Linked from A Most Horrible Tragedy! Wichita Businessman Shoots His Wife and Himself
Transcribed from: https://www.newspapers.com/image/519460669/
J.E. Johnston Commits A Terrible Crime By Killing His Wife, and then Sends A 38 Caliber Through His Own Temple.
Wild with Passion Shoots His Wife and Then Kills Himself, Leaving Four Children to Weep Over Their Parents.
Last Tuesday, Mr. Robert Black was in the sitting room of his palatial home on E. Douglas avenue when he heard two shots from a revolver coming from the room of Mr. and Mrs. Johnston, which was immediately above him. He rushed to the room and found his only child, Mrs. Johnston, lying at the west side of the room. She was unconscious and in a few moments died before his eyes. Those about the house were so much excited that despite the fact of both dead a number of doctors were telephoned. Drs. Oldham, Graham, Jordan and McLaughlin were the first at the scene. The bodies lay in the position they had fallen after the fatal shots. An examination of Mrs. Johnston showed that the ball had entered the head just in the rear of the left ear and passed directly through the head coming out in the rear of the right. Blood and brainy matter had oozed from both sides of the head. The face indicated that she had died without a struggle.
The body of Mr. Johnston was next examined. The face was covered with blood the ball having entered at the left temple just above the left eye and came out just in the rear of the right ear. A 38-caliber bulldog revolver lay on the floor near his left hand. As nothing could be done by the physicians, they retired in a few minutes and Coroner J.W. Wingard was called. He arrived near 10:30 and removed the valuables from the bodies, and in the afternoon empaneled a jury consisting of the following gentlemen: Perry Crossen, T.H. Lynch, Gardner Wash, H.T. Craven, J.H. Stumpf and L. Simpson.
MR. ROBT. BLACK
The miserable father of the dead woman is a subject for the deepest commiseration. Past shedding tears, he occasionally gives cent to a deep, heart broken groan which causes tears to spring to the eyes of those who hear and have feeling enough to be able to realize, in even a faint degree, how afflicted is the old gentleman.
He moves about from one to another of his friends, clinging to them as would a child and tacitly praying for some sympathy, something that will relieve his overwrought mind. It is feared that his reason may not be able to bear the strain, and a very strong bond between the old man and life and reason is found in the four little grandchildren. “She would do anything in the world for him, and now he has murdered her,” said the bereaved parent at one time, while the next moment he was thinking only of the “four dear little children.” The children range in age from five to twelve years, the two younger being boys and the older girls. The two girls were at school when the terrible tragedy was enacted which, at one moment, deprived them of both their parents. Gracie, the oldest girl, is of such age as to be able to comprehend, in all its fullest ghastlines, the horror of the deed and the extent of her bereavement. Tears have fortunately come to her relief. Poor child, she says “my heart is just breaking,” and the intensity of her sorrow is such that none can help her. The other tots hardly realize what has happened. They are frightened and look with wonderment upon the strange and familiar faces looking on them with such deep pity, but they will have to be older before they can understand all the dreadful features of the crime.
At the breakfast table that morning, Mr. Johnston appeared in rather better spirits than usual. He seemed glad that the time was drawing nigh when the whole family would start for California and said he anticipated complete restoration to health after a winter spent in that climate. The meal finished, Mrs. Johnston went up to her room, and the rest of the family, Mr. Black, Mr. Johnston and the two children, (the other two children having gone to school), went out to the back yard where they found Dr. Snoke, strolled about, looked at the horses and finally ordered the carriage to be got ready. While the party was in the yard, Mr. H.L. Hollard, a farmer from near Garden Plains, and a friend of Mr. Black’s, drove up to the house and saw the whole party together. Finding no place to hitch his horses, he drove round to the other side of the house, hitched his team, entered through the door of Mr. Black’s room, as was his custom, passed through the inner room and was about to go out into the yard where he supposed he would still find his friends when Mr. Black rushed down the stairs, grabbed Holland by the arm and leading him up the stairs, disclosed the horrible tragedy. It was in the few moments occupied by Holland in driving around the house and hitching his team, that the dread deed was committed which has brought such woe into a house; murder and suicide, an old man bereft of a beloved daughter, four little children bereft of their parents, all caused by the temporary insanity of a man for whom the wife at one time sacrificed home and friends.
J.E. Johnston’s father was a postmaster at Warsaw, Ill. In the same town lived Mr. and Mrs. Robt. Black and their only child, Clara. The Black’s were probably the richest people in the town, and young Johnston and pretty Clara, then only sixteen, went about together, much against the wishes of the latter’s parents. One day Clara was missing from her home, but she returned the next day accompanied by her husband, J.E. Johnston. They had crossed the river, had been married, and like prodigal children, had returned to ask forgiveness. It was not a very difficult matter to induce the fond parents to open their arms to their only child, but they never forgave the abductor, and to the day of her death, Mrs. Black always said that “Johnston had “stolen his wife.”” From the most intimate with the family, it would seem that Johnston was devoted to his wife, and the probability is that he, determined to take his own life, could not bear to leave her behind. They had been in Wichita but three years, coming here from Kansas City, where Johnston worked in some government employ.