The Greene Affair
In Justices' Court, Before E.C. Kattel, Esq.
Binghamton Courier, December 17, 1845
The People vs. John Johnson, Examination of Witnesses, Nov. 18 [1845]
Testimony of Dr. William D. Purple
Dr. William D. Purple, being sworn, testified that he resides in Greene, Chenango Co., is a physician, was the family physician for James Bolt, had known Mrs. Bolt 8 or 9 years, she was a woman of fair health up to the month of May, 1844. Was called to attend her as a physician on the 7th of May, 1844, at Triangle, in Broome Co., a few weeks after they moved from Greene. Mr. Bolt came for witness, he went there. I found her weak and irritable, appearing in a high state of mental excitement, the physical causes for which excitement were not apparent. She said it was more a disease of the mind than of the body. Inquired of her closely the mental and physical causes of her disease which she assigned to me with difficulty, had no doubt but that the primary cause of her ill health was mental and the physical state was the result of it. Saw John Johnson and Bolt talking together in Greene, the Saturday before Mrs. Bolt was missing, talking together alone.
Testimony of Louisa Bolt
Louisa Bolt, being sworn, testified that she was the daughter of James Bolt, past seventeen years of age, lived at home when her father moved to Triangle, went over with Niram Johnson. There was nobody there when I got to Triangle except my mother and the little child. There are two rooms to the house besides the buttery, that the children occupied one room, and the father and mother the other room. Johnson was over there twice before the disappearance of Mrs. Bolt. Recollects the night of her mother's disappearance was Sunday night, was awakened by the slamming of the door, got right up, my mother was then gone, my father had not got out doors when I got up, we went around out doors, had no time piece in the house. My mother had two pair of shoes, both pair were there after she had gone, no other clothing was missing except what she had on. she also testified as to the searches and to her mother's health, and of Dr. Purple's coming there. When Johnson came over to Triangel the last time he was there which was before her mother's derangement, he came to the door, and asked where father was, and mother told him he was somewhere around there. He asked her if she had told Bolt anything. She said she had not, but that she should. He said if she did he would surely destroy her--nothing else was said. The night my mother disappeared, a barrel about half ful of milk was rolled in and set against the door to fasten it, saw my mother come into the room where we were.
Cross Examination: Said she testified at Greene that there was two nails driven over the doorlatch to fasten the door, but that upon reflection since then, knows that she is mistaken.
Testimony of Ann Augusta Burdick
Ann Augusta Burdick, sworn says, I reside in Greene. I have lived there between six and seven months since we moved there the last time. I am 19 years of age. I have been married nearly three months, I resided at that time at my mother's in Greene. My mother's name is Elizabeth Baxter. I resided not a great ways from Mr. Hannond's, resided on the same farm. There are two rooms in the house where I lived when I was married. I usually did my washing about half a mile from the house at the spring. I recollect of returning from washing and of finding the doors fastened, there are two outside doors to the house, they were both fastneed. I heard some persons talking wihtin, those persons were John Johnson and my mother. I stood on the door steps when I heard them talking, they were in the kitchen. I heard Mr. Johnson ask Mrs. Baxter if she would have him if he could get rid of Mrs. Johnson. I believe she said she would, she asked him how he could get rid of Mrs. Johnson, and he said in the same way he did of Mrs. Bolt, he said he guessed he could get a couple of men below Binghamton who would dispose of her.
I did not stay longer to hear what they had to say. I then went to the other door, that door was fastened, I raised up the window and unfastened it, I went through into the entry, there was a door between them and where I was. I did not hear any more conversation there. I walked through the entry, making some noise, and opened the door into their room. I saw Mr. Johnson and Mrs. Baxter there, they were on the same bed together when I went in. He got up and took hold of me and asked me if I heard what they had to say. I told him I did. After I told him, I started to go to the door to go out, he came up, took hold of me and brought me back into the house again. She stepped (my mother) up against the door and held it and Johnson held me and asked me if I calculated to tell of it, and I said I did. He told me if I did tell of it he would be the means of my death. He asked me again if I would tell. I told him I would not. Nothing further then took place.
After this time I saw Mr. Johnson again at our house, it was in the absence of my mother. She was at Norwich, she had been there between three and four weeks. It was about 11 o'clock in the day when Mr. Johnson came, there was no one with me. He asked me if my mother had got home, and I told him she had not. I asked him what he wanted of her. I asked him if he wanted some sewing done, he said no, that it was something of more importance than that. He looked out of the window and saw Mr. Burdick coming and told me to go into the other room, and if I told Mr. Burdick what he said, he would kill us both before he left the house. I went into the other room, as he told me to. Mr. Burdick came in and stayed a few minutes. After he went out to his work, Mr. Johnson came into the room where I was, he took hold of me and led me into the other part of the house, he took the clothes line and tied my hands behind me, he tied my bonnet over my face and eyes, he next tied me to the bedstead.
He went outdoors, was gone a few minutes, and then came back. He took the bonnet off from my face and untied my hands. I went to the fire, there was a bag laying before the fire on the hearth, he untied the bag and took out some bones which were in it, he told me to put them on the fire. I told him I could not, and I fainted away. I saw them and noticed them before I fainted away, there was a head part and a few other bones. the next I saw, they were on the fire burning; a short time after he took them off from the fire and laid them on the hearth; he gave me an axe, and had one in his own hands, he told me to pound the bones, and I told him I could not, he held his axe over my head and told me again to pound them, I told him I could not, and fainted away again. He put water in my face and brought me to; he took his axe and pounded the bones, he pounded them, scraped them up and put them on the fire again.
He then told me to get down on my knees before the fire, and I did so. He held his axe near my head, and asked me if I calculated to tell of it. I told him I should. He raised his axe up and made motions towards my head. I begged of him not to kill me, he told me he would if I told of it. He asked me several times if I calculated to tell of it, and I told him I did not, he told me if I did he would kill me and serve me the same way he had Mrs. Bolt. He untied me and I got up. I thought it was a human head. Mr. Johnson said they were Mrs. Bolt's bones. I do not recollect anything further as to what he said he would do to me if I told, he said he would kill me and serve me in the same way he did Mrs. Bolt's bones. He said if I told of it and he was taken up, he would have friends who would destroy me, he did not, that I remember, say that he was afraid I would tell of it.
When he untied my face and hands, he tied the rope around me, the other end was tied to the bedstead, the rope would let me go from the bedstead to the fireplace. This second occurrence took place nearly three or four weeks after I was married. After he untied me, he went out of the door. I did not notice where he went. My sister Sarah had gone to the neighbors above, this was in the same house in which I saw Mr. Johnson and my mother, we had expected my mother back before this time, she returned the same week. I went to live at Mr. Hammond's before my mother came back, I saw my mother on the Saturday before Monday the 29th of Sept., saw her at home, I went there on that day. I saw her on Monday again, she came back from Norwich in the same week, the Saturday of which I saw her.
To be continued
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