The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1875-08-19
STOSEWALL JACKsON'S WIDOW.
Wade Bottoms Legacy of Ten Thousand
DolIars-The Bolton Dickens Feud-
One OF the Darkest Passages OF Crime
I'm the Southwest.
fFrom the Memphis avalanche, Jnly.e.l

| DolIars-The Bolton Dickens Feod-
One OF the Darkest Passages OF Crime
in the Southwest.
I tFrom the Memphis Avalanche, Julyse.l
| During the month of February, 1872,
against the positive instructions of his at
tOrneys, Mr.. E M. AppersoD, of this city,
as executor of Wade Ii. Bolton, paid over
to Mrs. Il. j. Jackson the sum OF $1,000,
half the sum bequeathed to her husband.
General StOnewall Jackson. who fell In
action at Charlottesville, Va, in 1854,
while commanding a corps of Confederate
troops.
At an interview on the subject with Mr..
Apperson yesterday he stated that the
heirs of the Bolton estate have been in liti-
CATION for some time past concerning the
distribution of the property, and while
this legal contest remains undecided the
attorneys deem it unwise for him TO pay
any beQuests not ordered by the courts.
Contrary to this advice, however, and
solely because Mrs. Jackson has stated
that she sadly needed the money, the eX-
ecutOr has paid her half of the bequest, a
above noted. He has also paid the several
heirs considerable sums on account of
their prospective inheritances.
VALUE OF BOTTOMS ESTATE.
The value of the personal property be-
longing to the Wade Bolton estate is est
mated at S500,000. A claim was set up in
the courts some years ago by Wash Boil
ton and Tom Dickens. his former business
partners, against Ike and Wade Bolton for
all their estate is worth. Should the
courts decide in favor of the claimants
there will be little or nothing remaining
after satisfying the judgment.
tho tina w od. ROltnp roada ba 10
quest of $4,000 to Mrs. Jackson. he was
in hourly expectation of losing his life by
violence. Having expressed desire to do
something to enable his name to live in
the memory of future generations uncon-
nected with evil deeds, Mr.. Apperson him.
self suggested donation to Mrs. Jackson
of S25 600. Bolton liked the idea, but re-
duced the bequest to $4,000.
After his death, which happened few
months subsequent to the time of making
the bequest, Mr.. AppersOn wrote and in.
formed Mrs. Jackson of the matter, telling
her also that as soon as the terms of the
law could be complied with, the sum
should be made subject to her order,
AN OLD, BLOODY FEUD.
There is history connected with the
gathering of this large and valuable Bolton
CSldtC WillCu Va CNChlS anu
violent deeds. The property was chiefly
accumulated by trading in slaves through
a long series of years. The business firm,
known as Bolton & Dickens. had their To-
cation in a conspicuous building, situated
on the bluff in front of the lower part of
the city, near the once famous Gayoso
House. Tourists on passing steamers
(then the only method of traveling), in
variably had their attention called to the
large painted letters which adorned the
river side wall of their structure, and
which read " Bolton & Dickens, slave d, al
ers." The sign and the firm both figure
in Mrs. Beecher Stoves story of "Uncle
TOm," and many letter writers of the day
referred and often commented severely
upon it, and Bolton & Dickens had more
than a national reputation. They had
branch houses at New Orleans and else
where, and their agents penetrated every
section of the countr, south OF Mason and
DiXon's line in search of black people to
supply the demands of their customers
who embraced planters throughout the
entire Southwest. Many persons and
large sums of money were employed to
aid them in their traffic.
THE INITIAL TRAGEDY.
Over twenty years ago a colored lad was
purchased somewhere in Kentucky, at a
public sale, who had been manumitted by
a will of his master, and who was TO be
set free after he arrived at certain age
The conditions of the sale We're named,
and Bolton & Dickens agent, one McMil-
Ian, became the purchaser. He was con-
veyed to their mart in this city, and the
firm subsequently sold the boy for the
sum of ST. 800 to Thomas B. Crenshaw.
near Morning Sun, in this county. The
boy was considered valuable and brought
a big price for those times, but he was sold
as slave for life, nothing being said about
his promised freedom. The colOred boy
informed his new master of the actual sit
nation. Crenshaw sent to Kentucky for a
copy of the will, employed counsel for the
boy and the courts decidei against the
slave traders. They were forced to return
their ill-gotten dollars to Crenshaw and
also pay heavy costs for their misdemean-
or. They had expected Mcmillan to testi
fy in their favor. He failed to do 80 and
stuck to the truth throughout.
The dealers managed to obtain new
trial, and having been deceived into the
belief that Mcmillan would swear as they
wished, to prevent his temperance Isaac
L Bolton murdered him in his own house.
This was on the ID day of June, 1857. The
atrocity of the crime was widely comment
ed on throughout the entire country, and
it created much excitement everywhere.
Bolton managed by hard swearing, sharp
map apPuvriDg and other tricks to have the
venue changed to Upton County, Ten
nessee.
In the meantime his friends were active.
They managed to have sheriff and other
officers elected to suit their purpose. A
jury was obtained for the case, and after
the expenditure of more than 100000 in
money Bolton saved his neck and went
clear. 1t is remarkable fact that in less
than four years afterwar eleven of these
same jurors had died violent deaths, AID
the other also died in an unnatural way
some years after.
BLooDsHED FOLLOWS BLoODsHED.
A quarrel ensued between the members
of the slave dealing firm, which had been
dissolved by limitation within few days
of the nurderous deed, as to who should
pay the enormous expenses of the trial.
One party contended that the firm should
be charged with the amount, and the 9th
er that Bolton himself ought to foot the
bill alone. The quarrel resulted seriously
to the contending parties. Ike Bolton,
who did the killing, died a natural death
some years ago. One after another the
rest were killed in alterations with each
other. Finally Tom Dickens killed Wade
Bolton, as before mentioned, by shooting
him down in front OF Court Square. Some
months later Dickens was assassinated
while riding along the public road,
dozen miles or so from this city, and near
his home. A few months after that, Tom
Dickens, his son, while trying to gather
testimony to prosecute the supposed muir
derers of his father, let his loaded gun
drop carelessly, the conclusion caused 1t
to go off and send the contents through
his bosom, causing his death.
This was the last death by violence.
Since then several prominent members OF
the family have died in the usual way, and
the survivors are in litigation as to how
the estate shall be divided. Immense
sums have been expended in feeling attor-
neys in the civil suits since the trial of Ike
Bolton. Wade Bolton gave to a single
member of his counsel plantation on the
Tsllahatchie River In Mississippi, which
cost him S64 900. The place, however,
failed to realize for the attorney more than