Johns was born in Cornwall, England on June 10, 1864, and immigrated to the United States as a young man.

For several years he traveled around the western U. S. and Canada, in various mining jobs, before returning to Prescott, Arizona, where he became a long-time resident for the rest of his life.

[5][6] He was a long time-member of the Prescott Fire Department, serving as its chief beginning in 1900, and remaining in that capacity through 1914.

[12] As part of the Aubrey Investment Company, Johns was responsible for construction of the first paved road between Nogales and Tucson.

[5] Johns was heavily involved in the Arizona Wool Growers Association, serving as its president.

[18] In 1912, he was chosen as one of five commissioners by newly elected Governor Hunt to oversee Arizona's exhibit at the Panama–Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco.

[28][29] In 1917, Johns was instrumental in passing a bill apportioning funds so that the state could purchase the historic governor's mansion in Prescott.

[32][33] He was the top vote-getter among state senatorial candidates in the November general election, outdistancing his fellow Democrat, C. P. Hicks by almost 500 votes, 2807–2315.

D. H. Claridge, president of the prior Senate, withdrew from consideration, and Mulford Winsor also took his name out of the race.

[43][44][45] Johns eventually decided to run for re-election to the Arizona State Senate, along with Hicks.

The enterprise was engaged in several different areas, including automobile and truck sales, commercial paper, and real estate.

[53] In May 1932, Johns was appointed to the Arizona State Highway Commission by Governor Hunt, to serve through January 31, 1935, to fill the remainder of the term of S. R. Trengove, who had died.

[55] It was thought that Hunt had appointed Johns to ensure that the bulk of the state highway funds would be utilized on the road between Globe and Showlow.

The latter opinion was endorsed by state attorney general Arthur T. LaPrade, and when the legislature was seated in January 1933, they approved Moeur's appointment.

[66] The illness led him to refuse to run for a fifteenth consecutive term as president of the Arizona Wool Growers Association, when the group met in July.