Elizabeth B. meets John A. in Baltimore, Maryland

Elizabeth Barbara Wolfe was born in Maryland, between 1873 and 1882 in Maryland. Her parents were Adam Wolfe and Hermena Fritz, two German immigrants from the Bayern area of Bavaria.

Elizabeth Barbara's father worked in a brewery, and she had several brothers and sisters. The lived in Gardenville, a neighborhood in Northeast Baltimore City.

On June 4, 1895, John Andrew Johnson, 23, and Elizabeth B. Wolfe, 21, were married in Baltimore City.

In 1900, John A. Johnson, a carpenter, and his wife Elizabeth; lived on Philadelphia Ave.

In 1907, twelve years into their marriage, the couple adopted a baby boy, and named him Adam Howard Johnson, with a first chosen after Elizabeth's father, Adam Wolfe. (It is not known how the adoption took place.)

Sadly, both of Elizabeth's parents died the next year in 1908, in Baltimore, just months apart.

In 1909, they had moved to an area called Hombergville, north of what is today called Dundalk.

John A. Johnson & John Scharman

On Monumental Road, there lived two men.

John Andrew Johnson, 30s, with his wife Elizabeth, 27, and his toddler child. Mr. Johnson was called “a cattleman” by one report.

Across the street lived an older German immigrant, John Scharman, 51. He was a widower and former calvary soldier, with several children; plus a housekeeper named Caroline Young, 55, a widow with a son, Harry Young, 22.

The Scharman and Young families were a bit of a troublesome group, with some of the children engaging in delinquent behavior. At age 11, Harry Young was in a Catholic reform school. And Scharman’s own daughter was more than the family could handle.

Several neighbors lived nearby to both Mr. Johnson and Mr. Scharman including:

• William Sapp

• James McDonald

• William Filliaux

In late June, some type of incident occurred between John Scharman and William Filliaux's family. The latter accused Scharman of shooting at their 9 year-old son, William Jr. The case went to court, but it was dismissed.

Soon after, around June 26, John Andrew Johnson was in a neighbor’s yard having a party. Somehow, he and Scharman got into an argument, at which point, Scharman allegedly threatened to kill Johnson.

July 1, 1909: An Explosive Day

The Accident & The Saloon

Scharman’s housekeeper (who seems to have been more like an unmarried wife) had a son, Harry Young, who was living at the home.

Harry had been going around the neighborhood with a shotgun and firing it at snakes. That afternoon, on his way back home, he carelessly dragged the loaded weapon on the ground.

Harry tripped, and he shot himself in the groin, causing a terrible wound. He was carried home, and some time later, John Scharman returned home to discover this awful situation. He took Harry all the way into Baltimore City, to Johns Hopkins Hospital. Later, that night, he returned to his neighborhood. But instead of going straight home, he stopped inside of Campbell’s Saloon.

Already in the saloon were neighbors John A. Johnson and his friends, Mr. Filliaux and Mr. McDonald. As Scharman stood at the bar, Johnson, knowing of Harry’s accident, approached Scharman to ask how the young man was doing.

Scharman did not take kindly to this questioning. Johnson suggested that the two of them should have a drink together. Scharman gruffly replied, “No, I would not drink with you.” He then left the saloon.

Johnson decided to leave also, as did his other neighbor friends. The men went home, but Johnson seemed intent on pursuing Sharman, telling his wife, Elizabeth, that he was going to have a talk with Scharman.

Elizabeth seemed to warn her husband not to, but he left with hat and coat on.

Fearing for Their Lives

John Scharman then jumped from his porch. He thrust the German sword through John Andrew Johnson’s right leg, just above the calf.

Johnson cried out, “God, I’m gone!” He staggered several steps toward Monumental Road, with blood spurting from the wound. He fell into the road, helpless.

McDonald and Filliaux moved toward Johnson, but Scharman fired two shots in Johnson’s direction with the pistol he had also been carrying. The two men ran away fearing for their lives.

