Ref: Town and Country Newspaper Pennsburg, Montgomery County, PA Saturday - March 25, 1905 FORMER PENNSBURG RESIDENT CONFESSES THE EBERT MURDER (PART 2 OF 2) How Crime Was Committed On the night of February 24, according to the confession, WILSON had been in EBERT's store, but left a short time before the old man started to close the store. No one saw him walk into the yard from the street, yet this is how WILSON says he entered the place. Lurking behind an outhouse, he waited until his victim came nearly opposite to him, then opened fire. Frightened by the noise of his own revolver, he took to his heels, and ran to his boarding place, less than a block away. When suspicion seemed to have been directed into another channel, WILSON became emboldened, and, according to his own confession, forced an entrance into a butcher shop in broad daylight and robbed the till of $80 in cash. Revolver Found WILSON told the policemen that he had buried the revolver on the dump in Mattern's brickyard and they went in search of it and found it. All the chambers were loaded. Employer Had Accused Him Ed. MATTERN for whom he worked, had accused him of the murder and of Saturday night's shooting in fun. After the murder he came into Mr. MATTERN's office and sat down and Mr. MATTERN said "Well Jim what did you do over there to kill this old man" and laughed. WILSON got a little nervous then but Mr. MATTERN of course, did not think he was accusing the right man and said what he did in a joking manner and soon forgot about the matter. On Monday he again jokingly asked him what he meant by firing these shots in their back yard but this also passed off as a joke. Warrant Served Two warrants were sworn out by Chief EASTMAN before Alderman BERKEMEYER, one for burglary, the robbery of Jonathan KISTLER's store on February 23 and the other for attempted robbery and the murder of John P. EBERT on the night of the 24th and served on WILSON in his cell. Knew Ebert Carried Money WILSON, who has always been a spend-thrift, was out of work during the winter, he said he was desperately hard up. He boarded within half a block of EBERT's home, and was a habitual loafer in KISTLER's cigar shop. He knew EBERT always carried from $100 to $200 in cash, which was the motive that caused him to lie in wait on the fatal night of February 24. Brief Sketch Of Wilson's Life James WILSON, was born near East Greenville about 23 years ago in the house now owned and occupied by William SCHOENLY. The parents later moved to Pennsburg and lived in the house where George FOLK now resides near the Pennsburg Reformed Church. His mother, whose maiden name was HUBER, died at this place in 1888 and afterwards the father kept the family together with his only daughter as the housekeeper. Several years later they moved to near Palm and from there they moved to near the State Fishery near Allentown. While they resided here the boys grew to manhood and left home. The daughter was soon married and also left home when James, who is the youngest and his father quit housekeeping and secured a boarding place in Allentown. The father and son lived in Allentown for the past two years, and as James had no trade he worked at different jobs. For a while he was hostler for Dr. Milton NEIFFER of Wyncote, Philadelphia who is son-in-law of H.K. WALT with whom Calvin, another brother had a similar position and they were virtually under one roof, but about a year ago James returned to Allentown and for a while worked for the West End Brick Company and later for David MATTERN in a brick yard. Young WILSON was always considered a quiet and model man. He visited his brother in this borough the last time about a year ago. His father, George Washington WILSON, is a veteran of the Civil War and besides the son in jail has four other children, Charles, a United States Marine, stationed at Boston; George, cigarmaker of Pennsburg; Calvin of West Point and Mrs. Peter NONNEMACHER of South Allentown. His Fiancee Prostrated Miss SCHAFFER, his fiancee, is prostrated by the knowledge of her lover's confession. He had never hinted to her of his crime. Before startling revelations had been made she told a reporter that WILSON had left her a little before 12 o'clock Saturday night, and that they had no quarrel. They had decided not to go to church, as was their custom, because they thought the weather would be unpleasant. The young woman has an inheritance of $300 coming to her, with which she intended to furnish their home. WILSON said it had been his intention to carefully guard his crime throughout his life, and eventually, on his deathbed to confess that he killed EBERT. Selected An Attorney James WILSON on Wednesday afternoon engaged Ex-District Attorney LICHTENWALNER, of Allentown, as his attorney and he was closeted in his cell for several hours on that day. Since the lawyer had been in his cell WILSON began to hold his tongue. LICHTENWALNER declares that he is confident that he can save James WILSON's neck. Whether he will be able to accomplish this in the face of the written and signed confession which WILSON made to District Attorney SCHANTZ, is a question.