Johnson, Olive L. "Ollie" (Died 1900)

JOHNSON

Posted By: Linda Ziemann, volunteer (email)
Date: 2/23/2019 at 14:44:16

SUICIDE OF OLLIE JOHNSON.

Decatur County Journal

June 28, l900

OLLIE JOHNSON, Seventeen Years Old, Accomplishes Self Destruction at

DeKalb.

Hanging to a cross beam in the hay loft of her father's barn the

lifeless body of OLLIE JOHNSON, a young lady seventeen years of age, was

found at 3:30 o'clock Tuesday afternoon.

The parents of the dead girl are MR. and MRS. LEVI JOHNSON, respected

residents of Long Creek Township, one and one-half miles southwest of

DeKalb.

MRS. JOHNSON was away from home and at noon MISS OLLIE prepared the

dinner and attended to the household work as usual. At l p.m. her

father went to his work a short distance away from the house and upon

his return at 2 o'clock noticed that his daughter was absent. Thinking

that she had gone to a neighbor's he dismissed the matter from his mind

but later became apprehensive and commenced a search which resulted in

the discovery of her dead body in the barn.

Immediately under the spot where the dead girl hung were two overturned

sawhorses which indicated that she had stood on an improvised platform,

deliberately placed the fatal rope about her neck and kicked away the

supports. The rope used was an ordinary halter rope in one end of which

she had formed a noose.

MR. JOHNSON loosened the rope, lowered the body and notified the

neighbors. Later, Coroner McAllaster was summoned and arrived at ll

p.m. a jury consisting of D.R. Dulley, A.P. Woodard and P.G. Harris was

empaneled and the testimony of witnesses heard.

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OBITUARY - OLLIE JOHNSON.

Funeral of OLLIE JOHNSON, whose death was stated in the JOURNAL last

week, occurred at the home of her parents the 28 inst. Rev. Woolever of

Grand River officiating. The body was taken to Elk Cemetery for

interment the same day where it was quietly laid by the side of her

little brother to rest, by kind friends. Sad as was the occasion, there

is comfort and bright ray of hope in the thought that she was not

accountable for her death because of ill health from lingering la grippe

and other derangements which caused the feeble and unbalanced condition

of her mind.

She was of a quiet and peaceable disposition, religiously inclined. Her

age was l7 her last birthday. A dispatch was sent to her brother,

WILLIE, of Nebraska, who came a few hours too late. Another brother,

CICO, is in Wyoming.

The bereft have the sympathy of all. The friends here and on Elk, where

they lived several years ago, gave every assistance they could in the

trying hour, for which kindness Brother JOHNSON and family are most

sincerely thankful.

-CYRUS SMITH.

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