The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-03-19

way they saw Mr.. Cropsey. He came in
the office where witness and Jim were
sitting. Later all three went up to the
| Cropsey home. Mrs. Cropsey came and
sat on the lounge by Jim and putting
| her hand on his shoulder asked about
| Nell.
Jim told her he did not know; that he
| left her crying and did not know why
she was crying unless it was because
he had told her he was going to quit her.
He had seen her cry once before. Mr..
] Cropsey remarked that he did not believe
it.
Witness, Jim and others went on the
| Cropsey porch and Jim showed where the
girl stood with her right arm against the
porch crying. Wilcox said he had told
Nell to go inside several times. Jim had
told witness he stayed on the porch ten
| or fifteen minutes.
| On cross examination, witness said he
went with Jim as a friend that Jim was
| polite to the family. Jim had made no
| effort to run away Witness said as they
were leaving the Cropsey home he re-
marked that Jim could have seen Nell
| from the road such bright night He
SAID Jim replied:
| Il could have seen her, and if / had
known all this trouble was coming 1
would have called her sisters before l
| left
| Witness said Wilcox was Indifferent
about Nel1's disappearance, and that may
| have been a part of his nature. He did
| not wish to do the prisoner an injustice,
( he said.
JUSTICE CROPSEY'S STORY.
Justice w. H. Cropsey said he was
Nelfs father He went upstairs on No
vember 20 about half past eight He
| came down again at a quarter to twelve
! He ate a saucer of prunes and two slices
| OF bread. few minutes later he heard
the town clock strike twelve. He went to
| bed again.
At a quarter to one, witness went down
| stairs again when his brother Henry
called him to get gun. He saw nothing
| His dog seemed scared
''rhen Ollie came down stairs" he con-
tinued, land said Nellie was missing
Everybody was soon excited. l tried to
quiet my wife
| my brother and l went to the Wilcox
| house and tapped on the door Mr.. Tom
Wilcox answered. | did not see Jim.
Later Chief Dawson brought Jim up
| to the house. Jim said there he gave
Nelfs picture back. Next morning and
| for two or three days, We hunted for the
picture around the yard and along the
| river front but no trace was found"
| Witness further along said that Wilcox
stated before the mayor that his mother
| had walked him that night, and he turned
over and went to sleep again, for he
was sound sleeper.
Witness said Nell was a graduate of
| Brooklyn High School. She read quite a
number of books Most were from the
Sunday School library. He said Nell was
of lively disposition, but was timd and
afraid TO go out alone at night. Nell was
| a good swimmer. Judge Cropsey said
that during all the trouble Jim Wilcox
had offered him no consolation or assist
ance. He said in answer to a question
| from Mr., Aydlett that New York de-
tective had been stopping at his house
some days but that he did not employ
the detective. He had never asked Jim
/ for any assistance, he said, in response
to Mr.. Aydletts question.
Asked if Wilcox had not been over to,
see him with Deputy Sheriff Reid and
shown sympathy in the matter, for the
Judge Cropsey seemed stirred with great
emotion and his voice was slightly raised
as he said he did not consider Wilcoxs
visits with deputy sheriffs and police
chiefs as trips in the nature of aid or
consolation, but if he had come volun-
tarily with Mr.. Aydlett or some other
citizen he would have regarded it diff
ferently. His words were applauded.
THOMAS HAYMAN TESTIFIES.
Thomas Hayman VINO had worked with
Jim in marine railway, was called. The
witness said Wilcox told him the reason
he did not help with the search for Nell
Cropsey was that. if he should find her
the people would say he knew where the
body was and that he killed her. Hayman
declared Jim was a strong man and could
handle large pieces of timber with ease.
Witness thought he knew what he was
talking about for he considered himself
a pretty good man.
THE AFTERNOON SESSION.
The prosecution wanted to prove that
the trousers Jim Wilcox today wore in
the court house were not those worn on
the night of Nell's disappearance as had
been stated
Miss Ollie Crorsey and Miss LetGe
Cropsey, sisters of the dead girl, were
sworn. Each testified that the pants
worn today were not those he had on the
night of November 90
Lettie said she had searched all about
the premises for the picture claimed to
nave been given Nell but nothing of it
was seen.
We rest for the State" said District
Attorney Ward.
Mr. Bond-'If your honor please, that's
the case for the defendant"
Then there was consultation about the
order in which the speakers should come
The instructions had previously been
handed in to the judge. The instructions
were not argued.
Judge Jones congratulated the crowd on
its exceeding good order and hoped it
would continue decorous He warned
against any demonstration and said if he
found any man guilty he should be fined
for contempt.
ARGUMENT IS BEGUN.
Mr.. Mcmillan made the first speech.
He began by saying ne was sick with
fever, that his associates had agreed he
I.