The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1903-01-29
WILCOX IS GUILTY.
So Pronounced By Jury of Fellow
Citizens.
THIRTY YEARS IN PENIlENTIARY.
The Prisoner Receives Ills Scntencs >
wan StoicaI Indifference - Report
In Detail
sncri,l to Charlotte Observer.

Special to Charlotte Observer.
Hcr,rcrd Special Murder In the
second dcgirr' Is the verdict OF the
iurv in the Wilcox -Cropscy case and
go wears in the pcnttentiary at hard
l,bnr'. the sentence OF the court. The
iurv came in at 2 o'clock. They were
ont % hours. w. q. Reid was the
sunkrsman of the jury. Judge Council
nu,lc y brief but touching little speech
on sentencing the defendant. The
NIdsr said III part:
Il never takn pleasure in sentencing
nuv unr convicted OF crime, and do SQ
only from 3 pToEunh Scnse Of duty
resting Up0n n" as 4 trial judge in
>imdi""tnn ct the laws OF our State
Thr iH"y have seen fit to return a
verdict in ,hi>; rds" OF murder in the
second GtG"cr. They have found that
the defendant took the life OF Miss
Cropsry. Through malice, but without
urcinrNitatiun and dclibcratiOn. By
what process Of reasoning they nave
arYiyr,, at thiS verdict is not for nc to
say. ,N'GarU thCir action. hOwcytr. in
,hnritItlr % tho defendant as poSsibic
in the light of the evidence in the case
~ th@v viewed Il. and resolved all
aut.bi upon tn" question OF prcmcdita-
tiun uud ieljheraton in favor Of the
dclcniiaut'
In pronouncing Judgment upon the
defendant | have nothing TO say as to
at, ~. ,,.hs. I
50 his gUils o. Innocence. | Simply
take The verde; Of the jury as render
eh and treat ih. defendant as a guilty
man. II guilty. and the jury have said
81. then think he deserves the full
limit OF the law. The Judgment OF the
cnnrt. therefore, is that the defendant
hr sentenced to the States prison at
hard labor FOR the term OF 80 years"
Th" court house vas not full at the
timc the verdict wa8 rendered. The
loafrrS from the streets and the mcr-
chants close Ivy bad rushed in at the
ringing OF the bell. The defendant
heard Il" verdict anu ibe sentence
without show Of emotion His attOr-
n"ys. ,'2"o8nutrd by Mr. w. J. I.cary
Eavr notice Of an appeal. The prison
"r was returned TO Jail and the crowd
repaired to the sidewalks to discuss
we a''loh al the jury. All is Qnict here.
Th"'" has been no talk Of violence
from any source. Judge Cornell leaves
tonight for Raleigh and the attorneys
6" 10 their several homes. Wilcox will
Ia S"nl back TO Elizabeth City. where
h" will wait ,hc orders of the court.
IN" case went to the .iury at i:30
Tuesday evening. All was quiet till !!
"'c!ncE when an officer was sent for
Judge Council. WHO was out at tea.
The jury desired him to read his
"har2N 20 them again. But it was 50
la'c that ,hr Judge did not deem il
"tsr - bring the prisoner out so the
request OF the jury was continued til
go today. when it was granted.
Al Kinds Of lumoTs. theories and
sn"""lItion& went out from the court
hn0S" as soon rs thr jury retired.
',i Is to hc murder in tn" second
'cH'c'.' was ono theory, while others
i"'lNr'G: "!t IS hung jury" One
itrN Nin;.H had asked the sheriff to send
his brother word TO kill his hogs and
bring him in some clean clothes about
Ha'urdnE. This man was supposed Ia
~ ta|p.au,r tc aHQuittal. Such were
A'' subjects Of dchat" on the streets.
''nt n" Jury kept its own counsel and
hrrh":@i"H iiil ocioe!;, when the vcr-
'ii"' "IG IvCuIh, IN