Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-07-20

WISH 10. IL was q lie to
say was asleep and that | had an
other person in the room at the time
! was arrested. | could have killed
both officers easy if | had wanted to.
Several officers in the stationhouse
threatened to kill me, and one took
out knife and drew it across my
throat, but | was not afraid of any Of
them. first came here With colored
man named Henry, q train hand,
ABOUT month before the trouble, and
| did no work here except
little odd jobs such as / could
pick up. | came by rail
from Fulton, KY, and intended to 90
further south to seek work among the
race horse owners. The last man |
worked for was up in Illinois, and he
was race horse owner named Ash
brook. My trial occurred on the 4th
of December last, and after conviction
| was sentenced to death by Judge
Horrigan. de overruled an applica-
tion for a new trial made by
my lawyers, james NJ. Harris
and Mr.. Richardson, but he
granted an appeal. | was taken to the
Supreme Court at Jackson by Officers
McKeon and Newell, and kept there
some time. The jailer treated me
very badly because | refused to tell
him who Of the prisoners we're max
ing noise, and he cursed me. | ap-
piled to the Sheriff about it, and told
the jailer 1 had never been called such
names by any other jailer. On the
9th Of June Judge Deadrick affirmed
the proceedings of the Criminal
Court here, and re-sentenced me. /
gave up all hope of life seventeen
days ago, and my departure frem the
world has not given me troublesome
thought since. The jailer and his
assistants here have been very kind to
me and have treated me as we'll as
they could treat any prisoner"
The foregoing is about the words Of
the condemned man. The facts
differ considerably from his state
ments. He came here last summer
With Coles circus, when on its first
visit, but to a direct question on this
point he gave fiat denial, saying he
did not come with Coles circus as it
was here in October, neither did he
know Mr.. Bracket, for whom it Ia
reported he worked short time. lie
also preYsricsted when he said h. MO 8
not asleep at the time Or his Ar arrest "a'
as well also as that he could have
killed the officers when tbey
approached his hiding place. Thi'
fact and elso that he grabbed his vic.
tim, RuseeIl's pistol as it lay on tn,
counter in Saford's drug store, is .
hat denial OF the statement that it was
pointed at his head when he shotRns.
sell. A man supposed to be his com.
rade in the theft lurked near when he
was stealing Russell's goods and dis
appeared shortly after, therefore tn,
story that he had no companion i,
also untrue, and the awfulest lie o
the lot is his animadversions UPON The
newspaper people, whom he tradueeC
so unkindly.
AS the hour Of execution an
preached, a solemn stiffness seemed t
tall from tho halls and the rays o.
sunlight Orept in through the large
windows and heavy gratings more
stealthily, and scarcely anyone spoke
above a stage whisper.
Ann Dunn, colored woman well
known in police circles, stood at the
door of the cell. Wilson could be
seen calmly smoking cigar to sootf
his nerves: His calmness at that time
seemed to be self enforced and under
considerable strain. The woman wa
the worst agitated Of the two. She
could be heard enjoining him in al
undertOne to keep quiet and not to lei
down. The various attaches of the
jail, the deputy sheriffs, and the few
representatives Of the press admitted
moved about the corridors quietly, as
| ifnOthips unusual were about to hap,
pen. The prisoners in their cells
about % in number, craAed theil
necks eagerly to catch view of those
walking around, but none of then
could see the gallows.
On the outside there vas quite .
mixed crowd of hundred OF
more, peering through tie gate anC
watching the oomerS and goers. But
the world around within hearin,
seemed 30 De not the least concerned
/ Fhe whistles of locomotives, ringinl
OF bells and buzz of machinery il
manufacturing establishments near BY
went on just the same "a usual. Tht
prisoner was as dead to the world in hi
cell as in his coihn, and few, very few
there were to take any real interest il
ais fate.
| Sheriff Cannon was the Ssest solemn
looking man in the osOwd. He wa,
quite pale and slightly nervous at tn,
thought Of the Gisagreeable duty h
had to perform.
Every arrangement, however. wa
perfect. The gallOws, a plain, soliC
affair, stood at the rear end Of the Jail
1t was examined by tae inspectors ant
pronounced co@plete. At the las
moment Wilson asked for slight delay
ln fact, he asked at one time if an,
hour between ten and four o'clocl
would not be legal, and seemec
to have no objection to any postpone
ment the sheriff might make. JUS
befoyei2 the Rev. Father entered hi
cell and passed short time with him
The world need not know what passed
in those few moments or seek to lif
the veil,
JVAt after the whistles and bells an
uounced IL o'clock the door wa
thrown open, the doomed nan hand
cuffed, and neatly dressed, stepped ou
iauntily attended by the Sheriff, SOM
IDENTITIES and his spiritual advisors