A Desperate Jump at the Spring Street Wharf

Kate Johnson, who has been living with a man named Louis Bird at 113 Bell street, North Seattle, attempted suicide yesterday morning at 10:30 o'clock by throwing herself into the harbor at the foot of Spring street. The cause of the deed was whisky and the desertion of her lover.

According to the unfortunate woman's story, she met Bird in a house of ill-fame in Vancouver about three years ago and accompanied him to this city, where they have lived ever since. Their last residence was 113 Bell street in a small white house, which is now tightly closed and exhibits no signs of life. So long as Kate Johnson, or Mrs. Bird, as she called herself, let liquor alone things went well with the exception of a family quarrel now and then. Of late, however, things have been going wrong at the house, and the policeman on the beat has received complaints of revelry by night. As near as can be learned, a great deal of it took place when the man of the house was absent.

The upshot of the matter was that one day last week the woman came to police headquarters and complained to Capt. Sims that Mr. Bird had removed some of the furniture from their house and sold it and that he used her shamefully and beat her. The captain told her that the police had nothing to do with the furniture, but if she wanted to do anything with her husband she had better apply to the prosecuting attorney. She appeared at headquarters again last Thursday morning in the patrol wagon, drunk and in a condition that showed dissipation. She had been taken from the Iowa house on Front street by Officer O'Brien, who was called in to see what could be done with a woman who either had delirium tremens or an epileptic fit. During the day a man who said he knew her when she was a little girl came to the jail and took her out. It appeared that she was released only to go down hill the faster. From saloon to saloon she went, drinking and carousing and sleeping in lodging houses wherever the night found her.

The influence of the whisky, the thoughts of her trouble with her lover and the black future led to a determination to end her life. Yesterday morning she walked to the Spring street wharf and stood for a moment looking down into the water. Then without a word she gave a slight jump in the air and went straight down into the water fifteen feet below. The sudden shock from the cold water made her give an involuntary shriek, and the bystanders on the wharf aroused themselves to action. Harbor Master Jelich threw a plank to her, which she grabbed and hung to, while the captain of the barkentine T. W. Lucas came to her assistance in a boat. He grabbed her by the shoulders and held on, notwithstanding the fact that she took it into her head that she had better go under, and commenced ducking her head. In a short time help came from Carl Denny's boat house, and the water-soaked would-be suicide was taken to the fire boat house.

To all questions as to the cause of her identity she turned a deaf ear. The patrol wagon was called and she was taken to the police station and made as comfortable as possible. When seen by a Post-Intelligencer reporter, she was shivering from the effects of her cold bath and showed the effects of whisky. For a time she talked rational, but towards the close of the interview gave evidences of being slightly out of her head.

She said she jumped in the bay with the simple intention of killing herself and thought it would be the best thing for her if someone would take her down again and throw her in. When asked if her name was not Mrs. Bird, she replied that her right name was Kate Johnson, but that she had lived for three years with Bird. She would not tell who Bird was, but implied that he went under another name in this city. Then she spoke of her troubles and attributed her rash act to drink, illness and trouble at home. About this time the Salvation Army was heard coming up Yesler avenue and she became wild in her talk and spoke of her lover as the man who did the yelling in some place she could not remember.

"Yes," she said, "he is; I think they call him the lieutenant."

Lieutenant of the Salvation Army was suggested, but she replied in an impatient manner, "No, no. He has been here to see me and was standing at the door a few minutes ago. Oh, what is it that he does? I can't think but he knows me."

Kate Johnson is 31 years old, of medium height and a decided blonde, with light short hair and blue eyes. Her maiden name was Kate Addington, and she was born in Nottingham, England. When a young girl she went to Melbourne, Australia, and met a man named Thomas Johnson, who subsequently married her. He died in less than two years after the marriage, leaving no children. She remained in Melbourne three years longer and then came to British Columbia. She eventually drifted into a house of ill-fame at Victoria, where she says she met the man she calls Bird. Since then she has lived in Seattle. Her only living relative is her father, John Addington, who was in Nanaimo, B. C., two years ago.

Late yesterday afternoon she asked for Jailer Sheehan and told him she wanted a doctor, as she had received some injuries a few days ago. A doctor was called, but she changed her mind and refused to be examined.