The Johnson Murder

A Full and True Statement of the Terrible Affair
Doiter News: Seaing's Report in your paper of theJohnson Murder, on Paint Creek, in this county, and knowing that you had been misinformed I will give you the true facts in the case, as I was sent there to look up the matter and have made a thorough examination:
Thomas Johnson aged 56 years, and wife aged 45, and six children aged as follows: Jeff Davis 20, Sarah 18, Joseph 16, Charles 14, Almedo 13, Thomas Cleveland 7, lived 1/2 mile north of the Tennessee and North Carolina state line in the 18th civil district of Greene County, Tenn., on Paint Creek.
There has been for some time trouble brewing between the Johnson family and Alex Griffey and while Mrs. Johnson was over the line, in North Carolina, Griffey had her arrested and put in the Marshall jail in default of paying some costs, and while there she informed the revenue officer that there was several illicit distilleries running just over the State line near Allens stand, in North Carolina, and that her husband Thomas Johnson would give them all the information they wanted. Mrs. Johnson returned home on the 25th of January and on the 18th of February Jas. Hixon, Alex Griffey, Willis Cole, Rogan Cole, Bird Follett, William Follett, and Thomas Hixon came over the line and stayed all night at a house near Johnson's. On the morning of the 7th inst. Johnson went to a tobacco barn about one-half mile away to work for Dan Chenley. James Hixon with his gang, less William Fallett, and Thomas Hixon, who were detailed to keep watch on Johnson's house followed Johnson and arrested him. Hixon claiming to have a states warrent for him issued in North Carolina. Johnson agreed to go with them but asked to go by home. This request having been granted the crowd started for Johnson's home and when within a short distance of his house Johnson said they had no right to take him over the line and demanded to see the warrent. Hixon claimed to have forgotten it and drew a revolver, swearing at the same time that he would take him (Johnson) anyway. Mrs. Johnson ran in between them when Hixon hit her several times with his pistol, breaking her nose and inflicting several wounds on her head. Griffey and the two Cole boys grabbed Johnson and the shooting began.
After Hixon had beaten Mrs. Johnson out of shape he pushed her out of the house into the yard. She fell on her face dead with a bullet in the back of her neck. Proof shows that Hixon shot her.
The four then clinched Johnson and put him out the door. He fell on top of Hixon and had a grip on his throat when the two Coles and Grifey ran up and shot Johnson twice in the back killing him instantly. Fallett then came up and released Johnson's holt on Hixon.
There in five feet of each other lay Johnson and his wife dead and the murderers stood around and forbid any one to move them.
They were killed about 9 0'clock am on the 7th day of February, and the bodies lay there until 10 am on the next day and were not touched. WillisCole coolly walked up to Mrs. Johnson and taking her by the hair of the head raised her head up on a piece of wood and looking into the mutilated and dead face said: "Dear old Mrs. Johnson I have nothing against you now."
Griffey cursed the dead body of Mr. Johnson and said, "Let's go, boys, we have done what we come to do," The cowardly murderous crowd returned to North Carolina, and are running at large.
Fires were kept up all night by the terrified citizens to keep hogs from destroying the dead bodies until the jury of inquest came, and upon examination by the jury the bodies were found to be frozen to the ground.
They were buried in Lamb's graveyard in one grave.
Altogether it was the most cowardly premeditated and brutal murders ever committed in this county and there should be a desparate effort made to capture and bring to justice the brutes in human form who committed the crime. 

Horse Creek

The Widow Sues the Sheriff

Late News Notes

Important Happenings in East Tennessee

And elsewhere put into shape for the reader.

A great deal of damage has been done to lands and fencing by the recent freshet in Tipton County.

The bank of E.A. Collins at Milan is to be incorporated as a stock company with a capital of $50,000.

Dayton is congratulating herself on the addition of a spoke and handle factory to her "other industries."

Prospectors have been looking at Covington with a view of locating a spoke and hub factory at that place.

The Southern Spoke and Rim Company at Humboldt, it is said has been paying out a thousand dollars a day for spoke timber.

There is nothing in the line of hogs left in the vicinity of Dixon Springs except pigs and shoats and they are dying with cholera or "thumps."

A number of prisoners confined in the jail at Jacksboro planned to murder their jailor and escape. One of the number however gave warning of the conspiracy and the tradegy was averted.

The steamer Hattie McDaniel left on Sunday morning for the headwaters of the Little Tennessee and returned on Monday night with over 500 sacks of corn and peas -- Loudon Record

Messrs. Hopkins, Russell, and Easly,while in New York made satisfactory arrangements for the exchange of the Land Company's bonds, and their retirements. They accomplished everything they went for -- Harriman News.

An examination under the Civil Service will be held in Chattanooga on Thursday, March 12th. No person is eligible to his position who is under eighteen or over thirty-five years of age and must not be below five feet four inches in height nor under one hundred and twenty-five pounds.

Messrs. Ketcham and Pattonleft on Monday night for Bluff City, on the Upper Tennessee river, where they will close the purchase of from three to four million feet of logs which escaped from a broken boom and are scattered all along the upper river. Mr. Patton reports that they are putting in an immense lot of logs for this company on the Little Tennessee, but that the river has not been high enough this year to bring out but few of them. -- Loudon Record

William Carter, who lived fourteen miles northeast of here in Carrol County, says the Milan Exchange committed suicide, about nine miles from here, by cutting his throat, last Tuesday just after noon. It seems that he slashed his neck four times with a razor, almost severing his head from his body. It is thought he was crazy as he had a good wife and four children, with whom he appeared to live happily. The terrible affair created a sensation in this section.

George Cunningham entered the house of Widow McMinn, four miles north of Milan, one morning last week presumably to steal money, as it was known that she had received some the day before, and that her daughter had gone to a neighbors th previous evening. Mrs. McMinn heard him, called her son-in-law from another room and he shot at the rascal, two balles taking effect in his arm and shoulder. He escaped, but it is said a party of neighbors caught him the next night and gave him a sound thrashing. 

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