Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1902-01-01
'RL WAS MURDERED
tie Of Nellie Cropsey as De.
termined by the Coroner's
Jury and Doctors.
HAD BEEN MISSING FIVE WEEKS
Her Body Finally Found Floating in
the River Near Her Home
~ Lover Arrested.

,iElizabeth City, n. c., Dec. 2S.-"We,
be coroner's jury, having been duly
lmmoned and sworn by Dr. 1. Fear
X, to inquire what caused the death
I Ella NJ Cropsey, do hereby report
hat from the investigation made by
hree physicians of Elizabeth City, and
'om their opinion, and also from our
ysonal observation, said Ella NJ.
'Opsey came to her death by being
Ncken by blow on tn left temple
by being drowned in the Pasquo-
k river. We have not yet investi-
ed nor heard any testimony touch.
Eas to who inflicted the blow and
the drowning. We are Informed
{ one James Wilcox is charged
fth same and is now in custody. We
,ecommend that investigation as to his
or any one else's probable guilt be had
by one or more magistrates in Eliza
beth City township, and tnat said VIII
cox be held to await said investiga-
tion.''
End of Five Weeks of Mystery.
The foregoing verdict marks the end
of the first stage in the question Of the
fate of Nellie CrOpsey-five weeks of
mystery, during which the girl had
been missing and had been hunted all
over the country in this part of the
United States. There were numerous
tlews and numerous arrests, but all
proved nothing as to her fate until at
10 a. m. yesterday the body of the
missing girl was found floating in the
river opposite her fathers home. The
body was discovered by J. ID. Stillman,
a fisherman. Upon discovering that
the floating object was the body of a
young girl he Immediately notified the
coroner. With the exception Of
some slight discolOration of the face
the body was in state of good pres
lervation and little decompOsed. The
body was easily identified as that of
Nell Cropsey.
Whole Town Intensely Interested.
Coroner Fearing summoned jury
of prominent men and called in three
of the best physicians of the city to
make a thorough and exhaustive autop-
ISy to learn # there was any sign of
violence on the body, and they We're
on duty from the time the body was
found to 9 p. III. Great crowds assem-
bled in front of the Academy of Music
building. where the jury was in ses-
sion, waiting for the verdict as to
whether the girl met with foul play
or committed suicide. Anticipa ting
tp Il trouble may be brewing for young
cox-who was her lover and has
suspected of her taking off-the
reserves We're ordered out to
>, O.eain order and peace and to see
emo violence was offered Wilcox
= order of the mayor all the bar
rms in the city We're closed.
Did Wilcox Kill His Sweetheart?
Is EilcoX was removed from the may
s office, where he had been since his
'est i'm the afternoon, to the county
|. for his own protection, and a
ong guard was placed around the
l. The family of the dead girl re-
,es to express an opinion as to the
dse of the death. The mother of
girl Is completely Frustrated. She
y watched daily, hoping for the re-
IN of her daughter alive. and the sad
ding of the disappearance has COM
,,letely broken her down. Wilcox ap-
parently maintains the same indiffer-
ent air that has characterized his ac-
lions all the way through this case.