The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1961-02-02

keeper into the blood-seeking
husband wronged"?
At any rate, plan evolved
Mrs Johnson noted that every eve
ming at seven o'clock DR. Conn en-
tered his office, pausing briefly to
unlock the door. From the vantage
point of her living room window,
the doctors wide back presented
perfect target, within easy range
of even a mediocre rifleman.
She, together with her husband,
selected the date for the murder
as an evening in the early spring
of 1854 On that evening, Cornelius
Johnson left the store in the hands
of his wife a few minutes before
seven, climbed the stairs to his
apartment and primed his muzzle-
loader. CHANGING out of the win
dow toward the doctors office, he
saw a figure awaiting the physi-
clans arrival.
Complications he thought, as
he recognized Marquis Perry, one
of Conn's patients.
Marquis, who was a slight man,
extremely timid, had been under
going treatment for nervous dis
orders, and was a regular patient.
At about this moment, johnson
saw the figure of Dr. Conn ap-
proach, speak briefly with Perry,
and turn to unlock the door.
One shot was fired and the doc
tor crumbled at the step The bull
let passed through his head and
lodged in the office door.
There was no opportunity for
second try. Poor, nervous Marquis,
hearing the blast and seeing the
physician fall took off in dead
trot for home, where he hid him
self in a closet.
1t remained for others to move
DR.. Conn to Thayer's saloon, on
Railroad street, where he was pro-
nounced dead by Constable
Thomas Arnold, the only repre-
sentative of the law in the vicinity. !
Following a brief investigation,
Arnold entered the Johnson store, |
where he found Cornelius and his i
wife going about their business. !
He placed the man under arrest |
for murder, and johnson was sub
sequently tried in Cumberland for |
the crime
Here, the case attracted wide /
attention, but in those days before
scientific methods of crime detec
ton. the deed was difficult to
prove. The only witnesses the
could summon were /!
Mrs. Johnson, who steadfastedly |
refused to testify against her hus /
band and Marquis Perry, who had |
been too frightened to retain CO.
herent memory of the affair. The
entire incident" he is reported as
Lestifying, did not tend to improve
my nervous condition"
A jury failed to find johnson
guilty. due to lack of witnesses and
evidence, and here the later ac-
ivities Of Mr., and Mrs. Johnson
become difficult to trace.
Following his trial, Johnson APP
1arently gave up his mercantile
business in Oakland and disap-
0eared from the local scene. The
business site was later used as the
Davis Millinery shop until it was
destroyed in the fire Of July IA, |
1898, as related several weeks ago.
Mrs. Johnson, however. con-
-inued to live in the apartment [!
with her young daughter for some !
imc longer One day she left the
infant in the care of a neighbor,
Mrs White, stating that she was
going out to perform some errands.
Instead, she walked to the depot, |
boarded the cast bound passenger
train, and so far as can be de-
.crmined was heard from no more. /
And no more information can |
be secured concerning the fate of
the young daughter, Ida Lucy Flor
ence jeanette Gencvieve Jenny
Lind Johnson.