The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1903-01-29
WILCOX IS GUILTY.
So Pronounced By a Jury Of Fellow
Citizens.
THIRTY YEARS IN PENI!ENTlARY.>
The Prisoner Receives His Sentence
With StoicaI Indifference - Report
In Detail.
Special 10 Charlotte Observer.

Special 10 Charlotte Observer
Hertford, Special.-"Mvrder in the
second degree" is the verdict of the
jury in the Wilcox-Cropsey case and
80 years in the penitent!ary at hard
labor" the sentence Of the court. The
jury came in at 2 o'clock. They were
out 30 hours. W. G. F.eid was the
spokesman of the jury. Judge Council
made a brief but touching little speech
on sentencing the defendant The
judge said in part:
Il never take pleasure in sentencing
any one convicted Of crime, and do so
only from a profund sense Of duty
resting upon me as trial judge in
vindication OF the laws Of our State.
The jury have seen fit to return a
verdict in this case of murder in the
second dtgree They have found that
the defendant took the life Of Miss
Cropsey. through malice, but without
generalization and deliberation. By
what process of reasoning they haEel
arrived at this verdict is not for me'to Z
say. regard their action, howevtr, in
the light that they have been as
charitable to the defendant as possible
in the light of the evidence in the case,
as they viewed it, and resolved all
doubt upon the question Of pTemedita-
ton and deliberation in favor of the
defendant"
"In pronouncing judgment upon the
defendant have nothing to say as to
my opinion which I may entertain as
to his guilt or innocence. I simply
take the verdict Of the jury as render
ed and treat the defendant as guilty
man. II guilty. and the jury have said
so, then | think he deserves the full
limit Of the law. The judgment OF the
court. therefore, Is that the defendant
be sentenced to the States prison at
hard labor for the term Of 30 years"
The court house was not full at the
time the verdict was rendered. The
loafers from the streets and the mer-
chants close by had rushed in at the
ringing of the bell. The defendant
heard the verdict and the sentence
without show of emotion. His attor-
neys, represented by Mr.. w. ]. Leary,
gave notice of an appeal. The prison
er was returned to Jail and the crowd
repaired to the sidewalks TO discuss
the action of the jury All is quiet here.
There has been no talk Of violence
from any source. Judge Council leaves
tonight for Raleigh and the attorneys
20 to their several homes. Wilcox will
be sent back to Elizabeth City. where
he will wait the orders Of the court.
The case went to the jury at 1870
Tuesday evening. All was quiet till IL
o'clock when an officer was sent for
Judge Council. who was out at tea.
The jury desired him to read his
charge to them again. But 1t was so
late that the judge did not deem it
wise to bring the prisoner out. so the
request Of the jury was continued till
$3.50 today. when it was granted.
All kinds of rumors, theories ana
speculations went out from the court
house as soon as the jury retired.
1T is to be murder in the second
degree" was one theory, while others
declared: ''It is hung jury One
juryman had asked the sheriff to send
his brother word to kill his hogs and
bring him in some clean clothes about
Saturday. This man was supposed to
be favorable to acquittal. Such we're
the subjects Of debate on the streets.
But the jury kept its own counsel and
deliberated till 2 o'clock, when the YER
dict was brought in.