Bisbee daily review., 1911-04-14
C0L. WILSON'S RCORD IN EARLY DAYS TELLS
 INTERESTING STORY

Since the death of Colonel J. f Wilson in Prescott on Friday many facts concerning his romantic ane adventurous life which have hitherto been unknown to any excepting the coIonel's most intimate friends are coming to light. There are probably not more than a dozen persons in Arizona today who know that Colonel Wilson was once sentenced to be shot for killing negro. The sen tence was imposed by a military court martial shortly after sbe close of the Civil war.
 After the war, Colonel Wilson, who had been a lieutenant colonel on the stan of Confederate General Hood wandered into Texas seeking employ ment He was made overseer of a plantation because of his ability to handle negroes.
 One day Wilson gave big black some orders which the laborer re- fused to carry out. The oyerseen thereupon ordered him to give up his
 
 the negro refused to do, and when Wilson started for him. he seized a pitchfork Wilson would have been prodded to death had he not drawn a revolver and shot the mu- rnous laborer dead.
 An investigation was begun by the United States military authorities. There had been no eye-witnesses to fhA @k but they told the truth in all par uculars. At one time the officer con oucting the investigation was ready to drop the case. but his superiors insisted that an example be made of Wilson. court-martial was empan- eled. the overseer was convicted and sentenced to be shot.
 Wilson's employer hired a lawyer, who discovered that the day before the shooting of the negro, martial law ended in Texas, thesstate being turned over to, the civil authorities The district attorney of the county began habeas corpus proceedings. with the result that the military was forced to give up the prisoner. Wilson was then tried under civil law and was acquitted.
 AAO OAtC EllOaS luOIt dDOuA Colonel Wilson's Civil war record than Thomas F. Parish, who was close frined of the deceased for more than a quarter of a century, and managed his campaign in 1898, when the colonel was for the first time elected delegate to congress from Arizona
 Born in Tennessee, Colonel Wilson ~- I-L -1r Soy. When he was I6 the Civil war broke out and he enlisted as a pri- vate in an Alabama regiment Dur ing the war he was wounded six times, three bullets passing entirely through his body. He received his first wound at Shiloh. In after years nc delighted to tell of an experience he had during that battle, always maintaining that it was there he re- ceived the disappointment Of his life
 In the course of the first days hghting, young Wilson captured a union soldier who had such blanket as could not be had for love or money in the Confederate army. Wilson intended to keep that blanket for himself, but could not turn over his prisoner that day. When night came on he decided to sleep with the Union soldier. not caring much if the prisoner did get away, just so he saved the blanket But the youth slept more soundly than he intended. in the early morning he awoke. nearly frozen. Both prisoner and blanket were gone.
 The rise of Wilson from the ranks was rapid. Before the end of the war he was made a lieutenant col oneL His last battle was at Atlanta. where his valiant services won the commendations of General Hood.
 Giving up his position on the Texas plantation, Colonel Wilson went 10 Arkansas and studied law. Before coming to Arizona he served three terms as district attorney of one of Arkansas largest counties. He ar rived in Arizona in 1887. and one of the first friends he made was Thom- as E. Parish
 In the fall of 1898 Colonel Wilson was nominated by the democratic party of Arizona for delegate to con. gress. His republican opponent was Alexander o. Brodie, who, when nom mated, was in New York recovering rom a wound received in Cuba Brodie was expected to win on his war record. but with the help of his old friend, Thomas E. Parish, whom ha chose to be his campaign man ager, Wilson won out by a small ma 5ority. Four years later, in 1902, hS was again nominated for delegate ana defeated Robert E. Morrison.
 HEBREWS OBSERVE PASSOVER