Evening star., 1934-05-29
DEATH Of WOMAN
BY FIRE PUZZLES
Partly Burned Body of Cali
fornia Treasurer's Daugh-
b ter Found in Garage.

By the Associated Press.
SACRAMENTO, Calf, Nav 29-
Discovery of the partly burned body
of Miss Virginia johnson, 22-year-old
daughter of Charles G. Johnson,
State treasurer, puzzled authorities
here today.
Although investigators said she ap-
parently was dead before fire was
applied to her kerosene-S soaked cloth
ing in a garage three blocks from
her home, they hesitated to say she
had been murdered.
Relatives, however, were confident
Miss johnson had been slain. Never
theless there was no evidence of a
struggle.
The body was found last night in
garage, one of five in the rear OF an
apartment house owned by c. E. Ma
honey, former county supervisor. Mrs.
Mahoney made the discovery when
she was showing some prospective
tenants about the place. She said she
had taken her motor car out of the
garage about 2:30 pm. and did not
put it back when she returned. The
doors of the building were closed, but
not locked.
Find Burned Matches.
Near the body police found five
burned matches and six that had not
been struck, and a Jug about one
third full of kerosene
First examination of the body, the
coroner said. showed no marks of
violence on the girl, only the scars
left by the flames. The district at
torney, who took an active hand in
question: friends of the girl through
the early morning hours, said his
mind still was open and he was unable
to say whether Miss johnson was
killed or took her own life.
A block of cement used to prop
open the garage doors was probably
the murder instrument, if the girl
was slain, police said. A hair re-
ported to be similar to Miss Johnson s
was found on it.
Small, delicate finger prints on the
kerosene jug furnished the only clue
to aid Investigators. Experts said
the prints were made either by a
woman or man with long, tapering
fingers.
Student Is Quizzed.
Leonard Titus, l9-year-old student,
was summoned before District At
torney Neil McAllister for questioning
concerning a spot in the basement of
his home from which a container.
about the same size as that found in
the garage, had been recently re-
moved Titus lives in an apartment
house back of the garage
Titus told the district attorney he
had been at home studying all after
noon until pm. when he drove
down to get his mother. He then
returned home and was in his par
ents' apartment until the police ar
rived to investigate the death of Miss
johnson.
His finger prints did not match the
prints found on the jug that con-
tained the kerosene in the garage. He
said he had not known that there
had been jugs Of kerosene in the
basement of the apartment house.
Relatives had been unable to shed
any light on the girls death, other
than that she had suffered a nervous
breakdown three months ago.
Her father, a candidate for Cover
nor of the State, collapsed in San
Francisco when informed Of her
death.
Accomplished Musician.
Miss johnson had been a student
at Sacramento Junior College and
was an accomplished musician
A frequent caller at her home.
Robert W. Meckfessel was among the
first questioned. He said he had not
seen Miss Johnson since he took her
to a dance Saturday night.
He quoted Mrs. George Fitzgerald,
the dead girls sister, as saying "Vir-
ginia had spells, such as loss of
memory and fainting."
Asked by the district attorney if
he thought the girl was victim of
foul play, Oscar Johnson, an uncle
of the girl, said Eyes, suggest that.
She was a happy, normal girl; had
no trouble at home and got along
with her folks. She had no trouble
with her boy friends"