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CHIEF JOHNSON FORMER INDIAN RACE RIDER DIES DIESLOUISVILLE LOUISVILLE Ky May 24 Chief John ¬ son former jockey and turf character died here today at the Little Sisters of the Poor charitable institution at which friends had paid his keep for years A full blooded In ¬ dian The Chief rode with success on mid western southern and Mexican tracks a quarter of a century ago Of late years he was an indigent but never had wanted for a thing thanks to his race track friends Practically blind and deaf his age was vari ¬ ously placed at anywhere from seventy to eightyfive eightyfiveThe The illness which caused his death was sudden for he had been a daily visitor at Churchill Downs during the recent nineteen day meeting meetingLEXINGTON LEXINGTON Ky May 24 Barry Shan ¬ non Idle Hour Farm was advised last night that Chief Johnson had died at the host ¬ age of the Little Sisters of the Poor in Louis ¬ ville He gave instructions to a Louisville undertaker to arrange for the decent inter ¬ ment of the former Indian race rider and exercise boy who since he became blind about two years ago after a fall from a horse had been a pensioner on Col E R Bradleys bounty Chief was widely known on American race courses but little appears to have been handed down about his origin or his age ageHer Her was generally well liked by horsemen everywhere and many are the stories told about him One most favored is this Mars Cassidy was starting at Juarez managed by Matt J Winn Cassidy annoyed by Johnson at the post one day shouted Chief if you try that again Ill give you the meeting To which came the reply I wouldnt want the meeting Colonel Winn and you havent been able to do any good with it
