The semi-weekly messenger., 1903-02-06
SAYS WILCOX IS NOT GUILTY.
Mysterious Letter Received from
Some Person in Utica, n. Y.

Elizabeth City Special, 1st. to Balti-
more Sun.
Ex-Sheriff Wilcox believes he will be
able to establish the innocence of his
son, James E. Wilcox, who has twice
been convicted OF the murder of Miss
Nellie Maude Cropsey: 1t is stated that
a new and important witness has been
discovered through a mysterious per-
son in Utica, n. Y.
Sheriff Wilcox las received letter
from this person which declares that
young Wilcox is innocent Of the cr-me
for which he has once been sentenced
to death and now to 80 years in the
North Carolina state prison.
The letter gives a detailed account of
how the murder was committed and
names and describes the person VINO
committed the crime. 1t is in substance
as follows:
Jim Wilcox left Miss Cropsey on the
front steps crying, as they had engaged
n a quarrel and Jim returned her pho
tograph and parasol and said some
thing which wounded her feelings. She
remained on the steps some tine cry
ing, as she did not want to return 10
the parlor and let her sisters and cous-
ms know she had been crying.
After she had been out some time
and was starting into the house the
dog began to bark, and she walked oIt
INTO the front yard to see what the dog
was barking at. The dog led her to a
poplar tree Or high Shrubbery, and
there she found a man whom she rlcog
nized.
He was disguised and she threat
ened to inform her father of his pres
ence there at that hour of the n ght
This angered him and he struck her
with a stick which he held in his hand.
He did not intend to kill hcr, ana
thought that he only stunned her, but
thinking his punishment would only be
the more severe when she recoVe ed
| he carried hel to the river, and put her
| in a boat He rOWed near a mil not
far away and placed her in a dc p hoe
When the search began for her she
was removed to swamp, and then af-
| ter the big reward was offered she was
| put in the river just where she would
be found.
The man you want is -. (The
| name follows.)
This may not be exactly the way
! his name is spelled, but is the way it
would sound if spoken. If there is
any doubt about the person, let me
know and 1 will send his first name.
There is another person who has a
guilty knowledge after the act, and he
| will expect the reward
The name of the writer of the letter
is withheld. The letter is postmarked ed
| at Utica, y. Y, January q, at p. m.
Mr.. Cropsey, the father of the mur-
dered g-rl, is reported to have said that
on December "a, 1901, three days before
his daughters body was found in the
| river he received a letter from this
same person in Utica, n. z, accompan-
led by a diagram which showed just
how the body was disposed Of and in
forming him that his daughters body
would be found at certain place in
the river. On the 9th of December
three days after receiving this | tier,
the body of Miss Cropsey was found at
the exact place mentioned in the letter
from Utica.
There is man in this town whose
name is almost exactly the same as
that mentioned in the letter received
by Sheriff Wilcox. He left the Crop sey
residence on the fatal night 20 mi 1utes
after Wilcox, and before Miss Nellie
was missed. Some time after he was
out the dog was heard to bark, and it
was then that Miss Nellie was missed
and a search begun.
When they failed to find her parties
were sent to the Wilcox home Jim
was found asleep. He said he had left
Nell on the porch crying.
(The Observer was last week offered
story. a brief descr ption of which
fits the above. but as the fac:s c-uld
not be established to its satisfaction
the article was declined. The narra-
tive probably grew with the telling, as
one of the inquiries which came to
Charlotte seeking confirmation stated
that it was reported that the governor
had pardoned Wilcox. AS for the a.
legged Utica letter, it reads very much
like fake.)-Charlotte Observer
Mt. AIRY POSTMASTERSHIP.