The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1921-10-14
Says Girl Was Killed By
Parent and Not BY
Prisoner
ISILENT FOR 10 YEARS
Meanwhile Convict Pleads
For Justice-May Receive
$4,000
sy N. E. A. Service.

Johnson, q life termer. who has se,.'ved
! 10 years of his sentence, sits in his
cell in the penitentiary at Waupun,
while the state is gathering the evil
dencI, expected to show he is inno-
cent
After 10 years Martin l.emberger
has beeen arrsted charged with the
murder of his five -year-old daughter,
for whose death Johnson was sent TO
prison. The trial OF Lemberger will
be held within the coming month
For 10 years Johnson has been pro-
testing hi, innocence, although he
pleaded guilty lie has always claim.
t.i that he made this plea to save
himself from mob which the officers
E.had told him were st0rming the Jail
to lynch him.
After entering the penitentiary,
Johnson wrote letter after letter to
state officials, repeating, 81 am innO-
cent. | never committed this crime"
inquiry Ordered
Finally an investigation was ordered
|, by Gov. Blaine on an application for
pardon. Into the hearing came a
woman who demanded that the oftic-
|ials listen to her story. Her face was
lined with worry.
She said she was Mrs. May Soren-
son and had known the Lembergers
for years.
The day following the MURDER"
she swore, 'Lemberger's little boy,
Alois, confessed to me that his father
killed the child ....
Little Annie Lemberger disappeared
from her home Sept 5, 1911 She was
about six years old. At first it was
thought she had been kidnapped.
Searching parties were organized and
the whole community was ramsacked
from cellar to garret.
Johnson, known to police as DOG
Skin" Johnson, was taken to the po-
|, lice station. There was no definite
information pointing to his guilt. His
previous court record however, placed
him under suspicion. And he confess
| sed under the third degree. ~
Fathers Threat
Martin Lelmberger and his wife have
continued to make their home at
Madison. Whenever there was any
talk OF a pardon for Johnson, Lember-
ger would issue a statement that III
| johnson is given his freedom, l will
take care of him.
Then on Aug. %, 1920, Maude r..
! Bunker, school teacher OF Lodi,
Wis, wrote to Gov. Philip, stating
| that relative, of Lemberger had told
her that the father had committed the
crime. She said she, could NOT sleep
since she had learned of the injustice.
Mrs. Johnson hired lawyers with
! money earned by washing. I
When John J. Blaine was inaugur-
ated governor, last January, the john
son family renewed their efforts to
obtain a pardon.
Woman's Story
Mrs. SorensOn told the pardon board
she was called to the Lemberger home
the morning of the disappearance OF
the child and found the mother weep
! ing.
After time little Alois told her
that the father had hit the child over
the head with a beer bottle at a "beer
party" the night before; that his sis
ter had died in a few minutes; and
that the father hid the body under a
tub in the cellar. Then a man was
paid $25 to throw the body in the lake.
Mrs. Sorenson said she had seen
the blood -stainel pillow slips from the
bed where Annie had been laid; she
1 found the nightgown worn by the
child, soaked in blood, and the mother
had torn it from her and put it into
the stove.
/ II held my tongue for 10 years." she
said, because, Martin Lemberger had
threatened to choke me il | should re
veal anything"
Arraigned in court, Lemberger has
pleaded not guilty and his bail was
\ fixed at $4,000.
Should Lemberger be convicted
Johnson will be freed and will be paid
! $4,000.