The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-12-22
Col. John F. Wooten.

John Franklin Wooten was born the
22d of November, 1921. and died Nov. y
1909 lacking only thirteen days of be-
ing SO years old. He was prepared for
college at Pittsboro, in the county OF
Chatham, by that celebrated teacher, ].
M. Lovejoy, who afterward moved tn
Raleigh and established a military school
and ranked with the elder Bingham, as
one of the best teachers III the State.
Col. Wootens early education was there
fore based upon thorough preparation
and a solid foundation, which equipped
him for the great battle of life. which
he successfully fought in his subse-
uuent years He then went to Williams
and Mary College, Va, and the renowned
university of that State, where he read
law He afterward read law at Raleigh
under the Hon. John H. Bryan, then one
of the foremost lawyers of the Raleigh
bar. where We're such prominent lawyers
as Badger, m. H. Haywood, Moore, Mil
Ter, Busbee and others. l have frequently
heard him speak of these great men. He
often expressed the opinion that Mr.. Bad
ger was the greatest man of the State.
He obtained his license in 1916 and locat-
ed in Kinston to practice his profession
and was the first resident lawyer in
that town He was Clerk and Master of
the Court of Equity for Lenoir county
and was County Solicitor for Jones and
Lenoir counties. In 1860 he was the
Wing candidate for State Senator in the
district composed of the counties of Green
and Lenoir, but was defeated by j. +.
Speight the Democratic candidate
1t was holly contested cam
paign and Col Wooten. by his strong and
vigorous speeches, achieved the reputa-
ton as a stump speaker of rare ability.
Up to that time he had devoted himself
exclusively to his profession and had TAX
en- no active part in political affairs. His
first vote was cast for Henry Clay for
President in 1874, and he was always an
ardent admirer of the great Wing states
man. In 1876 he was elected Tilden
elector During that campaign his serv-
ices as a stump speaker were III great de-
mand and the speeches he made were
what might be called vote-winnng, for
while he was bold and courageous in pre-
senting thes issues before the people, yet
he was mild, perservering and conservative
and said nothing that would offend those
who were opposed to him. l was in
Raleigh that year when the electoral col
lege met to cast the vote for Tilden. and
I can see Col Wooten as he walked down
the aisle in the Senate chamber, with
head erect, with elastic step, with
graceful bearing, with his hand through
the arm of Col l.. C. Latham. of the
First district, to cast their vote for Tild-
en- IL 1S79-1SSO he was elected Judge
Of the Criminal Court of Lemon county.
In early life he was married to Miss Mary
Adams Christian, of West Point, Va.
remember her well when she was
young woman and she and her husband
came to my fathers. She was a remark
ably handsome woman. with a superb
figure graceful in every movement and
possessing those accomplishments and
charms of manner that characterized
the ladies Of the Old Dominion sixty years
ago After the marriage of Col Woot-
en- and their location in Kinston my faith
er and mother felt as kindly toward
them as if they had been their own
children. l have known my father when