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THE PROMS^^^^PEMTY.
\ —Cartoon by Davenport, in the New York Mail.
HE HAD SO MANY WIVES HE DIDN’T KNOW WHAT TO HO
Bigamist Johnson Recalls Twenty Spouses, But It is Believed
the Returns Are Incomplete—Made Living by Wedding and
Swindling Women —Goes to San Quentin Prison
to Serve Seven Years at the Age of Sixty-four.
San Francisco, Cal.—lt is all over
with Christian Johnson, the German
horse buyer and bigamy expert,
champion to date of all his kind.
Johnson has been taken from San
Jose, where he was convicted, to San
Quentin prison, to serve a sentence
of seven years. When he has served
his term most any city or village in
the country can claim him at will
and send him away on another charge
of bigamy. He says that he has mar
ried so many women that he cannot
remember them all. He was able
to recall twenty of his victims, but
as his list consists, with only two ex
ceptions, of Western women, and as
he is known to have operated heavily i
in marriage vows in New York and '
New Jersey and New England, it is
believed that the twenty represent
less than half of his actual wives.
He does not include Miss Julia A.
Fredericks, of Freeport, L. 1., whom
he married in 1900, decamping next
day with SI6OO of her money.
Johnson is sixty-four years old,
portly and fine looking and, despite
the handicap of years, is known to
have married eight women since No
vember, 1905. His lovemaking has
been on even a more generous scale,
and, according to his own statement,
he courted ten Portland (Ore.)
women at one time, but married
only one of the lot. In probably hun
dreds of instances hfe merely made
love to women aad skipped away
with sums of their money varying
from S2OO to several thousands.
Made It a Profession.
Johnson dates the beginning of his
criminal career three years back,
but as the* marriage with Miss Fred
ericks took place nine years ago, and
he came to this country in 1871,
there is no telling how long he has
made a living by the role of lover.
“In 1906,” he said. “I quit my busi
ness of buying horses, and from that
day to this time I have been making
my living by marrying, making love
to women, getting their money and
deserting them.”
Johnson was known as John Mad
son, John C. Anderson and C. O.
Moeller, and it was under the name
of Madson that he married Miss
Fredericks. He said that at first he
was a woman hater, having been sep
arated in Germany from a sweetheart
who later died. “I married only one
woman under the name of Madson,
he said. “Her name was Jones —if
I remember rightly—Ada Jones. I
got SIBOO from her because she said
she loved me. I could have got
$50,000.”
The bigamist credits Mrs. Mary
Brown, whom b° married in Spring
field, Mass., in 1905. and immediate
ly deserted, with being hife first and
only legal wife, but it is believed
that perhaps a score antedate her.
Johnson says he was born on
March 11. 1845, in Flensburg,
Schleswig-Holstein. He learned mar
ine engineering and worked as a ma
chinist in Trenton. N. J., when he
came to America in 1871.
To Live on Cupid’s Bounty.
After his desertion of the Spring
field widow Johnson went to New Or
leans as a horse trader. Then his
health failed and he determined to
live on Cupid’s bounty. His next
venture, according to his story, w r as
with Mrs. Sylvia Pollard de Bonnett
at San Francisco.
Two weeks after this false mar
riage Johnson said he had to go to (
Germany and left town. Next he ap
peared in Portland, where he mar
ried Mrs. Eliza Jones, a widow of a
wealthy coal dealer. Two weeks
after the marriage he took her to
Oakland. Cal., where, with SIBOO of
her money in his pockets, he skipped
out for Memphis. His next marriage,
victim’s name forgotten, took place in
the East. A ceremony was resorted
to, he said, only when money could
not be obtained beforehand.
Returning last spring to San Fran
cisco, Johnson married Mrs. Henri
etta Leopold and Mrs. Josephine
Tretheway, of Stockton, within one
month of each other, on April 15 and
May 17. On June 15 he wedded
Catherine Hoene, of San Diego, a
maiden forty-two years old, who gave
him S2OO. He was traced back to
San Francisco by Miss Minnie
Cather, whom he had married,
and then the police got him.
List of Wives.
