The Outcome of Booze Versus Brothers

On December 22, 1899, The Philipsburg Mail carried the ghastly story of the Johnson brother’s quarrel. Apparently the three brothers had lived in the Antelope area about 4 miles west of Philipsburg for several years and were from Finland. They made a living by cutting timber into railroad ties and chopping cordwood. “About 4 o’clock Wednesday morning, John Johnson, a Finlander, accompanied by his brother Herman appeared at the sheriff’s office and informed Sheriff Metcalf that he had shot and killed his brother Jacob and had come to give himself up. …Johnson informed the sheriff that the brother Jacob had been to town Tuesday and returned to camp late very intoxicated and with a bad temper. He swore he would kill John and arming himself with a broadaxe, proceeded to chop his way into the cabin. John told him, if he would lay down the axe and come in to bed everything would be all right, but if he did not let up with the axe he would shoot. Jacob continued to chop and was making good headway when John got the rifle and shot through the door. The chopping ceased and when John and Herman opened the door to investigate they found their brother laying there, mortally wounded. They carried him inside and laid him on the bed where he soon expired. After hearing the story, Sheriff Metcalf locked John Johnson up, and in company with George W. Opp drove to the scene of the tragedy, where the dead man was found, as told by the brother. Another Finlander was found asleep in the cabin, and on being awakened informed the sheriff that he knew of no trouble and had heard no shooting. He did not know that a man was dead in the cabin or that anything out of the ordinary had taken place during the night. A coroner’s jury, composed of J.D. Hartwell, F.C. Walker, Frank Freschlag, Wm. Clawson, Archie McDonald and G. W. Opp visited the camp and inspected the premises…. It was found that he ball had entered the body on the right side of the abdomen and came out in the back near the left kidney.” 

John Johnson was about thirty years old and his brother was two years his senior. The Mail learned from John that he and his brother quarreled frequently due to Jacob’s temper when he drank. Jacob was the teamster and brought the product to market while the other two brother’s did the chopping.

 John’s trial was set for March 12th 1900, at which time he was tried for the killing of his brother.   Both the Johnson brother’s and many of the other witnesses spoke very poor English and so most of the testimony was given through an interpreter. Many people were called before a jury could be convened and so after 3 days the short trial began and a verdict was returned after one hour of deliberation. “The courtroom was packed when the jury returned with the verdict and when it was known that John Johnson was to go free there was joy among the Finlanders, who all seemed to favor John Johnson…The jury evidently took the view that the defendant had acted in self-defense when he fired the fatal shot that took the life of his brother.”