Jeffry T. Wilson, aged 86 years, orginator of "Colored Notes" in the Portsmouth Star and one of the best known men of his race in Tidewater Virginia, died at 7:15 o'clock, last evening at the home of his son, Attorney Frank L. Wilson, at 610 North Street. Wilso passed away almost in the shadow of Emanuel A.M.E. church of which he was the oldest member and a devoted communicant. From this church his funeral will occur Sunday afternoon.

Wilson's death resulted from shock and complications following injuries received on the night of June 27th last when struck by a motor truck at the corner of Green and Grace streets while returning to his home on Carroll Street, after attending class meeting services at Emanuel church. The motor vehicle was driven by Jasper Deans, a young colored man of good reputation and generally known as a careful driver. Jeffry Wilson had a habit of walking in the middle of the street rather than upon the sidewalk, which he said was often rough and hurt his feet. He had by friends been warned time and time again to keep out of the middle of the street, but insisted that he had a right to walk where it was more comfortable to walk and failed to head the warning of those who often feared he would meet accident such as came to him. Wilson suffered a fractured left arm and severe lacerations in the region of his left eye. Shock was great for one of his years. He was removed to Kings Daughters Hospital and remained there for some weeks. It was first thought he had a chance to recover, notwithstanding his advanced years, but as time went on he grew worse and finally lost consciousness.

On Monday last, Wilson was moved from his hospital bed to the home of his son, Frank L. Wilson. On Wednesday the aged man regained consciousness for a few moments, when he said "It is good to be home again with you all". Then he lost consciouness again and passed away peacefully last evening.

Jeffry Wilson who celebrated his 86 birthday on May 10 last was a wonderfully preserved man up to the time of his accident in June. His health had been fine, except for occasions, when by exposure to the weather --for he walked rain or shine -- the aged man would take a cold, which, however, he was always able to master.

Wilson had held the position of bailiff in the United States Court at Norfolk since the days of President William McKinley, when he was named to said position by Department of Justice appointment through the influence of the late George E. Bowden, whom Wilson served faithfully throughout the political career of Mr. Bowden, three times a member of Congress from the Second District of Virginia.

Wilson was born May 10, 1843, in "slave quarters," on the premises which still stands on the north side of South street, just east of Court Street, and later occupied in later years by the late L.P. Slater.

Jeffry Wilson's mother was a slave owned by Mrs. Eliza Edwards, second wife of Thomas E. Edwards, one of Portsmouth's wealthiest citizens of his day, and father of the late John E. Edwards, accentric resident, whose burial at midnight by will direction of the deceased, attracted notable attention in Portsmouth forty-odd years ago. the home of the late Mr. Edwards still stands in themiddle of a block west of Fourth Street, south of Jefferson. This was the homestead place on the one-time noted "Edwards Farm" in South Portsmouth. It is there too, that Mr. Edwards lies buried.

Later, Mrs. Eliza Edwards became the wife of Charles A. Grice, Esq., uncle of the late Major George Grice, with whom Jeffry served as valet in Confederatelines throughtout the Civil War.

At the close of the Civil War, Jeffry Wilson was freed by the Lincoln Emancipation Proclamation. He never attended school and learned to read and write clandestinely when slaves were not permitted to do this.

Wilson Had four wives. He died a widower.

Jeffry Wilson is survived by four sons by his first marriage and two daughters by his fourth union. His sons are: J.T. Wilson Jr., of San Francisco; Rev J. DeWitt Wilson of Washington; Dr. A.B. Wilson of Hagerstown, Md., and Attorney Frank L. Wilson of Portsmouth. His daughters are Blanche and Virginia Wilson of Portsmouth, aged 15 and 11 years respectively.

All of the deceased's sons are in professional life -- lawyers, and one former bishop of the church.

Wilson had long been an active methodist churchman in Portsmouth, this even before colored congregations were established. He went to Sunday school under the tutelage of Rev. George Bain, grandfather of Judge Kenneth A. Bain of the Hustings Court of Portsmouth, who served in the methodist ministry here and whose aidness to the Negro race in time of slavery and afterward was often referred to by Jeffry Wilson in his writing in The Star and elsewhere.

For more than a quarter of a century, Wilson had been the active superintendent of what is generally known as the Old North Street A.M.E. church, first built, as Wilson put it "by the slave fathers" back in 1857.

Wilson ath the age of 86 and up to the time of his accident in June, lived alone in a house on Carroll Street, in old Lincolnsville, Portsmouth, built by his mother in the late seventies or early eighties.

Wilson wrote quite oddly, but said many things of interest in his daily notes appearing in The Star. His advanced years and the singular position he held in the life of Portsmouth permitted him to say many things that others might not have been able to say, not that the public itself would probably have counternanced from others. But there was only one Jeffrey Wilson.

On the occasion of Jeffrey Wilson's 86th birthday, the Portsmouth Star in May said:

Only One Jeffry T. Wilson: "All people, white and colored will felicitate him on the arrival at his 86th milestone in life. We wish him longer life which is sure to come to him unless he is struck soon or later by some motor vehicle because of Wilson's insistance upon walking off the sidewalk and on the concrete pavement in going to and from home to work and home to church.

Wilson says the middle of Portsmouth's streets are far better than the worn brick sidewalks which hurt his feet. For this reason, he says he walks in the middle of the street. No power seems to be able to stop him in this.

But, as before, there is only one Jeffry T. Wilson in Portsmouth and Jeffry will do about as he pleases so long as he lives".

Strange it was that Wilson in the very manner described in May met with accident in June that resulted in his death last evening.

Jasper Deans, the young colored man who was at the wheel of the motor truck that struck Jeffry Wilson on June 27th was taken into custody after the accident and bailed pending the outcome of Wilson's injuries. Last night Deans was aain taken into custody this time upon a technical charge of manslaughter. When the case was called in the police court today, the case was continued to September 2nd. Deans was then held pending bail.