The Glenwood post., 1923-11-22
JURY ACQU|TS
JOHNSON OF MURDER
CONTINUED from Page ~

the room. Mr.. Benedict, the hired
man who lived with his family in the
bunkhouse recently occupied by Mar
tin, hastily entered the room and Mrs.
johnson went with him to his home,
after picking up flaShlight lying at
Martin 8 feet.
Mrs. johnson made an excellent wit
ness for the defense, leaving the i'm.
preston in some minds at least, that
Martin had been the aggressor, both
by way of seeking her affections and
also by way of threats toward her
husband.
Later in the day District Attorney
Delaney greatly weakened the force
of Mrs. Johnson's story when he re-
called her and asked her if Immediate
ly after the tragedy she did not send
for Miss Willcutt and Mrs. Best, two
personal friends from Grand Junction,
and if in discussing the cease with them
she had not told them that there was
nothing wrong in her conduct with
Martin She hesitatingly admitted
that this in substance was what she
told them. Asked why she told them
this story and was now telling quite
another story on the stand she said
she wanted to protect herself as long
as she could, and did not feel like
telling the worst until it became nee
essary. Here Mr.. Delaney scored a hit
with the audience, if not with the jury,
when he asked Mrs. johnson point
blank these two questions: "Did you
ever tell your husband that the rela-
tions that existed between you and
Martin had reached the stage of
criminal intimacy" Immediately and
firmly she replied "I never did. -
"Well, had your relations reached that
stage?" was Mr.. Delaney's next ques-
ton, to which she as firmly replied
"No Sir "That's all" responded
Mr.. Delaney, with an air of triumph.
The case was sharply contested on
both sides, the lawyers entering objec-
tions to testimony in every instance
where there was possibility that an
objection might be sustained. The
case was ably prosecuted and just as
ably defended and the jury had the
last say, and it is presumed that they
did what they believed to be right, in
view of the evidence, but it is quite
evident that their verdict was by no
means a popular one.
After able arguments by District At
torney Delaney on behalf of the peo-
pie and by Messrs. Vincent and Taylor
on behalf of the defendant, the case
went to the jury at midnight Satur-
day. and about four O'Clock Sunday
afternoon the jury returned to the
court room and submitted the verdict
quoted above. That ended the case.
The defendant, who had been constant
ly confined in the county Jail since
March 9, last, was set free, and by
Monday moHning he had made himself
scarce-left for parts unknown with
out the formality of leaving his ad
dress.
1t is reported that if Johnson had
1aa,, -, aI
last Sunday he would have been again
arrested and held on a charge of boot
Logging. in accordance with his con-
fession on the stand during the prog
ress of his murder trial.
The Post is informed that on Tues
day, after n report had reached Grand
Valley that johnson was probably
coming down to that country on de.
layed Rio Grande train, band of
over one hundred determined men gath
cred on the streets of the village and
constituted themselves reception
committee with the avowed intention
of meeting johnson and advising him
that he would not be welcome in the
community in which he had formerly
made his home. Whatever else the
community or gathering planned to say
or do must be left to conjecture, but
apparently johnson decided to travel
in the opposite direction, and in this
decision he was probably wise. And
thus ends another criminal tragedy,
with the taxpayers of Garfield county
to foot the bill.
Mrs. Herman Zeithen and baby
daughter returned home Monday from
the D. & R. G. hospital at salida.
They were accompanied by Mrs. Zeith-