The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1912-12-28
DEED WAS Committed
FOR LIFE INSURANCE
Nick wilburn Who Shot King Dec. IL
Also Makes Confession and says
He Was Promised $500 Far His Part
in the Crime.

King, AZ years old, widow ofs<> 81
inent Round Oak planter u
killed near here Dec. 10, last
confessed that she plotted with N
olas Wilburn, 20 years of age, a far
hand, to kilf her husband SO that shes
might marry Wilburn and secure $1,000
life insurance carried by her husband.
In her confession, Mrs. King declar-
ed that if it had not been for the $4,000
Insurance policy she never would
have planned to kill her husband.
For more than two hours after her
arrest the woman refused to discuss
the tragedy Detectives related to her
details of Wilburn's confession, and
finally she collapsed, crying:
do you think God win forgive me?
Then, with God as my help. will tell
you all, for cannot meet my God with
lie on my lips. Ask the people to
have mercy on me, not for myself,
but for my children"
Last March," added Mrs. King,
. Mick Wilburn and myself were sitting
alone in my dining room. Nick told
me that he didn't have friend in the
world, and, patting him on the back,
! told him l would be his friend From
that time on our relations were most
intimate. We met at frequent inter-
walls, and had signals so that I could
let Nick know when my husband was
away from home.
Had it not been for the $4,000 in
surance we would never have planned
to kill my husband. My first attempt
was to kill him with strychnine. Nick
bought the strychnine, and we put It
in my husbands whiskey. When
became deathly sick he took an ana
dote and recovered.
ut was then that we planned 20
shoot him. Nick told me that We
could catch him out hunting and Kill
him with his own gun. The day Of
the killing Mr.. King was sick. The
doctor told him that he shous I,aot
eat pork, so he took his gun anH4e
into the woods to kill some birds He
left home about $3.50 in the afternoon
and when he had been gone about an
hour, Nick came in. told him my
husband had gone hunting and he
said: Now is the time and I said,
Yes
when my husband did not return
I knew he was dead and sent Johnny
Gordon and Frank Wilburn, my SON.
in-law, to hunt for him. After they
had gone Nick told me that 1t was all
over. We did not discuss the killing
until Dec. II, when Detective Moore
called to talk with me- After Moore
left, Nick told me he knew they sus-
pected him, but I told him to brace up
and give nothing away even II he was
on the scaffold with rope around his
nick. I didn't believe he would give
me away. When Nick was arrested l
made up my mind l would go to the
gallows before I would tell word.
Later came to the conclusion that
could not meet my God with lie on
my lips.
81 was a good Christian woman be-
fore l met Nick Wilburn and had never
done a wrong in my life. l have been
member of the church fourteen
years, and have six children. The
oldest is Is and the youngest A."
James King, a prominent planter,
disappeared Dec. 12. His body was
found with bullet wound in the
heart in a woods lot, where he had
gone hunting. His bird dog was keep
ping watch over the body. Indications
were at the time that ing was re-
sponsible for his death. Investigation
led to the arrest of wilburn and James
Barber, a negro.
In his confession to the police VIII
burn Is quoted as saying. Mrs. King
had offered me s6o1 TO kin aer hus-
band. She said she wanted to get rid
of him and promised 10 marry me II