The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-03-06
WILCOX CouNrY's TRAGEDY.
a Friend of the Slayer of Reeves Gives
Wilson's Version of the affair.

Wilson's Version of the fair.
ABBEvILLE, GA, March 5.-The cor
respondent of the MORNING NEWS received
a call yesterday from gentleman who is a
personal friend Of N. B. Wilson, who killed
George Reeves at Jordan's Bluff last week.
II come as the friend of Mr.. Wilson TO in
form the MORNING News that Mr.. Wilson
has not fed the country, but is near at
hand. He desires me to say that he intends
TO surrender himself to the authorities in O
few days. and that should an officer ap-
proacL him IN the meantime he will offer
no resistance, but quietly surrender.
Mr.. Wilson pursues this course be-
cause be desires to await further
Developments III which evidence will be
produced that did not appear at the
cOroner's inquest and for other good
reasons
The messenger then, in behalf of r. A.
Wilson, extended your correspondent an
urgent invitation to visit him, stating that
as one side of the case had appeared i'll the
MORNING News he desired to give the
paper the truth of the matter from its origin
to its elimination. | called on Mr.. Wilson,
and be said: 1--WE ship lumber from the
mill via the Ocmulgee river. Several
months ago we built tram road from the
mill to a spoint near Jordan's Bluff,
hen we were stopped by James K. Brown.
father-in-law to George Reeves, who owned
land through which we desired to run. The
| disiano from the boundary Of Browns
land to Jordan's Bluff being about 200 yards,
Brown demanded an exorbitant price for
the right Of way, and at considerable ex-
pense we diverted the road for half mile
to avoid trespsssing. Jordan's Bluff is a
public steamboat lanfing and has been such
for period of seventy years. On nearing
the landing on the new route we were con-
fronted with the same difficulty from
Brown. We then informed him that
we were advised that we had
if we did not he had his redress by appeal
ing to the courts. We proceeded with the
tram road to the verge Of Browns land
where he barricaded it.
In going to the bluff with Joe Rhodes
last Wednesday to select location for a
lumber yard We came 10 the pine across the
road and | removed it in order to pass with
the buggy. At this time noticed a mann
approaching me in threatening manner
with shotgun. 1t was George
Reeves. He cooked both hammers
and presented the gun within few inches
Of my face and cuFsing and vilifying me,
asked me to replace the plank which had
been nailed to tree on one side and
stake on the other. l told him that |
could not replace it if desired, having no
hammer or nails, but that be could not
fri2 hten me. 1 assured him l was uuarmed
and that | did not think him 50 great a
coward as to shoot an unarmed man. !
turned to walk away when MIR. Rhodes
said: Don't shoot him. He (ReeVes) then
snapped cap at me and then discharged
the contents of the other barrel into my
side and bacE at distance of
ten PAGES. The gun was charged with No.
4 shot. l fell aud thought my wound was
mortal. l was taken back to the mill in an
unconscious condition. When my brother
asked me what haG happened informed
hi n that Reeves had shot me without provo
cation. My brother. NJ. B Wilson, said be
would get him. 1 begged him not to shoot
Reeves but to arrest him. Justice G.. t.
Williams had officially signed number Of
blank warrants to be used at the mill TO ar
rest absconding hands or when occasion
should arise. My brother made
search for one of these warrants
but could not find it. He then, accom-
panied by R. L. Robinson, started to arrest
Reeves. AS they approached the house OF
Reeves they separated, in case he
should endeavor to escape. On nearing the
house my brother saw Reeves walking off
and ordered him to halt and throw up his
hands. Reeves responded by firing at my
brother with q pistol, which he returned
with a shot from his rife. Reeves then
dropped on his knees behind IA fence and
resting his pistol on a rail fired deliberately
at my brother, who then fired the fatal
shot My brother informed me of his en-
counter with Reeves, and stated that he
killed him in sslf-defense. Brown had in
structed Reeves to defend his rights with
his gun. The pistol was found beside
Reeves two chambers empty after he fell"