"MY NECK IS BROKEN"

Evening Star, Issue 18332, 20 July 1923, Page 5

"MY NECK IS BROKEN"

A MYSTERIOUS DEATH. Tim police (says the Sydney ‘Sun’ of July 8) are in possession of two conflicting stories regarding ilio death of Snno Johnson, whose boiK was found beside a bod at a house in Palmer street, Darlinghurst, at 7.30 n.m. yesterday. At first it was thought that the man’s skull hail been fractured, but a post mortem examination revealed that his neck had been broken and that he had considerable hemorrhage of the brain.

Tim first story pieced together by the police was that Johnson returned homo between 10.15 and 10.50 on Friday night, apnarontlv under tho influence of drink. People in tlm house heard him talking to some men outside before going to his I'uom, which is ,n tho basement. Ho asked the men inside, but they declined the invitation, and evidently left tho J muse.

At 7.15 a.m. yesterday Johnson’s body was found beside tho bed, ami there was every indication that Ids skull was fractured.

This led the police to think that the Tnfin might have received his injury thioiigh falling out of bed; but the fact, that 1m had been heard speaking to men outside tho house made them prosecute further inquiries. Then on top of this came, tho additional information that the post mortem examination revoded i.hat the man had died from a broken neck. In addition, ibero was considerable hemorrhage of tho brain; and, although Johnson's body did not show any outward marks of violence, the hemorrhage of the brain lent color to tho theory immediately adopted by the police that tho man had been handled roughly before he returned homo. Detectives Anderson, Gcldart, and Parra tt. took up tho case, and got into touch with the two -young men.

They were told that on Friday night there had been a. rumpus outside an hotel nt the corner of .Miller and Jones streets. Ultimo. Johnson was one of a party of ycung men who were heard arguing, tint nothing definite is known as to whether ho was struck during tho argument. Ono man told the detectives that John son was outside lying on the footpath, but tho second man denies that Johnson was on the ground at any timo Two other men, they say, put Johnson on a tram and took him homo, and put him to bed fully clothed.

The detectives cannot got any information as to whether Johnson was aclurJly hit, but they discovered that there were seven men in a -oom at the Hotel prior to the trouble commencing outsido. Johnson, they have been told, actually complained, when Lo manned homo, about “a fellow hitting mo." Ho also said that his neck was broken. Two men did enter the - house, and they put Johnson on tho bed and left immediately. A man named Thomas Clare found Johnson’s body, . and immediately called the landlady.

Johnson was a Russian Finn, and was about fifty years of ago. His correct name was Simon Gyunola, but he had bean naturalised over twenty years ago, and was known by tho name of Bimo Johnson. Tho detectives art) of the opinion that tho case is one of murder, and they aro hopeful of getting; further details which will enable them to effect an arrest.

Johnson, they say, is a small man, and there is no doubt that during tho rumpus near the hotel ho was brushed aside by a bigger man and knocked off his balance,