The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-03-21
JOE WILSON 5 LUCK
The Lost Pardon Came
Too Late Story of
Fake Burial

Fake Burial
The otner day Gov. Glenn granted Il
pardon TO Lucky Joe" Wilson. who
was doing time on the roads OF Ir4-
dell county fer petty larceny Poor
Joe had been sick ard the pardon was
granted because it was feared that he
could not live in confinement much
longer. But, alas the Governor S
elcmency had been delayed too long.
and when the pardon arrived Lucky
Joe" had passed to that bourne from
whence there is no record that any
traveller has ever returned.
This pathetic incident brings 10
mind how Lucky joe once escaped
from prison.
Many years ago while Lucky Joe"
was serving d term IN the States
prison for larceny. Col. j. c.
H. IfGrr!s, Iof Raleigh, sue
ceeded in getting Governor Jar
Wis to grant him q pardon DurinI
this employment Lucky joe de-
tailed the history of how he escaped
from the jail of Ashe county after he
bad been sentenced there for a term
for stealing. with the promise that
the same should not be made public
until after his death. Now that death
has broken the seal of this confidence,
here is the story Just as lucky Joe"
gave it in detaile
The Wilson family had been left
considerable amount Of property in
Tennessee, and IT was of tho utmost
Importance that Lucky joe should
so there and look after the same. IN
this view, when his relatives came to
the jail to see him, the plan was con-
cocted that Lucky Joe" should get
sick and remain so for two or three
weeks. gradually growing worse ard
finally die. Previous TO this certain
persons necessary had been induced
to lend themselves to the successful
issue of the plan. After death Lucky
ice" was to be transported home and
kept over night and Il log representing
his weight was TO be put i'm the cot
fin. While the relatives of Lucky
Jce's were digging the grave wherein
he was TO be deposited, on one side
Of the grave they found a hole large
enough for a man TO sit up in, which
of the roots many years before OF Il
very large oak tree. The finding of
this cavity suggested a change in the
plan. A small excavation was made
from this underground hole to the top
of the ground, and it was covered so
as to give air. but remained concealed
from the public. The casket was then
next To the hole in the grave, which
had been carefully hidden from the
public gaze. The catch of this door
was on the inside and the coffin was
covered with black cloth and lined
with silk on the inside. And Lucky
joe feigned de,th and was prepared
for burial and lay in state in the court
mouse for several hours, and then he
was put into the caSket and taken
home to his grief-stricken relatives
There his friends INDUCED in wake"
over him, and the next DAY he was
consigned to mother earth-the large
corcoUrse OF people taking a last look
at the remains While the casket was
lying on the studs over the open grave.
And SO was Lucky Joe laid away
among lis fathers but as soon as the
clods began to fail on the plank that
covered ;he casket, he pushed open
the door at the head of the coffin, and
crawlcd out into the hole in the
ground where the oak tree had stood
and was sitting UP in there long be-
fore the grave had been filed. That
night the hole which had been giving
Lucky Joe" air for several hours, was
made larger by his relatives and he
came out and in due time proceeded
to Tennessee.
About a year after this escape il
began to be noised around and ru-
mored that Lucky Joe" was not dead.
These tales were at first treated as
the idle gossip Of tale-mCngers, but
now and then came authentic news
of tn = contmiSsiin of offenscs which
caused those familiar with the ear
marks of crime as heretofore commit
ted by Lucky joe Wilson to remark
that it appears like it was COM
mitted by Lucky Joe Wilson" And
after awhile a man who knew Lucky
Joe" came to Jefferson, the seat Of
Ashe county, and maintained that he
had seen Lucky doe in the flesh only
q few days heretofore at a distillery
in the county of Yaakin,' going under
the name of Willis Walker.
So the scent became so hot that the
prosecuting attorney OF the district
was appealed to and he ordered the
body to be exhumed This was done
and the casket was found empty. The
door of the coffin was discovered but
the hole i'm the ground was not found.
and the mystery Of how Lucky Joe"
got out will not have been revealed
until this article appears in print The
public at once accepted the fact that
Lucky Joe" was alive and concluded
that the grave had been opened at
night soon after this in another
county lucky Joe" was arrested and
indicted for petty larcey and was in
and cut Of prison until his last sen
tence to the roads of Iredell county.
That at the last the pardon for the
crimes of which he was guilty should
have beer thwarted by the real sick
ness unto death, which he had orce
feigned to the ends of his iniqliity. is
one Of the facts which give to life ali
apparent sinister meaning OF which
it lis tho easier tn indict than to con-
s~N - h-y