The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1870-01-14
ATrE,aP.rEni RRIRERY.

A Present of Five Hundred DOLLARS Ten /
dered our District Judge-He Exposes the |
Samoa baptist Minister in jail.
Very seldom has anything 80 startling ruff |
fed the peaceful quiet Of our city as the dis |
closure, in the Court House, on Monday last, |
q the attempt OF n Baptist minister TO infiu- |
ence the Judgment Of the District Judge for
this county by the written tender Of nee hifIs- |
dred dollars. It appears that one J. H Wyatt
had sold and decided to Rev. NJ. A. Wilson, Of
this place, ten or twelve acres Of land adjoin-
ing town, after having agreed to sell the same
TO II. Z. Norton. Mr.. Norton had brought suit
for the specific performance OF the contract,
and Mr.. Wilson became one Of the defendants
In the ease by the purchase OF the land. This
suit was brought up in the District Court on
the 4th inst, and on Monday morning lastjudg-
ment was rendered for the defendants Mr..
Watson, immediately on giving his decision in
the case. drew paper from his pocket, and re-
quested that Mr.. WILSON be brought into
court a. he held in his hand paper Of some
importance TO him. Mr.. Wilson was reported
out Of town. The Judge saying that it was no
matter, proceeded 70 state how he came In pos
session OF the document, which we sum up
briefly m follows: On the preceding Wednes-
day, January 5th, quite early in the morning,
young man called at his residence and asked
TO zee him. TheJudge found Mr.. Wilson in
the parlor. The latter declined an invitation
10 step into the warm sitting room, saying he
simply wished TO deliver n letter, which he
handed TO the Judge and Immediately with
drew. Mr.. Watson then handed the letter TO
the Prosecuting Attorney in behalf Of the
State, who hastily prepared an affidavit and
within half an hour Mr.. Wilson was brought
into court, under arrest on the strength Of the
Left IF Nuhf fol Ia a
copy, verbatim Ell IiteratHDa, the lines in italie
being UNDERSIGNED in the original:
EAGPoRIA, KAs., Jan. 9Th, 1870.
HoN.Mk. WATsoN, Dear FFfezld and Brother
iR Chrfst: Having made the desiasion Of this
suite OF II. Z. Norton and II. Wyatt, to which
/ am a party defendant, q subject Of earnest
prayer to God, 1 have been constrained to In
form you Of the conclusion TO which have ar
rived, which are these, That II justice Is done,
the disputed land Ii mine. (This is not only
my opinion but the opinion OF every one with
whom have eonversed,) and y e Is 80 desId-
20 accept, tcilL make nOu present Of FIue
Hundred Dollars. Permit me TO say, also, that
= one-half value Of the contested land 1 have
promised the Lord, and now promise you,
should be used for the benefit Of his cause IN
Emporia.
Please accept this as confidential From your
True Friend and Brother in Christ.
NJ. A. WILSON.
The above letter was endorsed follows:
Hon. Mr.. Watson, Observation-Disclosures.
He was held by Esquire Hunt in the sum Of
twelve hundred dollars for his appearance In
court ut O'Clock on the following Wednesday
morning, which security was not obtained I'M
til late In the evening. 1t was expected that
Judge Brown, Of Chase county would be here
at that time TO preside in the case, but as he
failed to put in an appearance, Mr.. Wilson
was surrendered by his security on Wednesday
morning, and in default Of bail, was sent to
Jail to await his trial, where he remains at the
present writing.
We were unable TO elicit anything from Mr..
Wilson, in our interview with him after his
arrest, calculated to remove the first impress
sion made on our mind by hearing n statement
Of the case and reading the above letter. He
persistently declared that he had no thought OF
committing bribery; that he had no idea ofany
law touching this matter. He was averse to
giving us any information on the subject, say
ing cit seems that cannot speak without get
ting into trouble" He said, however, that he
had been led to think that the Judge was
prejudicsd against them, by reason Of remark
he made In open court, during the hearing Of
evidence, and while holding in his hand letters
written by Mr.. Wyatt, which he had been
reading. We asked what the remark was,
when Mr.. Wilson said, as nearly as we can
remember, the Judge remarked, 81 do not
know but what DR.. Wyatt is n clever, honest
man, but he Is evidently a fool" Mr.. Wilson
said this remark, taken IN connection with the
Judges conduct and manner during the trial,
led him to think that the Judge was partial to
the plaintiff. He stated further that he had al
ways intended to give one-haf OF the price of
the land to the Lord, and had declared this
purpose to several members OF his cOngrega-
ton, and frequently to his wife. The latter
81 at,N
Mr.. Wilson came to our town from Topeka,
last February, by request, to assume-the pas
torate OF the Baptist organization here. He
had preached in Topeka q short time only, be-
ing formerly resident of Westfeld, CHATEAU
n minister Of what is known in this country as
the Missionary Baptist denomination, in De-
cember, 1866, and had charge Of the church at
West Portland over two years, and also short
time during that period preached at MaysYille,
New York. So far as We have been able TO
learn he has always borne good character, but
has not been held in very high esteem for his
ability rs a preacher. He Is about 30 years of
age. His family consists of q wife and two
children, one four, the other two, years of age.
Upon his wife, u devoted christian lady. the
affiiction falls with crushing violence, and We
can wish, for her sake, and for the little ones,
whose hearts may sometime feel the sting of
fathers wrong, that some extenuating circum-
stance may be developed by his trial that may
remove ut least the stigma Of u criminal inten-
ton. Hoping that people who speak Of this
matter will take these sufferers into eonsidera-
ton, and add nothing to the weight of their
sorrow by useless and ungenerous comment,
we submit u simple statement OF the facts.
LATEST.
Tn hafor 20 mi
that Mr.. Wilson consented to waive the juris-
diction Of the Court, plead guilty, and was re-
manded to the custody Of Sheriff Coats until
tomorrow morning, when he will hear the
penalty OF his crime. Judge Watson is capa-
BILE Of forgetting all Vindictiveness, and we
have no doubt that Mr.. Wilson has adopted
the safest arrangement TO receive the lightest
punishment. He preferred to stand trial and
suffer the penalty TO giving and FORGETTING bail
for his appearance and being haunted ever af-
ter with n fugitive's fears-a course which
cOmmends him TO the generous consideration
OF the court and the kindly regard of his fell
low-men.
THE LECTURE LAST EvENING.-We go to
press too soon to say much in regard to the
brilliant affair Of last evening. Suffice it to say
4