Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1902-03-26
WILCOX GUILTY OF MURDER.

not agreed to corroborate what the
other doctors said about the death IF
the girl he would never have been
subpoenaed here as 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 a 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 so from that place or the
head?
In the progress of his argument he
said:
Wilcox told Tom Hayman that he
would hunt the girl, but if 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 did
not help search for the girl. If | had
been innocent of that crime when was
charged with it | would have spent
every dollar | could get toward finding
the girl. l 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.. K. +. Aydlett, leading counsel for
che defense. made a forceful argument
in which he said in part:
The Cropseys have my sympathy. |
hpve before extended it from my own
lips. 1 do not blame Mr.. Cropsey for
trying TO ferret out the cause OF the
death Of his fair daughter. The peo-
pie OF North Carolina are noble. lust
and law-abiding. They would not want
anything but what is right They want
an honest verdict. Any criminal has a
right to have an attorney speak for
him. When | secured my license to
practice law | 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
Dut three certain tests of drowning and
that they do not apply in cases where
the body has been dead for any length
or time. The doctors admit that they
lid 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
"oS NJ "otcI lHeTe, DuI tney 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 body has
been in the lwater five or six weeks.
The books do not lay down the alb
sence OF blood in the right side OF the
heart as one Of the tests against
drowning. 1t may be that il the BODY
had been found within one or two or
three days water would have been
found in the pleural cavities but long
er time than that would have given it
a chance to get out by natural causes
the endosmosis process The 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 1t? You are asked to CON
wet 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
EVed in Pasquotank county than Mr.
Reid. lie would not Re unfair They say
wilcox is Indifferent because he h,
not wept in the court house. If he had
shed tears they would have said tnaI
ne was guilty. He is accused of being
lndlnerent because he would not take
part in the search for the young lady.
tut yourself in his place. One moment
they charge him with being Indifferent
and the next they say that he is gIiltv
because he showed emotion on to- 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
cd 10 God the girl could be found.
NO, gentlemen. he has not been in
dlHerent. Consider his position. Every
move OF his was watched. Eyervtbine
we dld was criticised. To 20 further.
mere was no motive. He had been at
tentlve 10 the girl for sey yeral years.
we nnd no trouble between them till
Isst September. Then Miss Ollie heard
her tell him that if he was going TO act
tbat way he might stay at home. All
lovers have quarrels. They claim that
M SIS Nellie told him to pull, to go
Sha meant nothing by that We went
10 the fair with Miss Nellie and Miss
carrie He kept going to the lyropsey
uohe he went to the buggy' as it
passed. He was frequently in the
kitchen. He patted Miss Ollie on the
pack and put smut on her face She
tried to put some on him. II was ALI
lot merriment and in play. Because
MISS Nell refused an apple that the do
lendant had bought is no evidence that
she was mad. don't believe any mem
Der of that family thought there was
anything wrong. Mr.. Cropsey could not
nave thought so or he would have re-
nained In the room. There was no mo-
tive for the crime. I do not say it, but
could not the girl have been jealous,
She might have felt that her former
friend was slipping away from her.
cannot say what a sweet little girl
would do under such conditions. II Is