The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1903-01-23
snHE! yVITnnyAMIsTAA4TE
IS Rl'ssv;iew Of q Most Interesting and
Peculiar Case;
NOW ! UP F. FOR THE SECOND TIME.
\ Great Many People AFRO Of
the Opinion That the Dcrcn.
dant Murdered Miss
Nellie Crorsry.

Nellie CropsPy.
Ihe second trial OF James e. VII
cox, son Of former Sheriff Thomas p.
Wilcox, OF Pasquotanll county, N. c.,
charged with and convicted of the
murder of ella Maud, or Nellie Crop
sey, of Elizabeth City, N. c., began
ut ilertford, Perquimas county We'd
nesday. The trial was removed from
pasquotank on account of the feeling
There against the defendant. 1t viii
DC recalled that Wilcox was tried and
convicted at Elizabeth City last
March. The case was appealed to the
supreme court and a new trial
granted.
The Charlotte Observer SAYS the
Wilcox Cropscy case is wrapped in
mystery. Because Of the prominence
and the standing of the families con-
cerned and the veil of mystery that
surrounds it, the case has attracted at
tcntion throughout the country.
Thousands Of people would be willing
to give literally OF their means for the
facts In the case. The case has been
discussed in almost every reading
home in the State. Is Wilcox guilty
or not? That is the question. What
will be the result Of the scond trial,
time will tell. The first jury brought
in Il verdict of guilty.
The bill of Indictment against VIII
con reads: The State Of North Caro-
lima, Pasqnotank County, Superior
Court, March Term, 1902. The Jurors
for the State under their oaths pres
ent James Wilcox, late Of the said
county and State ON the Goth day Of
November, 1901, with force and arms
in the county Of PasquOtank, in said
State, fcloniously, wilfully and with
malice aforesaid, did kill and murder
Ella M. Cropsey, against the statute
III such cases made and provided, and
against the peace and dignity of the
State"
The facts in the case as brought out
in evidence during the first trial are
about as follows: Mr.. James Wilcox,
the defendant in the case, went to
the homo of w. II. Cropsey, father Of
the dead girl, on the night Of NoYem-
Der goth, 1901, to call on Miss Nellie,
to whom lie had been paying consider
able attention for several years.
When he arrived at the Cropsey home,
say about s o'clock, the family was
in the sitting room. Young Roy
Crawford was there calling on Miss
Ollie Cropscy, a sister OF Miss Nellie.
Soon after 8 o'clock all the mem ,ers
Of tho household except Miss Ollie,
Nellie and Carrie Cropscy, Il cousin
from New York, who was visiting
there at tho time, retired and left the
: young people alone. Therefore the
party in the room was composed Of
the following named: Wilcox and
Misses Carrie, Nellie and Ollie Crop
sey. Later, after having made two
or three attempts to excuse herself,
Miss Carrie went to her room. This
left Wilcox, Crawford and the two
sisters In the room. 1t wa"-said that
Wilcox and Crawford were at outs
with each other at the time. They
did uot speak when they came to-
gethcr. at IL o'clock sharp, Wilcox,
who had appeared restless and moody,
during the evening, rose from his seat,
saying: Il must 90 home; my mother
will be uneasy about me if stay ont
after this hour This was said in a
jocular way. Continuing, Wilcox
said Miss Nellie, l would like tu
sec you in the hall" He rolled a
cigarette and went out, followed by
the girl. After that moment Nellie
Cropscy was never seen again by any
one save Wilcox. Her dead body was
found ll0ating, just beneath the sur
face Of the water OF Paspuotank river,
on the morning OF the 9th day of
December.
Thirty minutes after Wilcox and
Nellie left the room Miss Ollie babe
Crawford goodnight, saw him to the
door and went upstairs to her room,
thinking that her sister had gone
ahead of her; but not finding her
there she concluded that she and Will
COX, who had been having lovers
quarrels, had made up, crossed the
hall into the parlor for a quiet talk,
and were still there. However, after
having taken a short nap, and walk
ing up, She heard the clock Strike II,
missed her sister and gave the alarm.
Soon the whole family was up and
searching everywhere for the lost
girl. But their efforts were in vain.
No trace of the girl could be found.
About O'clock Mr.. Cropsey went
| across town to the Wilcox home and
| told Mrs. Wilcox, mother of the dcfcn-
dant, that Nellie had disappeared and
! asked to see James. Mrs. Wilcox
went alone to James room and soon
returned to say that he declared that
he knew nothing Of the girl, that he
had returned to her an umbrella and
a picture she had given him, and left
her leaning against one Of the posts to
the front porch, Of her home, crying.
| Wilcox did not get out OF bed, and
seemed Indifferent. At the trial be-
| fore the mayor OF the town he said
| that he turned over after his mother
| left the room and was asleep in two
minutes.
After visiting the Wilcox home
Mr.. Cropsey reported the case to the
police department Chief Dawson
went to WilcoX'S room during the car
ly hours of the morning and asked
him to accompany him to the Crop
sey residence. Wilcox crawlcd out of
bed, put on his working clothes and
went. His room was never searched
until the dead body Of the girl was
found, 81 days later. It's not known
whether his visiting suit was wet or
not, AT the Cropscy home he declared
that he knew nothing of NcllieS
whereabouts.
In order to understand the evidence
flat will po rpiyn,, In, tbn trial ono