Connecticut western news., 1920-10-14
P. w. JOHNSON IS
 ARRESTED IN CANADA
Will Be Brought Back Some ..= Time This s a. Week

Philemon W. Johnson, former treasurer of the town of Norfolk, who disappeared from that town January 21, 1917, after writing a suicide note in which he complained that he had been influenced in falsl- flying his accounts by others in the town, has been arrested in Edmon- ton. Alta, Canada, and is held sub , feet to the instructions of the state police, according to information re- ceived from Superintendent w. C. Bryan of the Alberta provincial po- lice by Superintendent Thomas Egan of the Connecticut state police.
 The arrest of the missing town treasurer clears up any doubt that may have existed in the minds of his friends in Norfolk that the man ab- seconded, they having chung to the belief that he had taken his life in a fit of despondency due to his tinan- cial difficulties. At the time of his
 disappearance the amount of John sons defalcations were variously estimated from $45,000 to $1OO,OOO.
 Tn the letter which he left he said that he was going to kill himself on Canaan Mountain but repeated searches of that wild section failed to reveal any trace of his body.
 The telegram sent from Edmon- ton, Alberta, Canada dated October 8, and signed "W. o. Bryan, super intendent Alberta. Provincial Police" reads:- .#-. " ~e #aaEa a#e 2.-s.
 sHave arrested Philemon w. John son as per your circular February sixth, nineteen seventeen, forgery and embezzlement. Please come for him at once with necessary papers. Answer.", .. .. ...a.r'... ..r.: .-
 Superintendent Egan at once tele- graphed asking if Johnson would re- turn without extradition papers. Late Saturday afternoon the reply came from Alberta, saying that Johnson would waive extradition and asking that an officer be sent with warrant and supporting affidavit. ,..
 Chief Egan at once telegraphed: "Wiil start man tomorrow" ,, ...
 Johnson disappeared from Norfolk on January 21, 1917. Following upon the heels of the announcement, it was found that the affairs of the town were involved, that he had ap- propriated a considerable amount of money belonging to the town, to the Norfolk Manufacturing Company, and also, so rumor had it, of moneys of private individuals of which he had charge. The. total amount of these misappropriations, or of his various defalcations has never been exactly known. Nor for nearly four years had the question of his death been conclusively established. Strong belief that the man was no longer living, and equally strong opinions that he was alive, have been held in his home town. But so far as is known, no one has ever heard from him. Circulars were widely scatter ed in this country and in Canada at the time of his disappearance, in the hope that if alive he would be appre- hended. Yet, as the years went by, more and more people had come to feel that the missing man had com mitted suicide in the rocky fastnesses of Canaan mountain, not far from Norfolk, and that in some dark cave among the gloomy lodges of that seldom visited, isolated spot, his skeleton lay, his life having been taken by his own hand. That there was a mystery in his disappearance no one has denied. The suicide note 4L-4 l. 4o eI, Iaf ha lof4 town has left much to be explained; with the apprehension of the man, the riddle now bide fair to be cleared up.
 Johnson's Success
 Philemon Johnson, known to his familiars as "Phil", was in Norfolk considered a likeable man. Starting as clerk, he had ganed the favor able notice of Miss Isabella Eldridge. By her he was appointed librarian of the library in Norfolk winch she had, given the town. He had been in the library for some fifteen years pre- vious to the time of his disappear ance, and was 34 years old when he left. 1t was said that he was paid out of her own funds by Miss Eld- ridge, as compensation for his work at the library. He was said to have been interested in various ventures, and two years before he decamped, he became treasurer of the Norfolk Manufacturing Company. He was also secretary of the Norfolk Agri- cultural Association, chief of the Norfolk fire department, vice-presi- dent of the Norfolk Manufacturing Company, as we'll as it's treasurer, and treasurer of the town of Nor folk. When he fled, it was freely alleged in town that he had juggled the funds of all of these corporate enterprises with which he was iden- tified, and had misused private mon evs in addition, making good short |