
mands of the Murphys. He was
killed in the Murphy hi ne, Murphy
admits shooting johnson, ,sAnd the po-
lice are not satisfied with Murphy's
explanation.
When Mrs. johnson was alive she
answered an advertisement for some
one to take a IL year old girl for the
summer, giving her work for her
keep. In answering the adv. she met
and took home Hazel, with the fathers
consent. The girl remained at the
johnson home for over a year, until
the death of Mrs. johnson in March.
After the death of Mrs. johnson
her husband secured woman as
housekeeper, also from Cleveland,
and she has a IL year old boy. They
went to Cleveland with johnson Sat
urday. On the way to the city the
woman searched johnson, the boy
says, for firearms and could find none
on him. She did, however, find large
roll of bills. The boy says his mother
did not like to have johnson carry a
small pistol he had as she feared po-
lice interference. 1t was because OF
this that she made the search and
laughed about it. The woman is pos
tive Johnson had no pistol with him.
Both the boy and the mother insist
that johnson was cornered up and
murdered.
An aunt of Johnson tells the story
of Murphy insisting that Johnson
adopt the girl now and when Of age
that he marry her. Both the girl and
her father knew that johnson was
making money rapidly at the time of
his wife's death, and that he had
saved considerable and was in pos
session of two farms, and that he
would make a good match for any
girl looking out for a property mar
riage. She does not think that the
girl was desirous of such wedding,
but that the father-whom the fam
ily feel is not what he should be
was the one planning for this to oc-
cur. She further says that, johnson
refusing, he was gradually backed in
to the corner from which he could not
escape, and that thus he met his
death. There is possibility, they
declare, that johnson, with his bare
hands, made an effort to fight his way
out and that it was not Intentional on
the part of Murphy to kill him at all,
but to intimidate him, and that in his
determination not to yield to the de-
mands of Murphy fight was started
in which he lost his life.
When found johnson lay on the
floor with pistol in one hand. But
the claim is held out that the way it
was grasped it was good circumstan-
tial evidence that johnson had not
fired it, as the grasp-or lack Of grasp
indicated that the pistol had been
placed there to fool those who found
him.
Murphy had children by his first
wife-Hazel's mother. He married a
second time, the woman having four
children. He dare not take his first
wife's children home, it is claimed.
Then the second wife died and the
present wife is No. 8. What to do
with all those children is both a
problem to Murphy and his No. 8
wife. In this, Johnson's friends aver,
may be found some excuse for MUIR
phys insistence that johnson provide,
| in some way, for Hazei--and the rest
of the family. &
If there had been correspondence
between johnson and the Murphys,
and claims made ON johnson by the
Murphys, no such evidence had been
1 given the public mn to the time that