Here is Johnson's “official” list of
liis wives: Mrs. Catherine Hoene,
San Diego; Mrs. Josephine Trethe
way, Stockton; Mrs. Sylvia Pollard
de Bonnett, San Francisco; Mrs.
Henrietta Leopold. San Francisco;
Eliza Jones, Portland; Mrs. Mary
Browm, Springfield, Mass.; Mrs.
Frances Hepburn, Oakland; Miss
Minnie Cather, San Francisco; Mrs.
Josephine Henninger, Oakland; Mrs.
Birdie King, Hot Springs, Ark.; Mrs.
Elizabeth M. Jackson, lola, Kan.;
Mrs. Mary Frick, East St. Louis;
Catherine Hospital nurse, St. Louis;
Mrs. Alice Richardson, St. Louis;
Mrs. Catalina Baughman. St. Louis;
Mrs. Minnie Allen, St. Louis; Mrs.
Bertha King, Memphis, Tenn.; Mrs.
De Loem, Portland, Ore.
Among Eastern women from whom
he received money w T as Mrs. William
Kirkman, a wealthy w'iaow, of Little
Neck, L. 1., from whom he got SISOO
and whom he was to marry on the
day he led Miss Frederick to the
altar. Others were Miss Carrie
Bandford, of Roseville, N. J., $1500;
Miss Bertha Love, of Newark, S6OO,
and Miss Josephine Hanson, South
Brooklyn, S6OO.
From most of the women, Johnson
says, he obtained money or jewelry,
or both. When in the East Johnson
ensnared women with a picture of
his mythical ranch in Southern Cali
fornia. with its orange groves and
mellow climate. In the West he de
scribed his palatial dream home on
the Hudson. But now his pleasures
are ended. He fears that he will
succumb to his heart before
he is released from San Quentin. He
asserts that the only w r ife he ever
really loved was Mrs. de Bonnett.
He advises women to keep away
from matrimonial agencies, declar
ing that he never used them except
with deliberate intent to defraud.
On the train from San Jose to this
city women crow r cled about and
seemed to take great interest in him.
“It just goes to show you women
are fools,” remarked Johnson to the
Sheriff.
“Look at them. If any man would
come along here and say nice things
to most of them, be polite and show
interest in their doings and hopes
they would smile and smirk until
the poor man would find himself tak
ing pity on them and proposing.
“That was what got me into
trouble. Men of my temperament
are always in danger unless we re
fuse absolutely even to talk to
women.”
Johnson’s confession is full of
comment. Here are a few . extracts
which show his philosophy.
“I’ve led a rather sporty life, and
I want to say that whatever I got
out of women I speftt on them right
away. They kept me broke.
“I have found it did not pay to be
soft and sweet with the women.
Treat them a little harsh and be a
little distant and they will come to
you. If I saw a woman that I really
liked I made up my mind I wmuld
make her fall in love with me, and I
seldom failed.
“Once started with the idea of get
ting money from women. I continued
to dupe them, and I did not marry
those from whom I could get mo»ey
without.”
IMPROVEMENT 18 SHOWN
Favorable Weather Conditions
Help Cotton Crop.
BOLL WEEVIL IS CHECKED
Where Plant I* Advanced Far Enough
to Fruit It Is Generally Doing
Satisfactorily.
Memphis, Tenn.—ln its weekly sum
mary of crop conditions, The Com
mercial-Appeal says:
Excessively high temperatures pre
vailed throughout the week except
along the Atlantic seaboard; the rain
fall was poorly some
sections, as southern Georgia, getting
an excess while other sections receiv
ed none at all. The cotton crop,
however, improved everywhere except
*in Texas and Oklahoma. In Arkansas
the rainfall was better distributed
than elsewhere, altogether beneficial
and the prospects of the state are
good.
East of the Mississippi river save in
localities only, the crop has been put
in a good state of cultivation, but
is irregular. Some fields look well, but
the cotton that was worked out late
is small and the plant has not attain
ed to thriftiness.
in Texas and Southern and West
ern Oklahoma rain is badly needed.
The growth of the plant and the fruit
ing has been arrested and in Central
Texas shedding has begun. The situa
tion is daily growing more serious.
The hot dry weather has, however,
checked the ravages of the boll wee
vil.
