The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-11-05
shooting ut StrentOr.

The town Of Strestor was wonderfully excited
= a. last Sunday morning on hearing that Mr..
John G. Campbell, one OF the leading citizens OF
the town, aud Q man well known throughout
Wilson. cOroner's jury was called on SUNDAY,
when the story OF the affair was told ny Mr..
Campbell, as follows:
Invent to bed about half past nine or ten. a.
usual ! saw that all the doors were fastened be-
fore went TO bed. About one O'Clock was
awakened by someone apparently trying to open
the window OF the sleeping room OF my dauEh.
Ter. listened for minute to satisfy myself that
someone was trying to get In. then got up ana
vent to the stand drawer to look for my revolver
but could not find 1t. stepped back to the bed
and my wife had just woke up and l asked her
where II was; she said 1t was under the mattress
Just then | heard the window rattle again, as
though someone was trying TO raise 1t. then
siepped out through the dining room, opened
the door leading TO the kitchen, and stepped
round TO the rear OF the dining room ana this
bed room. then saw man leaning up against
Abe window, his hands seemingly making an 81.
fort 10 raise the window OF my daughters pea
room. / spoke and said to the man standing
there what do you want here" lie ola not
answer but turned and made step toward me-
As soon as he did 80, !, being firmly Impressed
from the fact that he did not answer me that nc
was burglar, raised my pistol and fired In the
direction Of his body As soon as the shot wsF
fred he cried out. 90 John, you mistook me-
YOU mistook met After he got across the fence
into Blllngsley's lot he said again, YOU mis-
took my Intentions" ! didn't see or hear any
thing more OF him. went into the house and
put on my clothes aud went out In front. | was
A. that time In my night clothes. When l go
nearly in front OF Btlllngsleys, l heard hin
breathing very hard. got up In front OF th'
gate and saw where he had fallen | then wen
and awakened Mr.. Billingslcy; together w
raised him sud set him with his back against thu
pahng then Uncovered who he was. knew
him to be James p. Wilson. About that time
shink Mr. Anderson or Mr. Kear came up.
then said | would go and get doctor, ana Dr
Hess being the nearest went for him and In
short time returned with him. l then helped tn
doctor take of his coats and looked Tor IN
wound Just before that l asked him where n
was hit and he said In the head. We examines
his head and found there was no wound there
About that time DR.. Taylor arrived, and we foun
Abe wound. fired only one shot, land was only
or 5 feet from the corner OF the house. | thin
that the object was between 80 and 30 feet, NOR
or less, from me- When fired the man was ad
vancing toward me. and / thought my lie
danger; therefore ! shot
The general belief s that the man Wilson, VII
had taken the precaution TO leave MS boots jus
inside Campbell's gate, was seeking an entranc
by way OF Campbelrs little daughters bed root
window to the room OF the servant girl, VII
whom Wilson had been keeping company u
something over year. The girl, however, Of
MED having had any appointment with him ths
night, or having seen him frequently Il
some weeks, though he had called on her wee
before.
''wilson," the Press says, twas about twent
eight years old, and had been resident oil Sire
Cor off and on for some years. A couple OF yea
ago, during prohibition times, he ran saloon
the east part OF town, and was several times
trouble with the authorities. At another tin
he had a row with Alex Wright In Jake X
mag's saloon, and Wright bit one ear on. Tn
q 1nod deal ~ N viahle nDtnript
Perhaps no one knows just what his object wi
In going about Campbelis at that time, but
Is the general impression that II was not hurgi
ry. His girl WAS there, and II is supposed b
object was TO see her,"
TO q verdict OF the fscts the jury found 9TH
John G. Campbell was, at the time, acting In d
tense OF hi. person and property and absolute
jnstifstle."