Evening star., 1950-02-09
Girl Held Here
Will Be Taken
Back TO Texas
Police Quote Her as
Saying She Watched
Husband Kill OiImun

An lo-year-OlQ girl was Delng
held under $4,000 bond here to-
day. awaiting removal to Amarillo,
Tex, where she and her husband
face murder charges.
Mrs. Diana Heany johnson, al
legedly told Park Police yesterday
she saw her husband, Ewald john
son, kill w. A. "Tex" Thornton,
53-year-old Texas Gilman, last
June.e
She was ordered held on charges
of interstate auto theft and fleeing
across State lines to avoid prose-
cution on a murder charge.
Hearings on both charges, filed
by the FBI. we're set for February
% by United States Commissioner
Cyril S. Lawrence, after her ar
raignment yesterday. This would
give time, Mr.. Lawrence said, for
Texas authorities to act on her
eventual removal there.
Said Friend Involved.
Officials said Mrs. johnson may
be arraigned on a fugitive charge
here, after Texas officials arrive to
question her about the Thornton
case. Federal authorities said she
will be surrendered to them, if she
valves extradition and agrees to
return to Texas.
The attractive blond, who came
to park police last Sunday with
the story that her "girl friends
husband was involved in the un-
solved Texas Staying. later de-
scribed how her husband killed the
wealthy Gilman in an Amarillo
tourist camp last June % while
she watched, police said.
She said she and johnson
were hitch-hiking through New
Mexico when they were picked
up by Mr.. Thornton. After
fight in a tourist cabin, in which
the Texan was beaten to death
with a pistol, the couple drove
in the victims car to Dodge City.
Kans., where they separated.
police said they were told.
The Associated Press reported
today that the husband had been
arrested in Munising, Mich.
Detective Porter M. Beale Of
the Park Police, who handled the
case, summarized it this way:
Mrs. Johnson approached q
park policeman in Stanton Park
on January 9 and said she was
looking for "the Anacostia Bridge"
She gave her name as Linda
Wouri," and said she, was an
orphan. Believing she had suicidal
tendencies, police sent her to Gall
linger Hospital, where she was
kept under observation for II
days and released.
Police believed she had suicide
tendencies, but said she was only
interested in escape" when she
climbed on a chair at head
quarters yesterday.
Pulled From Window.
Capt. Rhoda Milliken. said Mrs.
johnson climbed up on a chair
at the fifth-floor window and
when pulled from it by Police
Matron Eleanor Phillips said, '"I
wanted to look out the window
to see where I am"
Capt. Milliken said Mrs. Phil
lips told her Mrs. johnson was
trying every way ito get out of
there"
Last Sunday, she told another.
park policeman in Franklin Park
she was worried about a "girl
friend whose husband was in
volved in Texas killing. Again
she gave her name as Linda
Wouri," and said her friend was
Mrs. Diana Johnson"
Suspicious when the girls de-
scription of Mrs. Johnson" tall
lied with her own description, De-
tective Beale said he checked with
the FBI and wired Amarillo, Tex.
When he received confirmation
of the killing, Detective Beale said,
he picked up the woman at her
address at 1926 Eleventh street
NV. and questioned her further.
Early yesterday, he said, the
woman said she was Mrs. johnson
and that it was her husband who
beat the Texas Gilman to death.
Detective William Gunter said
she told him she surrendered be-
cause she feared her husband
would find and harm her. Mrs.
johnson told FBI agents she and
Johnson were married in Utah in
10A7