The work of laying by the crop is in
progress in all districts. Where the
plant is advanced enough to fruit, it
is generally doing satisfactorily.
Montgomery, Ala. —Reports to The
Advertiser show that the weather con
ditions in Alabama have been propi
tious for cotton during the past week,
and that much that had been aban
doned will be reclaimed. While the
crop is backward and below the aver
age, the scattered rains and the hot
sunshine given opportunities to
work it out. Insects have appeared
in a few counties, but the damage is
not of a serious nature. Weevils have
not reached Alabama. Labor is plenti
ful at advanced wages.
New Orleans, La. —Hot weather and
rapid cultivation have greatly mini
mized the damage wrought by the
boll weevil to the cotton crop in
Louisiana, according to reports re
ceived by the Picayune covering the
week ending July 17. The plant shows
material growth, retaining most of its
fruit. Estimates place the crop at
from two to four weeks late. Reports
from Mississippi indicate that suf
ficient rain has fallen to keep the
plant vigorous and maintain the fruit
ing process. Rapid progress has been
made with cultivation, but field work
is still considerably behind.
STAGE FRIGHT SEIZES AVIATOR.
Man Lost His Nerve and Tumbled to
the Earth.
New York City.—A frightened ama
teur sitting like a wooden man, went
up in Glenn H. Curtis’ aeroplan'e,
which hovered a moment in mid-air.,
and then crashed to earth. The beau
tiful craft in which Curtis made his
remarkable flight was badly wrecked
and the would-be aviator was lifted
unconscious from the twisted frame,
his ' left arm broken, his left thumb
dislocated, his body bruised and his
brain reeling. His injuries, however,
are not serious.
The accident occurred on Hemp
stead Plains, Mineola, where Curtis
has been giving demonstrations for
the New York Aeronautic Society, to
which he recently sold his aeroplane
for $5,000. It was a member of tfie
society, Alexander Williams, 42 years
old, who was injured. /
Williams had driven many an au
tomobile, is familiar with gas engines
£\nd is somewhat of a machinist, he
seemed to lose complete control of
himself as the aeroplane soared up
ward and when it had attained a
height of 30 feet, the craft careened
sharply to the right, swooped toward
the earth and, striking on end, turned
completely over, then rolled on its
back. Williams remained pinned in
his seat until lifted out. He was delir
ious as a physician bent over him and
muttered that some one had collided
with him in the air.
SMALLPOX MICROBE DISCOVERED.
Discovery Made by Director of Brazil’s
Sanitary Service.
Rio Janeiro, Brazil. —Dr. Oswaldo
Cruz, director general of the Brazil
ian sanitary service, announced at the
Rio Janeiro Academy of Medicine
that the microbe of smallpox, which
is of animal origin, has been discov
ered during bacteriological researches
at the Oswaldo Cruz Institute.
JEFFERSON DAVIS’ DAUGHTER DEAD.
Mrs. J. Addison Hayes, Last of Family
of Confederacy’s Chief, Dies.
Colorado Springs, Col. —Mrs. J. Ad
dison Hayes, daughter of Jefferson
Davis, president of the confederacy,
died at her home, after an illness of
six months.
Mrs. Hayes was the last of the fam
ily of the late president of the confed
eracy.
Mrs. Hayes is survived by two sons,
Jefferson Hayes Davis and William
Hayes, and two daughters, Lucy ant/
Mrs. Virginia W’ebb, wife of Dr.,Ger
ald B. W’ebb, of this city. Jefferson
Hayes Davis bears the name of his
grandfather, through a special act or
the legislature.
LATE NEWS NOTES.
General.
Edward Payson Weston completed
his 3,975-mile walk from New York
when he arrived in San Francisco.
Weston is 75 years old. He left New
York March 17tli to walk across the
continent in 100 days, exclusive of
Sundays. He arrived five days be
hind his schedule.
Twelve more deaths due to tetanus
as the result of the Fourth of July cel
ebration, were reported throughout the
country. This brings the total deaths
due to observance of Independence
Day from all causes up to 114.
News was received at Abbeville. La.,
that cattle are being killed by the
dozens along the Bayou Chienne Au
Tigre and Mulberry by mosquitoes.
The ravages of the insect are de
clared to have been more intense yeis
season than ever before in the nis
tory of this section.
