Woodbury County, Iowa News
"Crime"

Heavy Criminal Sentences In the District Court at Sioux City, Iowa Judge Lewis passed sentence upon James P Johnson, who shot his brother John H Johnson, while he lay asleep in bed at his home in West Fork Township on the night of Oct 15, and Fred Ward, convicted of committing rape upon the person of Mrs E F McGrasher, on Aug. 23, at her home near Oto. There was a dead silence as the Sheriff and two deputies entered the court room with Johnson, the murderer, and Ward the rape fiend. There were a large number of people present from the localities in which the crimes of which these men had been convicted were committed.They could be singled out by the expressions on their faces, and they seemed anxious that justice should be meted out to the convicted men. Johnson appeared to be nervous and excited That indifferent manner which characterized his hearing at the time of his arrest and during his confinement to jail, was changed. Ward was cool and collected, and appeared to be indifferent to the circumstances surrounding him. Judge Lewis called up Ward first, and after asking him the usual questions, in a few brief remarks sentenced him to the Anamosa, Iowa Penitentiary for twenty years. At the conclusion of the Judges remarks Ward broke completely down, and demonstrated his grief by wringing his hands and crying like a child. Johnson was then brought before the Judge, and in intense silence of the court room, sat listening to the sentence of the court with painful expression. His sentence was imprisonment in the Anamosa Penitentiary for the remainder of his natural life. As the last words of the court were uttered Johnson rose from his seat and falling back, buried his head in his hands, and was silent. The two men were then marched down into the jail below, and the people filed out. [Alton Democrat, November 20, 1885 - Submitted by Janice Rice]

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