Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-04-26
BRUTALLy SLAIN
IN COUNTRY HOME
Handsome Young Wife of WASH
ington County Farmer Vic
tim of Revolving Crime.
SLAYER MAKES CONFESSION
Mrs. James r. Wilson Gagged
and Assaulted, Then Put
to Death.
Especial to Tho Times-Dispatoh.l ]

BRISTOL. VA, April 25.-The finding
tho handsome young wife OF James r
Wilson. a Washington County farmer,
at tho family home. on the Bristol
Abingdon Turnpike, three miles from
Bristol. reveals one Of the most re-
Voting crimes In recent years.
Attacked while alone in her home
Mrs. Wilson was bound. gagged. Grim
inally assaulted and murdered. Her
hands had been bound with strips Of
cloth and tied to the bedpost. With
her HAMS In this position, her body
lay In pool Of drying blood upon
the moor.
Luther Canter. twenty-five vcars old.
son OF a neighbor who resides near the
Wilson home, and a brother Of James
Canter. who had been arrested on
suspicion earlier in the day. volun-
tarily surrendered this evening He
ts said to have made full confession OF
the crime in all Its gruesome details
Cantor. according to the story he is
alleged to have told. entered the Will
son home at 8 o'clock on Friday after
noon. where Mrs. Wilson was alone
After binding and gagging the defense
less woman, he assaulted her. then
murdered her. using his knife and a
shotgun. which he found In the house
sURRENDERs THROUGH FEAR
THAT HE WOULD BE LYNCHED
Canter is said to have surrendered
and 10 have made his confession
through fear that he would be lynched
He told his story OF the murder to the
LeEard brothers and to r. +. Preston
whose homes arc near the scene OF the
crime. Mr.. Preston and the Legards
took Canter TO Abingdon and turned
him over to Sheriff J. a. Miller He
was held in the Abingdon 1atl until
the arrival OF the evening passenger
train. when he was taken to the jail
in Roanoke for safekceping.
There were persistent rumors that
mob was forming TO lynch Cantcr,
and II Is believed that had he not been
spirited to Abingdon. he would have
met with violence.
The discovery OF the murder was
made last night by Edward vii.
son. the woman's fathcr-in-law. and
friend. who called to spend the
night The young husband had
gone to a farm twelve miles away.
The wife was to attend to home duties
and then go to the home OF a relative
nearby TO spend the night. She evil
IDENTIFY was murdered before nightfall
and while preparing to leave the home
Her assailant ended her life by stabbinE
her In the breast with large knife and
discharging shotgun into her body
The gun used belonged in the home. and
the shell discharged was placed in the
magazine by the husband for his wife's
protection In his absence
JAMES CANTER ARRESTED
AND SENT TO ABINGDON
Sheriff ]. a. Miller and the Bristol
police entered into an investigation,
giving all aid possible to the coroner's
jury AS result. tho shotgun. which
had disappeared from the Wilson home
following the crime. was found near
the homo OF John Canter. 500 yards
away. and Canter's son. James Canter.
aged about twenty-one years, was ar
rested as suspect and sent to prison
at Abingdon. tho county seat
Young Canter's arrest followed a
most searching investigation. A ring
and other articles not belonging In the
Wilson home were found In a room
near the r -.ian's body
Mrs. Wilson was daughter of Rev
AntHoHS lnBail, or the Methodist Epfs-
copal Church. She was married to WILL
son -FOUR years ago. No children were
horn to them.
The home OF the Wilson family was
visited by hundreds of people during
the day. many women having called
The house Is located within thirty feet
OF the main stone highway running
through the county. and within sight
Of the Norfolk and Western Railway.
Luther Canter has a bad reputation.
and 1t was he who was imm mediately
suspected although his brother was
first to be arrested. as Luther at that
time could not be found Recently a
warrant was issued for his arrest on
charge OF having attacked a married
woman. but Canter avoided the authori-
ties by leaving the community. It was
only last week that he returned to the