The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-12-31

room with Ella, went to bed.
Noticing that Ella had not come In.
she supposed that her sister and Wilcox
had stepped into the sitting room across
the hall to have private chat.
At midnight a pointer dog owned by
Mr.. Cropsey began to bark. Mr.. Crop
sey's brother, Henry y. Cropsey, took
up a gun and went out, thinking that
somebody was trying to steal the tnr
keys or young pigs. The whole family
was aroused by the noise.
Seeing her uncle with the gun, and
fearing her sister and Wilcox were Oh
the lawn. Miss Olive screamed out
warning him not TO shoot. Then she
asked her father if Ella was not down
stairs. 1t was after midnight and near
ly an hour since the girl had been seen
by any member of the family. Soon the
| fact was known that Ella had disap-
peared.
Here is statement recently made by
Mr.. Cropsey, father of the girl:
II went to bed at S:25 o'clock that
| night. after sitting for a time with the
| children. Olive tells me that all that
| evening Jim Wilcox did not speak
word to Ella. He told the others that
| he was to be home at II o'clock. He
kept looking at his watch every few
| minutes. In view of what has happen
ed regard this as important.
AT HOS o'clock he arose to go and
| then spoke to Ella. asking her to go to
| the door. That was the last we saw Of
| her. When we found that she was gone
after midnight and my wife began TO
| weep tried to cheer her by saying that
| Ella and young Wilcox had eloped. But
| my wife became so worried that, with
my brother. decided to go to the Will
cox home to see if we could learn some
| thing there.
"It was after a. m. when We got
there and told them what had happened
| They said they would ask Jim. He
never got UP to see me or to volunteer
| any help in the search.
| From the Wilcox home went to Chief
| of Police Dawson. 1 did not want the
young fellow arrested even then. Will
| cox was taken to my house and uues-
| toned for hours by my family. NV
| wife begged him for her sake and for
the sake of his own mother. whom Wa
| all respect, to speak frankly and tell
everything he knew.
| "All he would say was that he left Ella
crying on the porch; that they were
there about ten minutes. and that she
cried and was still crying when he pass
| ed out of the gate and started home.
| 1.-The girl never committed suicide.
| She was looking forward with the
greatest delight to visit to New York
| with her cousin. Nor did she elope. Not
| one of her things was missing. except
the light clothing she wore. She had
had a lot of trouble with a corn on her
right foot and that night wore large
loose rubber instead of a shoe. On the
other she wore a low shoe.
mo. my girl was carried off that
stoop. 1 had the best trained blood
hound in Virginia down here. with
| Hurricane Branch to direct it's work.
| The hound could not find a fresh trail
James Wilcox is about "a years old.
He is short. standing about feet l or
inches. is stockily built and wears a
| brown moustache. His father, ex-Sher-
! iff Wilcox is one Of the best known and
best liked men in the town. He and
Mr.. Cropsey are warm friends. and the
unfortunate happening has not severed
their friendship.
Young James has a frank. open face
and does n t look the part that many
credit him with having played.
How do you account for Elias dis
appearance?" he was asked.
"I cannot account for it, he replied
You can account for it as we'll as t.
Would not the fact that you return
ed her gifts and had disagreement
with her cause her to drown herself?'
mo. It is true I gave her back he
photograph and a parasol and SOM
other things belonging to her. and tina
we had a disagreement some time be
fore. But that would not cause her t.
end her life"
who could have taken her away
then? You know that great many peo
pie think YOU are responsible for he
disappearance"
Eyes. you can hear lot about me i
YOU listen to these people. But dom
know who took her away or where sh
Isl
What happened between you Will
you were on the piazza?'
'1 gave her back her things and sh
began to cry. She was crying all tn
time we were out there. I said yer,
little"
did you ever declare that Ella woul,
never go to New York?"
/ mo; not even in a joke"
did you say that you would suffe
(C0nrfnued ou Fifth Parel