The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-01-17
FACTS AS TO MISS CRopsEY.
An Expert Swimmer-Qufte an Attn
lete-A Battle Royal of Lawyers
Expected ut the Trial of Wilcox.

An interesting fact which has Jus,
come to light in Richmond in connec.
ton with the mysterious disappearance
and finding. after a month. Of the BODY
of Nellie Cropsey in eastern North Car
Onna Is the established fact beyond
controversy that Miss Cropsey was an
excellent swimmer. During her two
summers on the North Carolina coas.
the young girl had become as much at
home in the water as on land. Strong.
athletic. and well built. she was we'll
b to give a good account of herself
In the water. The Dispatch has this in
ormation on unquestioned authority.
The establishment of this fact oper-
ates strongly against any accident or
suicide theory. Thrown or falling into
the water alive. a good swimmer finds
1T an exceedingly difficult matter IL
sink AS in the case of holding ones
breath. whatever may be the purpose
or intent in h matter, there ONE Il
point where nature asserts itself and
there comes an earnest effort towards
self-presservation. In the case of Nelli /.
CroDsey this circumstance is strength
ened by the fact that her woman's
clothing would have helped to buoy her
IN To some extent she would have
been hampered in swimming by her
skirts. but on h whole they helped
rather than otherwise.
On some important points upon which
the trial of Wilsox in March will turn
the reports are not full complete as
yet. Particularly is this true of the in
Hury on the left side of the head, the
tcIly one on the body. The post-mortem
reports have not as yet authoritatively
established his as a bruise. 1t is not
stated that email h1nAl .I4.- ,-tszL -
indicative of bruised tissue. were found,
The body had been in the Water over
thirty days. Post-mortem changes often
take place which are very hard to dis
tinguish from bruises. The body may
have been lying on some rock on the
river bottom. and the blood would have
naturally settled to the lowest part OF
the head The hinne of the skull
just above the ear. the location of the
supposed bruise. and its ease OF frac-
ture also operates against the theory
that this injury was the result of a
blow.
Another factor in the problem n an
important n is the promptness with
which the post-mortem was held after
the removal of the body from the water.
A body in the water this number of
ays enters Upon a series of post-mor-
tenn decomposition changes with sir
prising SuddenneSS after removal from
the water. 1t has not been stated how
soon the pOSt-mortem was held.
Nor has it been stated what was
found in the girls hands or what An
examination of her finger nails disclos-
ed. In Lillian Madison's hands the res
ervOir mud showed that she was alive
when thrown in and was drowned.
The minute particles of skin or hair
found under the finger nails which are
oftentimes Yisable only Under the MI
croscope. have in many instances clear
ed IN what was otherwise a mystery,
by showing that a struggle had taken
place.
The trial of Wilcox is set for the third
week in March. The CrOpSey family
have secured the ablest LAWYERS to h5
found in eastern North Carolina. Will
cox will be represented by attorneys as
we'll and prominently known. The trial
will be a battle royal, and upon the
medical and expert testimony the issue
will turn