COLONEL JOHN F. WILSON, FORMER DELIGATE TO CONGRESS,INTREPID SOLDIER, SCHOLAR, LAWYER AND STATSMAN IS DEAD. WITHOUT ANY WARNING THAT THE END WAS NEAR, AND APPARENTLY IN THE BEST OF HEALTH, HE EXPIRED SUDDENLY YESTERDAY AFTERNOON AT 3:45 O'CLOCK IN THE PRESCOTT HOTEL, WHILE SETTING IN A CHAIR CONVERSING WITH SEVERAL FRIENDS. THE SAD NEWS CREATED A SHOCK IN THE COMMUNITY, AND MANY FRIENDS AND AQUAINTANCES OF THE DESTINGUISHED CITIZEN OF ARIZONA ENTERED THE PLACE TO VERIFY THE REPORT, BELIEVING THAT IT COULD NOT BE TRUE, FOR THE REASON THAT A FEW MINUTS PREVIOUS HE WAS SEEN IN THE STREET MINGILING WITH FRIENDS IN HIS USUAL GENIAL FELLOWSHIP. MR. BENNET , A FRIEND OF MANY YEARS,WAS SITTING AT HIS SIDE,AND WAS ENGAGED AT THE TIME IN A CONVERSATIONON ON BUISNESS. MR. BENNET SAID HE SEEMED TO BE IN PERFECT HEALTH. DURING A LULL IN THE CONVERSATION OF PREHAPS A MINUTE OR MORE, HE NOTICED HIS COMPANION RECLINE HIS HEAD TO THE SIDE, AND UTTER AN INAUDIBLE SOUND IN A LOW TONE. NOT BELIEVING THAT HIS LIFE WAS EBING AWAY, HE PAID NO FURTHER ATTENTION. IN A FEW MINUTES, HOWEAVER , HE NOTICED THE DEATH PALLOR COMING OVER HIS FEATURES, AND WITH OTHERS REALIZED THE END WAS NEAR. COLONEL WILSON HAD BEEN IN THE ROOM ONLY A FEW MINUTES, AND WALKED TO THE CHAIR WITH A STEADY GAIT. HE WAS ANTIMATED IN HIS TONE, AND ENTERED INTO CONVERSATION WITH MANY BEFORE TAKING HIS SEAT. HIS ONLY AILMENT WAS RHEUMATISIN, AND HE FREQUINTLY REFERED TO HIS FOOT AS THE MAIN TROUBLE IN RECENT MONTHS.
HE RETURNED FROM KINGMAN YESTERDAY MORNING ARIVING AT 3 O'CLOCK, AND WENT TO HIS ROOMS IN THE LAWLER HOTEL OF THE CITY. DURING THE DAY HE WAS ON THE STREETS CONVERSING FREELY AND PLESANTLY WITH ALL, AND WENT TO THE HOTEL TO SEE CLIENTS IN LITIGATION.
NO DEATH. THAT HAS TAKEN PLACE IN MANY MONTHS IN THIS CITY, WILL BE MORE REGRETED THAN THAT OF THIS DIS INGUISHED RESIDENT. HIS LOSS WILL BE REGRETED ALL OVER ARIZONA, FOR HIS PAST LIFE OF NEARLY A QUARTER OF A CENTURY IN EXEMPLERY CITIZENSHIP, HONESTY OF PURPOSE IN EITHER BUISNESS OR PROFESSIONAL DUTIES, AND A COMPANIONSHIP THAT MADE HIM ONE OF THE MOST GENIAL OF MEN.. HE WAS A STAUNCH SUPPORTER OF THE OLD SCHOOL OF THE LAWYER AND BELIEVED IN ADHEARING STERNLY TO FUNDIMENTAL PRINCIPALS IN PRACTICE. FOR THIS REASON HE WAS REGARDED AS ONE OF THE ALBEST ATTORNIES IN ARIZONA, AND HIS CLEAN RECORD EXEMPLIFIES THAT PRINCIPAL WITHOUT A FLAW. HE DELIGHTED IN QUESTIONING YOUNG MEMBERS OF THE BAR WHO SOUGHT ADMISSION, AND HIS AGREABLE MANNERS, AND WIDE RANGE OF QUESTIONING WERE TRAITS THAT MADE HIM AN ATHORITY IN JUDICIAL PROCEDURE.
