The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-12-28
POOR NELLIE'S FATE
MISS CRoPSEY'S BODY FOUND
FLOATING IN RIVER.
HER LOVER UNDER ARREST.
VERDICT OF MURDER RENDERED
AT INQUEST.

The BODY Found Face Downward in
River Opposite Fathers Home.
Exhaustive Autopsy Held by Ply
sicians and Session of CorOner's
Jury Lasted Until Late Last Night.
The Verdict of Murder Is Simply
Presumption as There Is No Di-
rect Evidence Against wilcox.
Elizabeth City, N. c., Dec 27.-Five
weeks of mystery and speculation as
to, the fate of Miss Nellie Cropsey ter
minated to-day at 10 o'clock, when the
body of the missing girl was found
floating in the river opposite her
fathers home. The body was discov-
who was returning from his nights
fishing trip. Upon discovering that the
floating object was the body of young
girl, he Immediately notified the COM
mittee and Coroner Fearing had the
body brought to the shore. When found
the body was floating face downward.
All the wearing apparel was intact,
with the exception of the rubber gar
ment which Nell wore on the night of
her disappearance, and that was miss
ing.
With the exception of some slight
discoloration of the face, the body was
in state of good preservation and lit
tie decomposed. The body was easily
identified as that of Nell Cropsey by
all who had known her in life The
spot where the body was found had
been dragged several times since her
disappearance, but with no result.
Autopsy and Inquest Held.
Coroner Fearing summoned a jury Of
prominent men from among the crowd
that had assembled on the spot where
the body had been brought ashore and
called in three of the best physicians
of the city to make a thorough and
exhaustive autopsy, to learn if there
were any signs of violence on the body,
but up to this time nothing official can
be learned from the physicians as to
their opinion, they refusing absolutely
to give out any information until after
they make their report to the coroner's
jury. which convened at o'clock, after
an adjournment at 6 o'clock, without
reaching any verdict.
The jury has been in almost eontin-
uous secret session since the finding
of the body and holding of the autopsy
and very much depends upon the COR
struction of their verdict as to what
will be the fate of young Wilcox.
Great crowds are assembled in front
of the Academy of Music building,
where the jury is in session and groups
can be seen on almost every street
corner discussing the affair, but MAX
ing no manifestations, simply waiting
for the verdict of the jury as to
whether the girl met with foul play
or committed suicide.
Anticipating that trouble may be
brewing for young Wilcox. the naval
reserves have been ordered out to
maintain order and peace and to see
that no violence is offered Wilcox. BY
order of the Mayor all the barrooms
in the city have been closed. Wilcox
has been removed from the Mayors Of
fee, where he has been since his ar
rest this afternoon to the county Jail
for his own protection, and a strong
guard has been placed around the
jail
The family of the dead girl refuses
to express an opinion as to the cause
of the death of Nell Cropsey, but an
uncle of the girl is reported as having
said:
II have never yet heard of a
drowned person floating face down
ward"
Her Mother Broken Hearted.
The mother of the girl is completely
Frustrated and little can be, done on
the part of relatives and friends to
comfort her. She watched daily hop
ing for the return of her daughter
II e III
appearance has completely broken her
down.
Wilcox, apparently, maintains the
same Indifferent air that mas chtrac-
terized his actions all the way
through this case. and feeling is rum
ming. to some extent. against him to-
night.
The report of the coroner's jury is
not expected until late tonight.
The Physicians' Report.
The report made by the physicians
who performed the autopsy on Miss
Cropsey, says;
"The garments show no marks of
violence. There were no external
marks of violence on the body, head
or face. There was a discoloration of
a pinkish tinge on the front OF head
and face with a slight blush discolor-
alton over the back of the neck and oc-
ciput There were no marks upon
the front of her neck, except as made
by construction of her dress collar.
An examination of the internal organs
showed she was a pure girl. The stom-
ach upon being opened emitted gas
and was found to contain about two
ounces of dark fluid and solid sub
stance. and solid Nbstance presumed
to be undigested food. The appearance
of stomach and other abdominal or
gans was normal. The lungs were col
iapsed 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
dark discoloration of the muscular
substance about two by two inches in
extent visibly thickening the muscu-
lar substance.
THE bone beneath this confusion
was discolored slightly blue. There
was no other abnormality in any part
OF the scalp, which was completely dis
sected.
There was no fracture discovered at
any point of the Uranium. There was
no effusion of blood or water upon the
surface of the brain or any evidence
that violence had reached It's structure
or the internal plates of its bony COW
ering.
''The brain substance showed so far
as we could see no evidence of damage
The brain was removed and the base
of the brain thoroughly inspected. There
was no damage 10 blood vessels or bony
structure"
The report was signed by Drs. J. f.