Scharman went back inside his home and stood at a window with a shotgun in his hand.

Elizabeth B. Johnson was made aware of the confrontation. Reportedly, as the gun fire alarmed her, she ran to the scene. At the sight of her injured husband in the dusty road, she shrieked and went to throw herself at her husband’s side. He raised his hand out to her.

But Scharman yelled out from his kitchen window, “If you touch that man, I’ll kill you.” She backed away from her husband as he gasped his last breath. He bled to death in less than 10 minutes.

Police were called from Canton Station in Baltimore, and an angry mob of people began to gather around Scharman’s home. It is said that threats of lynching could be heard in the crowd before police arrived.

Capture, Imprisonment, More Death

As John Scharman stood watch over the crowd from his first floor kitchen window, three police officers arrived in one of the city’s first patrol automobiles.

They snuck into Scharman’s back entrance and officer Creamer, seeing the bloody sword and gun in the kitchen, punched Scharman behind the ear. Scharman fell to the floor and was put in restraining nippers.

A coroner arrived and John Andrew Johnson’s body was taken to the Canton station, in the same vehicle as his murderer, John Scharman.

An inquest was held in the early morning and a jury determined that Scharman should be held for the killing.

The immigrant Scharman was reticent at first, but told a German-speaking officer that he did stab Johnson, yet only because Johnson had come to kill him; claiming instead that he had shouted he “would kill anyone who came at me.” He added that it was too dark to shoot at anyone and he never said they could not touch Johnson.

One of the Most Peculiar Trials:
Two sides to every story

Trial of John Scharman Begins

News of the murder spread across the region and was reported in newspapers from Michigan to Delaware and Connecticut to Virginia. Odd details claimed Scharman had sat on Johnson’s porch to watch him bleed, and the initial argument had been over an “unlucky keg of beer.”

In early October 1909, a Grand Jury indicted Scharman and a trial had been set later in the month. There was a delay because documents were sent to the wrong address. The juried trial began in November at Towson, Maryland Courthouse before Judge Duncan.

State’s Attorney Robert H Bussey, asking for Scharman to be convicted of Murder in the First Degree, began with this opening statement:

“We expect to prove that Scharman came out on his porch and began to say unpleasant things to Johnson, who was standing in the road. Johnson having gone to see Mr. William Sapp, a neighbor of Scharman.

“We will show that Scharman jumped from his porch and thrust a saber into Johnson’s right leg and and that Scharman went back on the porch. Johnson started to hop toward home, but Scharman followed him and shot at him with a pistol.

“Scharman returned to his home and from a window guarded Johnson’s body with a rifle and would not let anyone go to his assistance. In this way, Johnson bled to death. The patrolmen arrived, and going into Scharman’s house, grabbed him before he knew it.”

Witnesses’ New Details Against Scharman

Neighbor William Sapp testified that:

“Scharman had threatened to kill Johnson June 26, after they had words. At the time, Johnson was being shaved in my backyard, which adjoins Scharman’s. An explosion occurred in Scharman’s yard, which was followed by words between Scharman and Johnson.

“On July 1, Johnson came to see me. I was in bed, but went to a window and told him I would be down. When I came down I heard Johnson was shot.”

William Filliaux said:

“I was coming from a party when I heard Johnson calling for Sapp. Scharman was standing on his porch with his hands behind him, and Johnson was three feet from the porch. I thought there would be trouble and went to Johnson’s home and told his wife.

“Mrs Johnson called for her husband to come away. Scharman jumped from the porch and Johnson started home. Scharman followed Johnson and shot at him twice. Johnson fell to the ground and Scharman went home and took a position at a window. Armed with a rifle, Scharman warned all from assisting Johnson.”

James McDonald said:

“I heard Scharman say, with an oath, ‘I will kill you now.’ Scharman followed Johnson and fired one shot from a revolver at me and two at Johnson. Johnson fell. At the time Johnson was stabbed he had his coat and hat in his hand.”