ASIDE FROM HIS PROFESSIONAL CALLING, COL. WILSON IN PUBLIC SERVICE HAD A RECORD UNEXCELLED BY ANY IN ARIZONA. ON THE STUMP, IN THE BEST OF PARTIS AN CONFLICT, HE WAS CLEAN AND UPRIGHT, AND IN THE SCORES OF SPEACHES MADE, WHEATHER AS A PRINCIPAL OR SUPPORTER OF HIS CAUSE, HE WAS ZELOS AND MANLEY IN HIS EFFORT TO PRESENT THE ISSUES CLEARLY AND CLEANLY. THE RANCOR OF OTHERS WAS DISTASTEFUL AND THE CHEATERY OF THE POLITICIAN WAS REPULSIVE TO HIM. HIS PRIVATE LIFE WAS ALSO BLESSED WITH HEWING CLOSELY TO THE SAME LINE OF DUTY, AND FOR THIS REASON HE WAS FURTHER ENDERED TO ALL.
NO BETTER TRIBUTE TO THIS WORTHY CITIZEN CAN BE GIVEN THAN THAT FREELY EXPRESSED YESTERDAY BY ROBT. E. MORRISON, HIS OPPONENT IN TWO POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS AND HIS CONTINDING ATTORNEY IN MANY LEGAL CASES. MR. MORRISON SAID.
" COL. WILSONS DEATH IS A SAD LOSS TO ME. HE WAS HONEST UPRIGHT AND ABLE.ON THE STEMP I FOUND HIM A GENTELMAN., AND IN THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN OPPOSING ME, HE WAS THE MOST GENIAL OF ATTORNEYS, I HAVE EVER FACED IN MY LIFE. NO MATTER HOW BITTER MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE ISSUE IN EITHER EVENT, I HAD NO HESITANCT WHATEVER IN GOING TO HIS OFFICE ON SOCIAL MATTERS OR BUSINESS DUTIES, AND WHETHER I WAS SUCCESFUL OR NOT, HE WAS GENIAL AT ALL TIMES. I CONSIDERED COL. WILSON A EXCEPTIONAL MAN AND I AM SORRY THAT HE HAS PASSED AWAY."
COL. WILSON WAS BORN IN GILES CO. TENNESSEE, MAY 7TH. 1846 HE WAS EDUCATED IN RHUHAMA, ALABAMA AND WAS A LAWYER BY PROFESSION. IN 1863 HE RAISED A COMPANY IN GEORGIA , JOINING THE COMMAND OF GENERAL HOOD. HIS BRAVERY ON THE BATTLEFIELD SOON WON HIM RECOGNITION AND HE WAS ATTACHED TO THE STAFF OF GENERAL HOOD WITH THE RANK OF MAJOR. HIS PROMOTION WAS RAPID AND ON HIS EIGHTEENTH BIRTHDAY HE WAS COMISSIONED A COLONEL, BEING AMONG THE YOUNGEST OFFICER IN THE ARMY OF THAT POSITION. HIS REGIMENT PARTICIPATED IN ALMOST ALL OF THE PRINCIPAL BATTLES FOUGHT BY GENERAL HOOD. BEFORE THE CLOSE OF THE WAR, AND BEARS THE DISTINCTION OF HAVING NEVER SURRENDERED. INSTEAD, AT THE CLOSE OF THE STRIF THE COMMAND DISBANDED, THE OFFICERS AND MEN RETURNING TO THEIR RESPECTIVE HOMES. COL. WILSON WAS WOUNDED SIX TIMES IN BATTLE AND WAS KNOWN AS ONE OF THE MOST INTREPID OFFICERS IN THE CONFERERATE ARMY.
