Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1920-03-20
Henry Johnson, c olore d,
Runs Amuck With
Pistol.
INQUEST HELD TODAY
Mary McPhearson Killed and Her
Mother Bette Badly Wounded =
Woman Has Chance for Recovery.

a--~~h ~'~r9. 80 "'e' .. rsT.a
Crazed by jealousy, following VIC,
! !ent quarrel, Henry Johnson, colored
about % years old, who lived at GIG
South Fairfax street, shortly before G
o'clock last night, shot and killed Mary
McPhearson, colored, fifteen years old,
and badly wounded the girls mother,
Bette MePhearson, about "a years
old, and thinking he had killed both,
then shot and killed himself.
The scene Of the shooting was en-
acted in the street in front of the
shack they occupied at GIG South Fair
fax street. The girl, died instantly
after Johnson had pumped two bullets
from 3S-caliber pistol into her body.
The mother of the girl received two
Juliet wounds.
supposing both were dead, the mad
nan then returned into the house and
.eloaded his pistol and ran into the
street and fired bullet through his
mouth, dying instantly.
The shooting created considerable
.onsteration in that neighborhood,
md crowd of 500 persons gathered
md stood around the bodies until the
arrival of Coroner Jones. Many per-
ons were passing at the time Of the
shooting and they all sought places
Of safety.
The police were summoned and
Sergeant Campbell and Policemen
Magner and Lunsford arrived and be-
ran an investigation. From what they
earned of the affair the McPhearson
woman and her daughter and Johnson
all lived in the same house. Johnson,
On arriving home from his work as a
. !aborer at the plant of the Virginia
Shipbuilding: Corporation, accused the
woman of misconduct with others.
She denied the charge and accused
Johnson of misconduct. Johnson, at
this iuncture, remarked he intended
20 kill her, Fand he; proceeded to "a
bureau drawer and secured the pistol.
The woman ran from the house and
her daughter followed, the daughter
endeavoring to protect, her mother
from the<infuriated man. Because of
this Johnson killed her first and then
followed The shooting of her mother
minute afterward. The elder Nc
Phearson woman fell at the first shot
and fcigned dead, otherwise the po-
lice believe the man would have
pumped more bullets into her body.
i The McPhearson woman was rushed
to the Alexandria Hospital and
treated by DR.. NJ. d. Delaney. She
has bullet wound in the arm and
also is shot in the chest The hos
.pital attaches think she has fight
ing chance for recovery.
Coroner r. NJ. Jones today had an
inquest over both bodies at Wheatley's
mortuary chapel. The testimony of
six witnesses was heard, but they
threw no light on the cause of, the
| shooting. In the case of Mary Nc
Phearson the jury gave a. verdict that
she came to her death from two gun
shot wounds inflicted by Henry John
son.
This, jury was composed Of NJ. l.
! Dinwiddie, foreman; James W. Reed
Harvey Henshaw, E. Ashby Warfeld
J. R. Thomas and w. F. Duncan.
In the case Of Johnson the jury
gave verdict to the effect that he
came to his death from a gunshot
wound inflicted by himself Ihl:
jury was composed Of the following
Thomas Chauncey. foreman; c. Win
gate Summers, Thomas w. Robinson
G. E. Sullivan, Edwin B. Garth ant
H. Friedlander. Johnson came here
about two years ago from Columbia
Va, and it is reported that on numer
Gus occasions he had frequentl.
made threats against the McPhearsol
woman. He was regarded as Da'
man, the police say.