The San Francisco call., 1901-12-28
BODY OF GIRL
IN THE RIVER
Fate Of Missing Nellie
Cropsey Is at Last
Learned.
Coroner's Jury Is Of Opinion
That She Was Victim of
Murder.

ELIZABETH CITY, N. c., Dec. 7.-Five
weeks Of mystery and speculation as to
the fate of Miss Nellie Cropsey term.-
mated to-day at 10 o'clock, when the body
of the missing girl was found floating in
the river opposite her fathers house. The
body was discovered by j. D. Stillman,
fisherman. Upon discovering that the
floating object was the body of a
young girl, he Immediately notified the
Coroner. When found the body was
floating face downward. All the wear
ing apparel was intact with the exception
Of the rubbers which Nellie wore on the
night Of her disappearance. With the ex-
Ception of some slight discoloration of
the face the body was in a state of good
preservation and little decomposed. The
body was easily identified as that of Mel
lie Cropsey. The spot where the body
was found had been dragged several
times since her disappearance but with
no result.
Great crowds assembled in front of the
Academy of Music building, where the
jury was in session. waiting for the YER
uicu Of the jury as to whether the girl
met with foul play or committed suicide.
Anticipating that trouble may be brew
ing for young Wilcox, the Naval Reserve
have been ordered out to maintain order
anu peace and to see that no violence is
oIered Wilcox. By order OF the Mayor
all the barrOOmS IN the city have been
closed. Wilcox has been removed from
the Mayors office, where he has been
since has arrest this afternoon, to the
County Jail for his own protection and
"a strong guard has been placed around
the jail to see that no violence is offered
him.
Wilcox apparently maintains the same
indifferent air that has characterized his
actions all the way through this case.
The report made by the physicians, who
performed the autopsy on Miss Cropsey,
says:
lence- There were no external marks of
violence on the head, body or face. There
was a discoloratiOn of pinkish tinge on
the front of the head and face, with a
slight blush discOloration on the back of
the neck. There We're no marks upon the
front of her neck, except as made by con-
strictiOn Of her dress collar.
THE appearance of the stomach and
other abdominal organs was normal The
lungs were collapsed and free from water.
The heart was normal.
Upon the section of the scalp all
around the head one inch above the brow
there was found a dark discoloration of
the muscular substance.
THE bone beneath this confusion was
other abnOrmdlity on any other part of
the scalp, which was completely diSsected.
There was no fracture discovered at any
point Of the Uranium. A thorough ex-
animation of the brain showed no evil
dence of violence"
The verdict of the Coroner's jury, rem
dered late tonight. was as follows:
I'VE, the CorOner's jury, having been
duly summoned and sworn by DR.. ]. Fer
ing to inquire what caused the death of
Ella NJ. Cropsey. do hereby report that
from the investigation made by three ply
sicians of Elizabeth City and from their
opinion and also from our personal OBJ
servations. that said Ellen NJ. Cropsey
came to her death by being stricken a
blow on the left temple and by being
drowned in the Pasquotank River We
have not yet investigated nor heard any
testimony touching as to who inflicted the
blow and did the drowning. We are in
formed that one James Wilcox is charged
with the same and is now ia custody We
recommend that investigation as to his
or any one else's probable guilt be heard
by one or more magistrates in Elizabeth
City Township and that said Wilcox be
held to await said invee CATION"