James B Wilson

James Wilson was a wine merchant. He was shot three times by masked men with revolvers.

The sister of James Wilson's wife had opened the door in response to a knock between 10-11pm on 28 December 1920 and two men wearing masks walked into the house. She thought it was a joke at first and made a jocular remark. They asked them what they wanted and then saw that they had revolvers. They had not stated what they wanted when James Wilson arrived at about the same time having just returned from town where he had closed his shop for the day. He had tinkled his bicycle bell as usual and upon hearing him his wife shout, 'For God's sake, come quickly'. At that the masked men had apparently taken fright and were in the act of turning back in the lobby to the door, but James Wilson blocked the doorway and either one or both of them shot him at point blank range. James Wilson then fell into the vestibule of the doorway mortally wounded. One of the masked men had also turned and fired at James Wilson's wife but the bullet missed and lodged in the woodwork. The masked men then hurriedly escaped heading off towards Maybole.