The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-01-20
THE WILCOX TRIAL
STARTS WITH RUSH
Eight Witnesses Testify and
Stand Aside.
The STAR WI NESS TODAY
No Word Was Said Yesterday 10 Connec, The
Prisoners Name With the Osed---
Mrs Wilcox in he Court
Room.
THE STAR WITNESS TODAY
Especial to News ana Obsevver.)

Especial TO News and Observer)
Hartford. \. c.. Jan. 15.-Ncll CronseN
did no act to end her own pure young
life. She did not die by drowning. The
end was brought about by a blow on the
left temple from a round padded iastru-
mcnt.
This is what today was sought TO be
shown b. States witnesses in the trial
Of James Wilcox for the death of whose
sweetheart he is being tried for his NE
| Today there was said not one word 10
connect the prisoner with the deed, but
everything tended towards proving the
corpus deficit.
The defendants name will be brought
in tomorrow when Miss Ollie CropSey.
the star witness. will be called the first
| thing. With dramatic pose and eloquent
| u%tterance. she will tell a tale of life and
love and death.
With the dispatch that is characteristic
of North Carolina, Judge Council
tribunal got along very rapidly today
Indeed, so much work was done that the
lawyers prediction of a longer trial may
| nave to be revised.
After the twelfth juror had been got
IN ~ VEG 1870 u
ncsses were allowed to stand aside be-
fore court adjourned. One of these, DR..
Fearing, was kept on the stand moro
than a day at the last trial.
The status of the case is the same as
last year at this stage. District Attorney
Ward considers that it is even stronger,
while the defense lawyers say it's just
the same. But with the same evidence
throughout it is doubtful that the verdict
will be Identical.
Queried as to whether Wilcox viii
testify in his own behalf, Mr.. Aydlett
said tonight that had not been determin-
ed, that Mr.. Bonds illness had forced
his return home and prevented the con
ferences needed to decide whether Will
cox, his mother and sister will be in
troduced.
For the first time during either trial.
Mrs. Wilcox was in court today, but the
meeting between her and Jim was un-
e%ventful beyond the mothers evidences
of emotion. The Misses Wilcox, Jim's
sisters, will arrive here tomorrow. They
meant to come today, but one Of them
had a chill Gale Parker is here, and
his wife, an alleged new witness, awaits
a bidding by wire if needed. Mr.. Saw
yer, of the prosecution, predicts tonight
that all the States evidence Will be in
by Saturday, noon, Dr.. Mcmillan. a de-
Tense expert, is in town.
After the examination &C several tales
men today w. a. Dale was chosen as the
twelfth juror. Then the prisoner was
arraigned and the Indictment was read.
The testimony of DR.. J. E.. Wood, county
health officer and NelTs physician, and
CT DR.. Isaac Fearing, county coroner,
was Of an expert nature. Lawyer Ayd-
let's objection to their qualification as
experts was Over-ruled. Their evidence
went to prove that the absence of blood
from the heart. water from the lungs,
stomach and Dleural cavity and a contu-
sion two inches across on the left temple
all tended to prove that Nell was stun
ned or killed by a blow and then thrown
into the water. They said Nell was q
virgin and that all the organs We're
healthy but the brain which was badly
decomposed, presumably from the blow.
After DR.. Fearing came j. II. Leroy,
a coroner's juryman, who told of the
body's finding, the vain search for q
photograph, the temple wound and other
things which c~orroborated what the doe
tors had said.
P. S. Shipp, another Juror, went on and
testified along the same line. He spoke
about the fullncss on the left temple as
oohipditu Will lHe IlSHt ana SdlO HDRCr
pressure would leave indentations there,
but nowhere else on the person.
j. b. Ferebee was introduced. He is
a white barber who was on the Jury
and who was the first to notice the
wound, which brought a second autopsy
in which the head was cut open. His
evidence was cumulative.
{. a. Long said he and J. D. Stillman
found the body on the river floating
face downward. He declared Stillman
said: Il believe it's the drowned girl.
And [ said, let's push over that way
l stuck down an oar and tied the body to
it. The water was shallow. l sent nv
boy after Mr.. Cropsey, who identified
the body. 1t seemed like her skirts were
still holding to the bottom, for the water
was muddy when We took her away"
Stlllman was put on and said they were
a few bricks on the river bottom. and
that wind tides made the river vary about
two feet in depth.
Mayor Wilson, Police Chief Dawson
and Sheriff Reed all States witnesses
came this evening from Elizabeth CITY.