IN 1866 HE REMOVED FROM ALABAMA TO ARKANSAS. HE CONTINUED HIS LEGAL STUDIES WHILE ENGAGED AS PRINCIPAL OF THE SCHOOL OF BELLFONT AND WAS ADMITTED TO THE BAR. HE SERVED AS A MEMBER OF THE ARKANSAS LEGISLATURE IN 1877 AND 1878 AND WAS ELECTED PROSICUTING ATTORNET FOR THE FOURTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT IN 1884, SERVING IN 1885 AND 1886. IN THE LATER YEAR HE CAME TO ARIZONA TO REPRESENT CLIENTS OF HIS STATE IN AN IMPORTANT LAND CASE AND THE FOLLOWING YEAR CLOSED HIS BUSINESS AND MOVED TO ARIZONA WHICH HAS BEEN HIS HOME SINCE. HE FORMED A PARTNERSHIP WITH FRANK COX IN PHOENIX. SOON AFTER THE PARTNERSHIP WAS DISSOLVED HE CAME TO THIS COUNTY. AFTER A SHORT STAY IN PRESCOTT HE MOVED TO FLAGSTAFF AND WENT INTO PARTNERSHIP WITH T.G. NORRIS, UNDER THE NAME OF WILSON AMD NORRIS. IN 1888 HE LEFT THE PARTNERSHIP RETURNING TO PRESCOTT LOCATING PERMANTLY. HE WAS ELECTED TO THE FIRST CONSTITUNAL CONVINTION OF THE TERRITORY IN 1891 WHERE HIS THOROUGH KNOWLEDGE OF CONSTITUNAL LAW SOON PLACED HIM AMONG THE ABELEST OF THE PROFESSION IN THE WEST. HE WAS ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY IN 1891 AND 1892 AND IN 1892 WAS APPOINTED TO FILL THE UNEXPIRED TERM OF E.W. FENCH IN THE OFFICE OF PROBATE JUDGE , RELINQUISHING THAT POSITION JANUARY 1, 1895. HE WAS APPOINTED ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE TERRITORY BY GOVONER FRANKLIN FILLING THE POSITION WITH CREDIT DURING THE YEARS OF 1896 AND 1897. HE WAS ELECTED DELIGATE TO THE FIFETY-SIXTH CONGRESS, DEFEATING COL. BRODIE OF THE ROUGH RIDERS BY A LARGE MAJORITY, AND FOUR YEARS LATER WAS RETURNED TO THE FIFETY-EIGHTH CONGRESS DEFEATIG HON. R.E. MORRISON IN ONE OF THE HARDEST FOUGHT POLITICAL STRUGLES IN THE HISTORY OF ARIZONA.
WHILE REPRESENTING THE TERRITORY IN WASHINGTON, HE SUCCEDED IN HAVING PASSED MANY IMPORTANT MEASURES AFFECTING ARIZONA.HIS UNTIRING ENERGY AND LEGAL ABILITY WERE RECOGNIZED BY THE LAWMAKERS OF THE NATION WINNING HIM THE CONFIDENCE OF HIS CONSTITUANTS AND THE RESPECT OF THE MEMBERS OF THE OPPOSING PARTY.
WHEN HIS LAST TERM IN CONGRESS EXPIRED HE RETURNED TO THE CITY FOLLOWING THE PRACTICE OF HIS PROFESSION UNTIL HE DIED.
IN 1896 HE ATTENDED THE MEMORABLE NATIONAL CONVINTION IN CHICAGO WHICH NOMINATED WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN AS PRESIDENT AS A DELIGATE FROM ARIZONA AND AT MANY TIMES FILLED POSITIONS OF PROMINANCE WITHIN THE GIFT OF HIS PARTY WHICH INVARIABLY LOOKED TO HIM FOR ADVICE ON ALL LEADING QUESTIONS.
SURVIVING HE LEAVES HIS WIFE, DAUGHTER, MRS DONNA McKINLEY, OF MADDISON, NEW JERSEY, AND GRANDSON, WILSON HOOD, OF THE SAME CITY. HIS WIFE RESIDES IN PHOENIX, AND OTHER DISTANT RELITAVES IN OTHER PLACES
COL. WILSONS DAUGHTER WAS MARRIED SEVERAL YEARS AGO TO THE SON OF GENERAL JOHN BELL HOOD, HIS OLD COMMANDER, FROM WHICH UNION A SON WAS BORN. A PATHETIC INCIDENT IN THE LAST FEW MINUTES OF COL. WILSONS EARTHELY CAREER WAS THE RECEIPT FROM THIS BOY OF A LETTER WHICH HE READ AND WHICH LATER WAS FOUND ON HIS BODY. THE RELATIONS BETWEEN THE TWO WERE AFFECTIONATE AND FROM THE PAST ACTIONS OF THE TWO SOLDIERS, THE TIES OF COMRADSHIP ON THE FIELD OF BATTLE GREW STRONGER AS THE YEARS PASSED AWAY BY THE YOUNGER GENERATION COMING ON THE SCENE TO PERPITUATE THE MOMRIES OF THE GREAT STRUGGLE.
A MEETING OF THE BAR ASSOCATION WILL BE WELD TODAY AT THE COURT ROOM AT 10 O'CLOCK TO TAKE SUTIBAL ACTION ON HIS DEATH AND TO ARRANGE FOR THE OBSEQUIRES.
FROM THE ARIZONA JERNAL MINER
