The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-12-31

Detective C. j. Stilwell, who was sent
to Elizabeth by the New York Journal to
investigate the Cropsey mystery, has an
interesting story in that paper Sunday,
which is against Wilcox. Mr.. Stilwells
story is as follows:
The clock .of the Town Hall of Eliza
beth City and the steam whistle of the
Single mill on the north bank of the
Pasquotank river will prove important
tell-tale factors in the trial of James
Wilcox~for the murder of Ella Cropsey.
The facts gathered by me when inves-
tigating the case for the Journal are of
peculiar interest in view of later de-
velopments. Besides being of great i'm
portance to the case for the prosecution
they tend also to strengthen the belief
that there was more than one connected.
with the crime.
The medical examination at the autop-
sy shows that the girl received a severe
blow ON the left temple. This disposes
of the theory of suicide, and sustains the
contention of those who knew the victim
most intimately. What, then, are the
circumstances that point to Wilcox as
her murderer? They are these:
On the night prior to the girls dsap-
pearance the accused called at the Crop
sey home and invited her to go with him
to the skating rink She refused. At
this time she had given many evidnces of
her desire to discontinue her outings
with him. She suggested that perhaps
her cousin Carrie, who was in the room
at the time, would like to go with him,
and Carrie consented. Before leaving
the house Nellie whispered to her cousin
asking her to take the opportunity to
tell Wilcox that she (NelD had mo
further use for him.
On the way back from the rink Carrie
asked the young man why it was that her
cousin had taken such a dislike to him.
The reply he made was, "You tell me
and I'll tell you. He then made a pur-
chase of some fruit and Carrie Cropsey
carried it home When they reached
the house the young woman at once of
fered some of this to Nell Cropsey, tell
ing her at the same time that Wilcox
had purchased it for her
Il DON'T WANT ANY" WAS THE
GIRLS SOMEWHAT NAUGHTY REPLY.
wilcox remained in the house for about
half an hour, sulked, and did not speak a
word to the girl with whom he protested
to be in love. When he got UP to go
4 Carrie Cropsey accompanied him to the
hall, but did not see him leave the house.
Returning to the parlor she closed the
door, and Nellie Cropsey, in her quick
and jovial way, bounced across the room
and seized an apple, declaring, with a
merry laugh, that that was zone on
JIM"
This led to much talking and raillery
of the young sutton. Carrie Cropsey told
of what she had said to him on the way
= homes ana concluded with the remark that
she would never go out with him again
as she felt so big to be walking with
such little fellow
Why didn't you call him Squatty Will
cox and he would have left your" sug-
gested Nellie Cropsey, and then there was
much more laughter at the mans ex-
pense.
This sort of thing was kept up for
more than half an hour. Then the girls
locked up the house and went to bed.
DURING THE WHOLE OF THIS TIME
WILCOX WAS STANDING IN THE
HALL, EAVESDROPPING, AND HEARD
EVERY WORD THAT WAS SAID. He
admitted 1t the next day to Carrie Crop
sey, mildly upbraided her. and said that
listeners never heard good of themselves.
IN THIS CIRCUMSTANCES AND THE
FACT THAT WILCOX KNEW THAT
NELLIE WAS DOING ALL SHE COULD
TO MAKE HIM DISCONTINUE HIS At
IENTlONS TO HER is THE MOTIVE
FOR REVENGE FOUND.
The day following the event I have
Just quoted was November 20. Wilcox
arrived at the Cropsey home at few
minutes after 8 o'clock in the evening
c. hnY In
minutes after II o'clock During the
whole of his time ne never once spoke ia
Nellie Cropsey.
With general good night" he left
the room, and as he turned into the hall
ne called back, Nellie, want to speak
to you for minute" Nellie Cronsev
immediately left her seat and went out
10 him.
Exactly ten minutes after the girl left
the house a sixteen foot skiff painted
white pulled out from the shadows of
the wharf alongside Kramer's mill and
headed westward toward Elizabeth CITY
quarter of mile away.
There was man seated in the stern
ana another man was rowing. THE
PIER FROM WHICH THIS sKIFF WAS
SEEN TO LEAVE IS NOT MORE THAN
200 YARDS FROM THE CROpSEy
HOUSE, AND is THE SAME ONE DOWN
WHICH THE BLOODHoUNDS TRAIL,ED
TWO DAYS LATER.
The exact time is fixed in this way. AS
the town clock struck eleven a tug with
a barge in tow left the Single mill at
knobb's Creek for Alligator Rive. IT.
had to pass by the pier in question and
as 1t did so the skiff came out into tho
moonlight. The captain of the tug saws
that he had received imperative orders
to leave the mill dock at IL o'clock. and
he did so. 1t takes just fifteen minutes
to reach the point of the river where the
pier is situated.
A man named Leonard Owens arrived
IN his fishing smack that night at Point
dexter Creek, which runs into Elizabeth
City. at 1870. He left his boat with his
men and entered a nearby saloon, where
he remained about three minutes
At 1870, also, the bartender in this
saloon began to make up his cash and
was SO engaged when Owens entered
The latter then started for his home
which lies in the same direction, but