The Wilson times. [volume] (Wilson, N.C.) 1896-19??, 1918-12-24
WILCOX IS
PARDONED
After Serving Fifteen Years of
His Sentece. Made a
Model Prisoner
GOVERNOR GIVES REASONS
GOVERNOR GIVES REASONS


the young white man from Elizabeth
City, son of the ex-sheriff of Pas
quotank county, who has served
nearly 16 years of a 80 year SEN
tence to the penitentiary, after being
convicted of the murder Of Miss
Nellie Cropsey of Elizabeth City, his
sweetheart, and granted a pardon
yesterday afternoon by Governor
Beckett, is expected to arrive in Raj
eigh this afternoon from a prison
camp in the western part of the
State and report at the State peni-
tentiary here to receive his pardon.
Prison officials here believe that
Wilcox will leave Immediately for
his old home in Elizabeth City to
spend Christmas.
Seven other convicts, serving
terms for various crimes, were par
doned today by Governor Beckett,
including Carl G. Frizt, of Davidson
county, John Teachy, of Watauga
county and Ned Black, of Cumber-
land county.
Wearing a slouch hat bedecked
with a band made from the skin Of
an eleven rattle rattler, high hunt
ing boots, a small red tie around an
army shirt and brown suit-the
Quitting lacking harmony only be-
cause it was set off with colonial
moustache-Jim Wilcox, given free
dom Friday by Governor Beckett in
the middle of a thirty-year sentence
for killing Nellie Cropsey, stepped
from the east bound Southern rail-
way train Saturday night and an
nounced that he was in waiting for
the State carriage. He was going
to the prison on what he said was
his last trip but didn't want to walk.
He was free man again and he
showed it-not in any spirit of hui
mility but more like victor utterly
dazed to find out that he had won.
Wilcox was minus bag or bagge and
brought from the prison camp moth
ing heavier than a pocket kodak, a
bag of tobacco and a package of
cigarette papers. He looked the pic
ture of health in the tramping out
door attire and, barring his appa-
rent subjugated morale, typified the
part that John Fox might build
tale OF romance around.
Wilcox was enthusiastically re-
ticent and impatient to 60, first to a
cafe and then to the penitentiary
where the document that certified
his freedom awaited him. The recep-
tion committee that met him at the
union station consisted of quartette
of newspapermen and to the few
questions asked he would make none
but a cynical, or strikingly indefinite
answers. He was loath to say when
he would go on to Elizabeth City,
his home, and manifested no serious
concern for anything beyond a meal
and pardon with the great seal of
the State on it.
Least of all did Wilcox look the
man to keep the picture Of his dead
sweetheart, for whose death two ju-
ries found him guilty, before him on
the walls of his prison cell. During
his wait down town fc> the prison
carriage, where he expected to spend
the night, he was first light hearted
and then morose, varying the mood
between puffs at the cigarette he
rolled himself and lighted with a
match fired between the thumb and
index finger with impressive dex-
terity.
Indicative Of Wilcox's levity of
spirit was his turn to question in
ended to get picture. "How about
a picture?" he was asked.
He pulled the kodak for answer
and offered to "shoot" the newspa-
permen. Then his expression
switched and he talked about the
pictures Chicago newspapermen made
of him when he was tried in Pas
quotank in 1902. Other than sue
cessful attempt not to be discourte-
Gus, Wilcox evinced no interest in
publicity. When the question was
repeated about the picture, he half
way promised to pose for one, but in
stead Of remaining in Raleigh for
day or two as he said he intended,
he caught an early train for Eliza
beth city, arriving there yesterday
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