The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1903-01-22
THE WILCOX TRIAL
Sister and Cousin of Dead Girl dive
Their Testimony.

no,rlv ready to rest in the trnal OF
J,mes l. Wilcox for the murder OF
Nellie CropSey.
Miss Ollie Cropscy. the pretty sister
of the dead girl. VAS the llrst Witness
to testify Friday. She told very
lorceful story. Her testimony was III
rect and full In part she Saia; vi"
Mande Cropscy was my sister. she was
}" years old and weighed ITO POUNDS
"hen she disappeared. "" lived Ill
brooklyn. N. V, before coming 10
r'h"abeth City, where we arrived III
april OF 1898. | had four sisters. Nellie.
''ct''e loula and Mamie. w. Il. Crop
SeE is my father. We met Jim Wilcox
IN June. 1888. He sent Nell his card
wv" weeks from that time and asked
per TO go driving and she went. From
that day ON he began Co call on her.
took her riding and sailing. lie called
Thursdays and SUNDAYS. He pavc her
presents OF flowers and pictures. He
went sailing alone with Nell twice. She
WAS scoldcd for accompanying him.
During the summer before the diSaD-
I"hrAAcc OF Nell she and Jim bc,,an TO
quarrel. They had been Friendly I'D 10
chat time. They were at outs in Sop
l"mb"r. Nell attCnG,,t ,2tuart'S meet
in&S during that month. sa, inside
IN" room one night end heard Ep'i saw
10 ''lW: Jim, if You are going to act
INK" this. YOU stay al hUmr.' knew
ih2N WcI" quarrriinG. and. not caring
TO hear il, left. Tnuy had not seen
me- Jim went TO the Stuart mcc,inpy
S"nlo>im"S with Neil and sometimes
H% .i!ih*r't. but often did not 90 cy,c,,,
10 wait OutiiGr TO: Nell NrlI ioi,ni
III" rhurr; on the 18TH OF OcInIcr
fr"M SON" time in September til tho
-''0 OF October jim and Nell puarrclcd.
N' times !h"y did not speak. Al,&T
, 'H'"'HF th"y were on hH,tn. terms ana
%l'h" regularly. The liHabyth C;tv
/ '"H Wa% ~ progress about thai .ir,n
I '!H! sent two tickets 50 tha, Carrie
I ana Nell could 90, He WIS -, wrri.
, , I'm; N"il Carrie and myself all went
~ III" !atH ON" day. jim aud Son vrrc
; l''ho'E 'n' November Tth. Nhrn ,i;cy
T"'' Nii'ahln% 10 each other. ~ fo tj,nt
'''!" 'h'| h&t been going ont t0:,c,hr,
nHi all ronnr,tjuns were severed M.
-" h"Nt on calling at ln~ house.
|n ~" niGht Of NovcnDc? lin VIII
. COX spent Il few hours at olif home
! " "h0 Neil were at outs. He ic:1 at
:. I'"'K; Nn"m ne took his hat TO 80
N'!l sad: 'Puli, jim. pull.' mrnniur
go, and Followed him on; IN COO hi,H
on. as was her custom. Nell ycturnr,i
"oAo't ~ on us, said good nigh, ana
: '"'rr" 10 h"r room. Jim came on iu.,
IN" same. but Nell never spnkc tu
NM. On" day after The 7th saw Car
RE. Nell and Jim coming In the strrrt
'arflc WAS next 10 Jim. | do not know
! "hcthrr Nell and Jim spoke thar doy
or not '''
I'VE sat in the dining room. Nell
S""eu on a jacket that she hoDcI tn
wear to New York. jim and Rov wcrn
not on speaking terms. jim was moody
ana talked but little. ric started into
Sna'" ana kept looking al his watch
ne appeared to b" restless. By lN.I5
al except Jim. Roy, Ncll and myself
had left the room. Jim arose. picl;rd ny
his hat ana said: 1T is II O'Clock and
! must 90. My mother does not allow
me 10 stay out after H. Before this
time Jim had asked for water. ,cI,;
nm ! would get him Il glass. He said.
no. he might poison it. When he got
up TO go "" all rose ana while he
rolled cigarette Roy caught Nnlrs
chin III his hands and said: Nell. vou
ar" looking mighty sweet tonight
dlm glanced his eyes at Ncll ana then
at ms" He went into the hall and
turning. said: 'NClI. | want to see Won
in the hall She looked AZ me artl fol-
lowed hin, ONT never saw her again.
9h" and jim had not spoken since No.
VcmDor It'll.
i closed the door behind them as
,"ty went out. Roy ana myself stood
ny the fire ill $50. when told him II
was time for him to 20. He said: You
need not get Snappy about it. jim ana
Nellie arc in the hall yet We went IN
to tho hall. and found the doors orcN.
but Jim and Nell were not in Sight !
remarked that it was strange tha, Nell
had gone up and left me to lock- ur. |
went to my room and retired. Mel. wa,
not there. doZcd off, thinking she and
jim were in the parlor. About o'clock
| gave the alarm. We searched every
where. but in vain, for Nell. During
the evening when the subject Of suicide
was brought up. Nell said she would
not like to drown, for her hair would
Gc such fright. 1t would be frizZicI
UP. She thought she might like to
freeze.
Miss Carrie Cropscy followed Miss
Ol!ic. She corroboratc! much OF tie
lattcr'@ evidence. Among other things
H:c said: II asked Jim why he ana
Nell Guarrclcd. He said: She has quit
Ening to the door with me. ! have de-
cid"d to drop her Tuesday night Jim
heard us talking abont him. lie toid
~" that listeners never heard an?
good Of themselves. Nellie had aSkca
N" why ] did not call him SQnaliE.
I said that felt like an elephant the
st,,,, 'Nl-