The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-03-15
Leads all North Carolina Dailes i'm News and Circulation

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ginning. The body was laid on table,
the feet towards the door. The cloth
ing was not removed al first Il was
clothed in dark skirt, red waist. belt,
stockings and slipper on the right foot.
There was no head covering.
The witness continued, saying that
later all clUthing was removed except
the stockings. They We're black. Wit
ness said the arms and limbs We're limp,
the fingers contracted. There was
nothings in the hands. He did not ex-
anime the nails. Examination re-
vealed that the girl was a virgin. The
stomach was normal and contained from
one to two tablespoonfuls of a dark
fluid, which he said was undigested
food. There was no water in the stom-
ach
Witness said both sides of the heart
were blodless and gave interesting de-
seriptions of the hearts functions.
Right here the fire bell rang and
some spectators rushed out. They were
not allowed to return.
DEATH NOT BY DROWNING.
There was no water in the lungs. the
doctor continued. section of the right
lung as large rs the hand was cut off,
and being pressed emitted a small
amount of frothy mucus. Summing up
about these organs witness said there
was no water in the stomach. lungs or
pleural cavity not blood in the heart.
Later he said the absence of water in
the organs named indicated death was
not caused by drowning. The absence
of clotted blood in the hearts venous
side shows death was not caused by
drowning. The doctors evidence was
very conclusive that Nell Cropsey was
not drowned.
All along many objections by the de-
fense and exceptions were noted. They
were overru1ed.
Around tn neck was a SLIGHT dCpres-
sion caused by :he collar Witness sai0
there was n swelling on the head. That
had been remarked about by cue of tie
corOner's jury, Ferrebee. After con-
sultation with the District Attorney an
autopsy Of the head was had. An in
cision was made all around the head, and
the scalp was removed.
DEATH BY A BLOWk
Witness said as they were cutting
through the left temple ctrtlisio~ was
seen and a table Spoonful OF ciCttcd blood
found. He said the confusion was like
ly caused by a blow from some paGCed
instrument. but was not allowed 10 say
what instrument it was. A continuation
of the examination by the District AZ
torney emphasized his opinion that Nell
Cropseys death was not caused by
drowning. He said, TOO, that the inter
nal organs indicated assuredly that the
girl was unconscious when put into the
water
The cross 9Xa nination, which began
little after midday, was conducted By
Mr.. Aydlett. Witness stated this was
his first case from which death was
supposed to have oeen caused from
drowning. His knowledge had been
gotten from reading Taylor and Rees.
He had not read several other authori-
ties -he lawyer mentioned.
THE AFTERNOON SESSION.
At the afternoon session there was no
decrease of spectators. There was not
standing room for all who came. Two of
he prisoners sisters and other kinsfolk
came in soon after court opened. Mr.
hydlett insisted that they should sit near
he defendant. There was a delay until
chairs could be got for them.
The sisters are Miss Sadie and Miss
Mamie May Wilcox, who are very pretty
Both are younger than James.
Mr.. Aydlett conducted an ingenious
and thorough cross examination and
sought to weaken the evidence in chief
but DR.. Fearing made fairly good wit
ness. Mr.. Aydett asked long technical
questions. They were trying to show
discrepancies between his testimony to-
day and the coroner's report Dr. Fear
ing said some of the symptoms that Miss
Cropsey was not drowned would not have
been conclusive alone, but taken collec-
lively they were.
Other things, DR.. Fearing said, were
that he found no evidence of any vio-
lence to the brain ITSELF that in drown
ing people the heart heats after respira-
tion stops and that the absence of clot-
ted blood in the heart is not a conclusive
symptom that the person was not drowned
and that his conclusion was not based
wholly on heart symptoms. Witness said
there was no examination of the air
tubes, bronchial tubes or trachea.
The witness said further in response
to a question that the absence of water
in Nell's lungs was not positive evidence
that she was not drowned. He stated again
that Nell was unconscious when put into
the water and that there was little effort
at respiration adding that Miss Cropsey's
case was unparalleled
The witness said later that because
of the season the body was in an excel
lent state of preservation. There was no
decomposition except in the brain. The
doctor had never heard of case where
the inspection of a body dead thirty five
days had been made. 1t was not the most
difficult case because the body had de-
cayed so little and the symptoms were
not at all ambiguous.
DR.. Fearing's cross examination will be
continued tomorrow and then he will be
re-eXamined by District Attorney Ward.
The next witness to be called is Dr. ].
e. Wood, county health officer
There was slight tilt this afternoon
between Mr. Ward and Mr. Avdlett One