The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1902-03-27
WILCOX GUILTY OF MURDER.

the courage to face the examination
from the books of medical 1urispru-
dence. | know this, that If he had
not agreed to corroborate what the
other doctors said about the death If
the girl he would never have been
subpoenaed here as a witness. DR..
Wood said that the girl was stunned
by the blow on the head and put in
the water while in that condition.
That confusion or bruise on the left
temlpe was made by blow. 1t was
full of fluid blood. If the blood had
left the heart by exuding, as Mr..
Aydlett would have you believe, why
did it not go from that place on the
head?
In the progress of his argument he
said:
Wilcox told Tom Hayman that he
would hunt the girl, but II he found
her they would say that he killed her.
Mark his words. They were said when
everybody else thought she was in Bal
timore, Wilson or somewhere else. But
he knew that she was dead. Wilcox die
not help search for the girl. II / haG
been innocent of that crime when was
charged with it l would have spent
every dollar l could get toward finding
the girl. | have never heard or read OF
man who conducted himself under
similar circumstances as Jim WILCOX
has done. He has sat here throughout
this trial without sign Of an emotion.
He is guilty of that foul murder. His
conduct shows it. You need not tell me
that the conduct Of that man is not the
conduct OF criminal"
Mr. E. F. Aydlett. leading counsel for
the defense. made forceful argument
in which he said in part:
THE Cropseys have my sympathy. |
have before extended it from my own
lips | do not blame Mr.. Cropsey fol-
trying to ferret out tie cause OF the
death of his fair daughter. The peo-
pie Of North Carolina are noble, just
and law-abiding. They would not want
anything but what is right. They want
an honest verdict. Any criminal has
right to have an attorney speak for
him. When l secured my license to
practice law l promised to do my duty
have been criticised for my part IN
connection with this case. / have done
nothing by my honest duty"
Let us look into the evidence in this
case. The doctors say that there are
but three certain tests Of drowning and
that they do not apply in cases where
the body has been dead for any length
of time The doctors admit that they
did not examine the windpipe and 9TH
er tubes to the lungs. That is one Of the
three certain symptoms. The second is
that of the lungs. They say that there
was no water there, but they found
bloody froth, which is one of the usual
tests of drowning. They found no wa
ter in the stomach. The medical au-
thorities say that these symptoms can
not be relied upon when a body has
been in the water five or six weeks.
The books do not lay down the ab-
sence of blood in the right side of the
heart as one of the tests against
drowning. 1t may be that if the body
had been found within one or two or
three days water would have Deen
found in the pleural cavities but long
er time than that would have given it
chance to get out by natural causes.
the endoSmosis process. Tie water
could have left the stomach in the
same way. The doctors admit it. We
want the light"
IF you believe that the girl was kill
ed you must decide who did it. Did Mr..
Wilcox do It? You are asked to con-
vict him because he has been indiffer-
ent. Chas. Reid testified that Wilcox
was Indifferent but that it was his ma
tUre. agree with the statement Of the
gentleman who said that no better man
lived in Pasquotank county than Mr..
Reid. He would not Re unfair. They say
Wilcox is Indifferent because he his
not wept in the court house. II he had
shed tears they would have said thai
he was guilty. He is accused Of being
Indifferent because he would not take
part in the search for the young lady.
Put yourself in his place. One moment
they charge him with being Indifferent
and the next they say that he is guilty
because he showed emotion on - oc-
casions when he thought the body Of
the girl had been found His face turn
ed pale and his hand trembled. Mr..
Hayman said he told him that he wish
ed to God the girl could be found.
mo, gentlemen, he has not been iu-
different. Consider his position. Every
move Of his was watched Everything
he did was criticised. To 30 further.
There was no motive He had been at
tentive to the girl for several years.
We find no trouble between them till
last September. Then Miss Ollie heard
her tell him tnat IL he was going to act
that way he might stay at home. All
lovers have quarrels. They claim that
Miss Nellie told him to pull to CO.
She meant nothing by that. He went
to the fair with Miss Nellie and Miss
Carrie. He kent going TO the Cronsey