The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1902-01-02
FLOATING IN RIVER
Body Of Long Missing Nellie
Cropsey Found By Fisherman.
DEEP MYSTERY FINALLY SOLVED
James Wilcox, a Former Lover Of the
Girl, Is Held BY Authorities Un-
der Suspicion OF Being
Her Murderer.

Five weeks Of mystery and specula'
ton as to the fate of Miss Nell Crop
sey terminated at Elizabeth City, N.
c., Friday at 10 o'clock when the body
Of the missing girl was found floating
ii the river opposite her fathers
home.
The body was discovered by ]. D.
Stillman, a fisherman, who was return
ing from his nights fishing trip. Upon
discovering that the floating object
was the body of young girl, he i'm
mediately notified the committee and
Coroner Fearing had the body brought
to the shore.
When the body was found it was
face downward. All the wearing appa.
rel was intact with the exception OF
the rubber which Nell wore On the
night of her disappearance, and that
was missing.
Body Little Decomposed.
With the exception of some slight
discoloration of the face the body was
in a good state of 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 disap-
pearance, but with no result
Coroner Fearing summoned 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 thor
ough and exhaustive autopsy to learn
if there were any signs Of violence on
the body.
James Wilcox, a former lover, was
last with her. He is under $1,000 bail
for investigation by the grand jury. He
is suspected as the murderer Of the
girl.
Naval Reserves Protect.
Anticipating that trouble may. be
brewing for young Wilcox, the naval
reserves have been ordered out ito
maintain order and peace and to see
that no violence is offered Wilcox. By
order OF the mayor all barrocms in the
city were closed. Wilcox has been re-
moved from the mayors Office, where
he had been since his arrest Friday az
ternoon, to the county jail for his own
protection, and q strong guard has
placed around the Jail. : -,
The family of the dead girl refuse
to express an opinion as to the cause
Of the death of Nell Cropsey, but an
uncle Of the girl is reported as: hay.
ing said: - =
T never have yet heard Of drowned
person floating face downward" -
The mother Of the girl is completely
prostrated, and little can be done on
the part Of relatives and friends to
comfort her. She has watched daily,
hoping for the return of her daughter
alive, and the sad ending Of the disap
pearance has completely broken her
down.
Verdict Of coroner's Jury.
The verdict of the coToner's jury was
as follows:
1--WE, the coroner's jury, having been
duly summoned and sworn by DR.. I
Fearing to inquire what caused the
death Of Ella M. Cropsey, do hereby
report that from the investigation
made by three physicians of Elizabeth
City, and from their opinion and also
from our personal observation, Ella M.
Cropsey came to her death by being
stricken blow on the left temple and
BY being drowned in the Pasquotank
river. We have not yet investigated
nor heard any testimony as to who in
ficted the blow and did the drowning.
We are informed that one James Viii
cox is charged with same and is now in
custody. We recommend that investi-
CATION as to his or any one else's prob
able guilt be had by one or more mag
istrates in Elizabeth City township and
that said Wilcox be held to await SAID
Investigation"