Baron Oskar Rothschild, the young
est son of Albert Rothschild, head of
the Austrian branch of the Rothschild
house, died suddenly in Vienna, Aus
tria. It is reported that he commit
ted suicide because of an unfavorable
love affair. Baron Oskar was twenty
one years old.
Washington.
The old Anacostia bridge over
which John Wilkes Booth sped his
horse to escape from an infuriated
city the night he shot Lincoln, is to
be torn down soon. It Is over half a
century old. The district commis
sioners will receive proposals for the
razing of the old landmark, a new
structure connecting Washington
proper with the suburb of Anacostia
having been completed.
Upon request of the state depart
ment, the navy department has dis
patched the cruiser Tacoma from
Guantanamo to Baranquilla, Colombia,
the hotbed of the present revolution
in that country, to protect American
life and property. Paxton Hlbben, sec
retary of the American legation at
Bogota, Colombia, in dlspaches to
the state department says that the
Colombian government has closed the
ports of Baranquilla and Sabanillla
because they were In the hands of
the rebels. Mr. Northcote has infprm
ed the department that foreigners
have not been molelsted by the revo
lutionists and that Americans are not
endangered.
Only a reasonable charge may be
made by a carrier for any interstate
shipment of freight, even though the
tariff has been filed with the inter
state commerce commission covering
the shipment. This was the substance
of a decision handed down by the
commission. In addition the commis
sion exercised authority to determine
the reasonableness of the charge made
by the carrier in the case of the
Memphis freight bureau against the
Kansas City Southern railway and
others.
Ensign Hugh K. Aiken of the navy
died aboard the armored cruiser
North Carolina at Naples, Italy, from
injuries resulting from a coal gas ex
plosion. He was born in New Or
leans in 1884, and entered the naval
service In 1902. Peter Mullan of
Brooklyn, N. Y., also was injured
slightly at the time of the explosion.
Ensign Aiken was one of the best
known members of the football team
while at the naval academy.
Considerable alarm is felt in Wash
ington by friends of Congressmen El*
ierbe and Johnson of South Carolina,
because of the fact that both of them
are considered seriously ill. Mr. El
lerbe has been a patient in Provi
dence hospital for six weeks with a
fractured leg, and he has, it is under
stood, developed pneumonia. Because
of the strict rules being observed at
the hospital it is difficult to secure
any particulars. Mr. Ellerbe’s col
leagues in congress are, however, con
siderably worried over the fact, that
after apparently getting along nicely
he should take this bad turn. Repre
sentative Johnson was taken ill on
the floor of the house and was assist
ed by some of his friends and em
ployes at the capitol. Like the case
of Mr. Ellerbe it is almost impossi
ble to secure detaWs, but alarm is be
ing felt over his condition. Mrs. El
lerbe is here, and members of Mr.
Johnson’s family have also arrived.
Indications are that President Taft’s
announced iteneary for his southern
and western trip this fall will be ex
tended materially. The president did
not include in the tentative list which
was published where he expects to
stop long enough to make an address
and hold a brief reception. Strong
efforts will be made by representa
tives in congress and state officials
to have the president stop for a few
minutes at least at nearly all the
tdwns of appreciable size through
which his train will pass in the day
light hours. Already the president
has been bombarded with such re
quests. He has suggested to all of
his callers and correspondents that
they take the matter up with him la
ter in the summer. It is more than
likely that the president will have to
follow the policy of his predecessors
in chartering a special train.
When the conferees on the tariff
bill began work it was with the knowl
edge that the amendments to the lum
ber schedule, over which a contest
was certain, would be reached before
adjournment. The house members
were expected to make a strong fight
for “dollar Humber,’’ which was de
feated in the senate.
In assisting to lay the corner stone
of a church in Washington which has
as part of its equipment a gymnasium,
a swimming pool, bowling alleys and
club rooms, President Taft took oc
casion to pay a tribute to the civil
employe of the government who, be
ing compelled to remain in Washing
ton while the president goes to the
seashore and legislators seek their
vacation, carries on the work of the
government.
FARMERS PROSPEROUS
Financial Condition the Best
Since Civil War.
