The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-01-03
4 Detectives story.

bath City and the steam whistle of the
shiEc'e mill on the north bank OF the
P~asquotank river will prove important
tell-tale factors in the trial of James
Wilcox for the murder OF Ella Cropsey.
The facts gathered by me tend to
strengthen the belief that there were
more than one connected with the crime
for it cannot be possible that the men
seen with Wilcox within an hour of the
time he called Nellie Cropsey from he
fathers house. and others who We're
seen at the spot where the girls BODY
was fOund Friday morning, would not
come forward and make their identity
known unless they have guilty knowl
edge Of the dOings of that night.
The medical examination at the au
topsy shows that the girl received a Sc
we're blow on the left temple. This dis
poses of the theory of suicide. and sus
tains the contention of those who know
the victim most intimately. What, Their
are the circumstances that point to
Wilcox as her murderer? They are
these:
Mutual UnfriendIy Feelings.
ION the night prior to the girls dis
appearance the accused called at the
CrJDsey home and invited her to go
with him to the skating rink. She re.
fused. At this time she had given many
evidences of her desire to discontinue
her outings with him. She suggested
that perhaps her cousin Carrie, VIII"
was in the room at the time, would ike
to 20 with him, and Carrie consented.
Before leaving the house Ella whisper
ed to her cousin, asking her To take the
opportunity to tell Wilcox that Ella had
no further use for him.
"On the way back from the rink Car
rIe asked the young man why II was
nat her cousin had taken a dislike to
him. The reply he made was: You tell
ME and I'll tell you He then made d
purchase of some fruit and Carrie
Cropsey carried it home When they
cached the house the young woman at
once offered some of this to Ella Crop
Sey. telling her at the same time that
Wilcox had purchased it for her.
II don't want any, was the girls
somewhat naughty reply.
wilcox remained in the house about
half an hour. sulked and did not speak
d word to the girl with whom he pro-
fessed to be in love. When he got up to
go Carrie Cropsey accompanied him to
the hail. but did not see him leave the
house.
Returning to the parlor, she closed
the door. Ella Cropsey, IN her quick
and jOVial way, bounced across the
room and seized an apple declaring, with
a merry laugh, that that was 'one on
Jim..
This led to much talk and railiery OF
the young sutton. Carrie CropSey told
of what she said to him on the way
home and concluded with the remark
that she never would go out with him
again. as she felt so big to be walking
with n little fellow.
VIII didn't you call him Sduatty
Wilcox and he would have left you?
suggested Ella CrOpsey, and then there
was much more laughter at the mans
expense. This sort of thing was kept
III for moro than half an hour Than
the girls locked UP the house and went
to bed.
During the whole of this time VII
cox was standing in the hall, caves
dropping, and heard every word that
was said. He admitted it the next day
to Carrie Cropsey. mildly upbraided hel
and said that listeners never heard
good of themselves.
In this circumstance and the fact
that Wilcox knew that Ella was doing
all she could to make him discontinue
his attentions to her is the motive fol-
revenge found.
The day following the event 1 have
Just quoted was November 20. Wilcox
arrived at the Cropsey home at a few
minutes after s o'clock in the evening
and sat there in a sulky mood until ::
few minutes after II o'clock. During
rhe whole of this time he never once
spoke to Ella CrOpseE.
With a general goodnight he left
the room. and. as he turned into tht
hall he called back. Ella, l want tt
speak to You for a minute She imme-
dlately left her seat and went oUt q
him.
4 Mysterious Skif.
Exactly 10 minutes after the girl lief
the house a 16-foot skiff. painted white
pulled out from the shadows of tn
wharf alongside Kramer's mill anC
headed westward toward EliZabetl
City, Il quarter of n mile away. Their
was 4 man seated in the stern and an
other man was rowing. The pier iron
which the skiff was seen to leave is no
more than 200 yards from the CropSe,
house and Is the same one down T.
which the b~lOodhOunds trailed two day
later.
The exact time is fixed in this way
As the town clock struck IL a tug witt
Il barge in tow left the shingle mill q
Knobb'S creek for Alligator river. /
had TO pass by the pier in question. ant
as it did so the skiff came out into tn
moonlight. The captain of the tug say
that he had received imperative order
to leave the mill dock at IL O'Clock ans
he did so. 1t takes just 10 minutes 4
reach the point of the river where IN
pier is situated.
On IN Street ut 11:45.
Leonard Owens arrived in his fishin
smack that night at PoindeXter creek
which runs into Elizabeth City, at I1:3(
He left his o with his men and en-
tered a nearby saloon. where he re
. manned about three minutes.
A 1850 o'clock, also, the bartende
in this saloon began to make up hi
cash and was so engaged when Owen
entered. The later then started for HI
home. which lies in the same direction
but not so far away as the Cropse
house.
when Owens reached the residenc
! of p. H. Ives, on Sheppard street, ]
minutes later. he met Wilcox. This wa
at Has o'clock M just 40 minutes al
ter Wilcox had left the Cropsey place
, which is only 10 walk froI
Ives.
The men are known to each othe
and they stopped and spoke Over