Officer Creamer described how he knocked Scharman down and arrested him, and Coroner Sudler confirmed death by a stab wound to the right leg only.

Day 2-3 of Trial: Scharman takes the Stand

Mrs. Sapp testified that Scharman spoke with her about the sword, saying he had sharpened it “for the purpose of protecting himself.”

Elizabeth Barbara Johnson, testified that she had been called by a neighbor, and saw her husband limping after he had been cut on the leg with a sword by the prisoner. She claimed Scharman afterward fired two shots at her husband.

Saloon owner Robert Campbell said Scharman had trouble at this house previous to the tragedy.

John Scharman then took the stand to testify on his own behalf. But his testimony was not concluded before court adjourned.

Scharman’s testimony differed sharply from the previous witnesses.

“I came home on July 1 and found that my housekeeper’s son had shot himself. I took him to the Johns Hopkins Hospital. On my way home, I stopped in a saloon and reached home about 11 o’clock. In the saloon, I met Johnson and two other men. Johnson asked me about the boy and one word led to another until it became unpleasant for me and I left the saloon.

“I was eating my supper when I heard noises outside. Mrs. Young my housekeeper went to the door and found Johnson. He said he wanted me to come out, but I did not want to have anything to do with him.

“Johnson came to the door a second time and Mrs. Young saw there were two men with him. I went out and recognized Johnson, McDonald and Filliaux. I was afraid they would attack me and carried my sword.

“Johnson jumped on the porch as I went out, followed by Filliaux, who had a club, and McDonald, who had a blackjack. I was struck and with all the force I had, I aimed the sword and struck something. After that, I fell and was clubbed and badly beaten. After recovering, I got my pistol and went out. I saw the three men and in my excitement, fired two shots for help. I then went home.”

Scharman also denied threatening Johnson’s life prior to this.

Other witnesses were called, including Caroline Young, and it was reported that his defense statement was “borne out” by them.

Jury Deliberates a “Strong Defense”

The trial was given to the jury, but in a late hour, the jurymen said that they had failed to agree on a verdict. Judge Duncan ordered the jury locked up for the night to try and reach a verdict.

A news report noted that “State’s Attorney Bussey said in his opening argument, the case had been one of the most peculiar in the history of the court in that the testimony of the witnesses for the State and the defense was entirely different.”

The next morning, the jury reappeared “flounced” that their attempts at reaching a verdict were “fruitless.”

John Scharman Pleads Guilty

Having spent nearly 5 months in jail already, Scharman consented to plead guilty to manslaughter.

For his murderous crime resulting in the tragic death of John Andrew Johnson, husband and father, John Scharman was given the sentence of:

30 Days in Jail.

Scharman’s troubles did not end that day.

There’s a 1912 notice of a John Scharman charged with carrying a concealed weapon and sale of liquor on Sunday. Could be his son of the same name.

His daughter Mary Scharman, 16, was called “incorrigible” by her own mother and put in reform at the “House of the Good Shepherd for White Women;” after being “enticed” by a 26-year-old man.

Later, Scharman at 63, was convicted of killing his neighbors’ cats, which he claimed were attacking his chickens. The neighbor argued that she had 100 of her own chickens; the cat never attacked. He had his fox terrier, Mickey, chase the cats into a tree, whereupon he would throw rocks till they fell out. And then he would “sick” his dog on the cats to shake them “like a rat,” leaving them in pain, and threatening neighbors who helped.

John Scharman died on September 17, 1927, age 69, and he is referred to as “beloved” by his wife Caroline (Young) Scharman. She would die 5 years later.

Supporting Documents

Some original source material follows from various news reports. And you will notice how the details differ between the initial articles (including names and actions) and the claims made in court.

News Articles of the 1909 Incident

Trial Articles, Fall 1909

Less Accurate News from Other States

Other Mentions