Apr. 6, 1963 - Financier John B. Wilson died with a Japanese samurai sword through his heart in his Nashville mansion today, and police charged his wife (right) with murder. Wilson’s wife, Gene, 45, said her 54-year-old husband lunged at her as she stood on a bed in her evening gown holding the sword — and he impaled himself on the 28-inch blade. Wilson, a member of the exclusive Belle Meade Country Club and a noted sports car enthusiast, was killed shortly after he and his wife returned home at 2 a.m. from a party. Her lawyer, John J. Hooker, said that Wilson and his wife went into the bedroom where his stepson, William Cochrane, 20, was sleeping. “He was talking to the boy [Mrs. Wilson’s son by a previous marriage] and she admonished her husband about disturbing the boy,” said Hooker. “She had the sword in her hand — not with any intent of doing any injury to him. He lunged toward her and into the sword.” Police said that Mrs. Wilson stood on the other twin bed in the room to get the sword down from a wall rack. Hooker said she had jabbed the sword into a decorative pillow and still had the sword in her hand when Wilson hurtled toward her. William, the stepson, stated: “He started getting on me about something. He was always getting on me about something.” Homicide officers said the boy and Wilson “did not get along.” Mrs. Wilson, who is active in Nashville cultural and society groups, has a 10-year-old daughter by Wilson.
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