Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-06-19
JIM WILCOX IN JAIL.
Another Chapter in the Famous Nellfg
 Cropsey Case.

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 Cropsey Case.
 Norfolk, June 19.-The last act in thk
 tragedy at Elizabeth City, where the
 dafk waters of Pasquotank river cast l up the lifeless body of pretty Nellia<
 Cropsey, was played yesterday after
 noon, when James E. Wilcox who was
 twice tried and convicted for the mur-
 der of the young girl passed through the city on his way to the North Caro- lima state penitentiary at Raleigh, to l begin serving the sentence of thirty
 years imposed by the second jury that
 tried him for the alleged crime. The local detective bureau received l telegraphic message to meet the Nor folk and Southern railroad train, which the message stated would arrive in the | city at l o'clock in the afternoon. The | detectives, however, did not meet the train, for the reason, as one of them stated last night, that on former oc- sion they were told to be at the rail- road station to meet two prisoners, and when the officers did go there they found only couple of naval deserters.
 The detectives say that they thought this was similar request and for this reason they did not respond yesterday. | noted prisoner had arrived after he had
 been quietly taken to the station at | Portsmouth.
 When the train rolled into the sta
 tion the sheriff of Elizabeth City
 stepped to the platform and beside him was small, wiry young man, who wa8~ none other than the noted prisoner who 1 had once been sentenced to the gallows and for whose life an infuriated Dopu-
 lace had once clamored.
 ! 1t was '1Jim" Wilcox in the flesh, but not the same nervy, nonchalant man | whose stohd indifference was the fea- ture of Wilcox all through the trying period when his life sung iii the bal
 ance. Wilcox plainly showed the ef- fleets of his long confinement and he looked pale and haggard
 | There were very few persons at the l station and hardly any of these recog- nized the prisoner. They would hard ly have noticed him had they not seen l the steel manacleS upon his wrists. It was the intention of the sheriff to walk Wilcox to the ferry and to the
 Seaboard Air Line train, and probably ! for the first time did the nerve of the 1 young man desert him. He said that | under no circumstances would he walk through the streets handcuffed. but ] agreed to ride with the irons upon his wrists. The sheriff was inclined to be l easy with Wilcox and called a closed l carriage. Into this Wilcox and the 1 sheriff sprang and soon the officer and | the noted prisoner were on their way I to the ferry. Wilcox was at the sta l ton here for only few moments but l he declined to say anything regarding | his conviction. He puffed away at a l cigarette as best he could and seemed I to derive much enjoyment from the weed. Wilcox is an inveterate cigar ! cite fiend.
 Tt did not take long to reach Ports. mouth and the sheriff and his prisoner boarded the Seaboard Air Line train and were soon on their way to Raleigh, which place was reached late in the night As Is the custom. Wilcox will 1 first be given bath, then be shaved and have his hair cut short Then he will don the prison garb. Just what work he will be assigned to is not known at present
 The Norfolk detectives say that on the same train that brought Wilcox here was Guy Hall, who was convicted here some years ago in a sensational case, and who skipped his bond while an appeal in his case was pending The officers state that Hall did not leave the train, but returned to Elizabeth 1 City. Hall was very close friend of 1 Wilcox. Ha1l has, since his convic- ton, been residing at Elizabeth City. with the exception of the time he spent 1 in the Klondike.
 Raleigh, N. O.. June 19.--A special 1 from Elizabeth City says:
 James E. Wilcox, twice convicted of 1 the murder of Nellie Cropsey, left here l to-day in charge of Sheriff F. T. Wins 1 low of Perquimans county, to begin his 1 thirty years sentence in the peniten- tiary at Raleigh. Previous to the ar rival of the officers at the jail he of fered to sell the Jailer a pistol and, to his amazement, took thirty-eight cali Der revolver from his pocket and fired three shots. then gave it to the jailer. He claims that he carried this pistol during both trials. It was fastened to his leg by his garter
 When the officers appeared he had to be carried from the jail by force. He cursed and swore at them; refused to wear a neat suit of clothes provided by his father. and insisted on wearing old torn pants and worn shoes. He said to Sheriff Reed: T shall not stay at the penitentiary. shall be back here soon. A few embers here, some houses there and match will make blaze. People will know when I get back.