Emil Johnson

Emil Johnson (c. 1873 - September 22, 1947) was a Swedish-born stonemason and labourer who was adjudged to be insane by the Kansas authorities in 1899, reportedly on the basis of his having started seeing visions and hearing voices after beginning work on a perpetual motion machine (and a flying machine). Johnson seems to have remained incarcerated at the Topeka Insane Asylum (Topeka State Hospital) in Topeka, Shawnee Co., Kansas until his death in 1947.