SOUTH GEORGIA CROPS GOOD
Planters Will Be In a Position to Hold
Crop* Until Market Condition*
Improve.
Albany, Ga„ —Should the condition
of the cotton market early in the
season not be such as to cause the
farmers of south Georgia to desire
to sell their cotton they will be in
position to hold praxtticalh as much
of the crop as they please until mar
ket conditions improve. Never in the
histqry of this section since the civil
war has the financial condition of the
farmers been better than now, and
as a class they are in an exceedingly
optimistic frame of mind.
One thing which will have a potent
part in rendering the farmers com
paratvely independent during the com
ing fall will be the size of food crops.
Without a doubt, southwest Georgia
is producing this year the greatest
crop of corn in the section’s history.
Not only has the acreage been greatly
increased over preceding years, but
the condition of the crop was never
better, and the average yield per acre
will be phenomenally high. Intensive
methods have been introduced in the
corn fields of progressive farmers,
and the results are Haltering.
MAY BUY RAILKOAI).
Atlanta and West Point After the
Macon and Birmingham Road.
Macon, Ga.,—lt develops in Macon
that the Atlanta and West Point rail
way officials are after the Macon and
Birmingham, a line from Macon to
LaGrange, which has been in the
hands of Receiver Parrott little over
a year.
President Wickersham, of the A. &
W. P., has been making investigations
as to whether terminal facilltes may
he secured here, and a short line from
Sofkee to Macon may be work d out.
The Macon and Birmingham uses the
tracks of the Georgia Southern and
Florida from Sofkee to Macon, and
the would-be purchasers want an in
dependent roadway into the city.
It is considered here that a valuable
new main line through Macon may
be secured through the transfer of
the Macon and Birmingham. A line
from the east to the west would be
perfected. President Wickersham, of
the A. & W. P„ will be in Macon with
in two weeks to secure all the Infor
mation possible, with a view of secur
ing the new property.
WITH THE LAWMAKERS.
An interesting fight was waged it
the senate over the bill by Senator
Sellers of the third, which proposed
an amendment to the state constitut
ion permitting the general assembly
to exempt from taxation agricultural
products in the hands of the producer.
The -bill received 29 votes, lacking
only a single vo.e of passing the sen
ate, a two-third majority being re
quired in the case of constitutional
amendments. The president’s favor
able vote would have passed the mea
sure, but as he was opposed to it, he
did not vote.
The senate, after considerable dis
cussion, passed the resolution by Sena
tor Mathews proposing the appoint
ment of a joint committee of three
from the senate and live from the
house to make investigation into the
tax laws of the state and report such
proposed legislation as will bring more
full and complete returns of proper
ty subject to taxation.
The house approved the bill allow
ing street railways to grant free
transportation to policemen and fire
men, but extended the provisions of
the bill as reported by the committee
so as to include employees of the
waterworks and sanitary departments
of cities. Speeches on the floor point
ed out that these men were also
valued defenders of the city’s health
and welfare, and should be allowed
to receive this courtesy if the rail
ways were inclined to extend it.
The anti-tuberculosis bills of Dr.
Brown, of Fulton, failed for “'ant of
a constitutional majority. When the
anti-expectorant bill failed by 5 votes
of receiving the requisite number to
permit its passage, the other bill tc
regulate the barber’s trade was tabled
by one of the framers of the bill.
A bill to deter foreign insurance
companies from removing cases to
the federal courts on penalty of for
feiting their charters was passed,
after a brief struggle. The movers
explained that the bill was intended
to put foreign companies doing bus
iness in the state on the same basis
as local ipsurance companies.
The house passed the anti-trading
stamp bill, by 113 to 0.
Mr. Lewis of Hancock sought to have
the house reconsider its action in
voting down the bill to permit juries
in criminal cases to assess punish
ment as well as declare the guilt or
innocence of the accused. The house
overwhelmingly voted down the mot
ion to reconsider.
After a hearing lasting all the
afternoon, the senate general judiciary
committee agreed to report favorably
a bill by Senator Gordy, of the twenty
fourth, which provides for the con
demnation of water powers under cer
tain circumstances, with an amend
ment providing that the power de
veloped by the water taken under
such condemnation proceedings shall
be used for public utility purposes
only.
