The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1925-03-06
TO TRYDOXEY
in CATESCO.
Solicitor Small Found Senti-
ment Seemingly Too
Strong for Acquittal

Strong for Acqulttal
The removal OF the case of
State against Willis y, Doxey,
charged with murder in the
first degree. from Currltuck
County this week, delays the
trial OF 4 case in which. the in
tcreSt Of this entire section is
conferred. and it will not come
to trial until the March term
of Gates County court conven-
ing ON the q.
Judge Craumer ordered the case
removed To Gates County. upon the
motion of Solicitor Walter l.. Small,
who found sentiment 50 favOrably
strong for the accused man III his
home county. that he feared for the
outcome Of thr states interest. The
motion fer removal. was entirely I'M
expected by the defense, and the
public. the solicitor having con
tcalcd his plans until after the
Grand Jury had passed on the case
and found It true hill. Had the
Solicitors move been anticipated.
il is possible. there would have been
M trnr hill. - favorable is Scnti-
mcnt in Curri,uck toward the de-
fcndaut.
"DnXcy wouId get fair trial
here" a number of people tOld Mr..
Small. after he had made his mo-
ti.u,.- far rraiov;IE How de- YOU
know" hr asked. What would
YOU do if You were OH the jury"
We would turn him loose" he
WIS told.
That said the solicitor. is
convincing proof that it would not
b." fair trial. You have made up
your minds before hearing the
CuSr.''
Used Newspaper Reports
\ singular feature of the re-
mpval of the DoNcy casr to Gates
County. is that the account of the
affair. as published in this news
paper on February l3. was made Il
part of the motion. When this
newspaper Investigated the case mt
thar time, it gave the history ot the
D0Nry$' family life. emitting M
details that had been made Il part
Of the community gossip and en-
.rudrrrd the older mans jealousy
against his nephew. This news
paper found that DOXcy had shot
IInwn. Il mill, from his home IN
Poplar Branch. the nephew. I"
whom hr had not been on Sp"akin"
terms for years. II fuunl that
sympathy was with DOXcy. because
the nephew had been making him
self too free around his Tnclc'S
home tn suit. Willis DOXcr. This
newspaper WIS informed by friends
of DUNry. that hr would be- acqult-
ted of th" crime lodged against him.
others who were diSintcrcStcd. Bit
trrIv declared that conviction ut a
mau charged with murder waS im-
possible in Currituck County. aud
that powerful connections would
insure the accused mans acquit-
tai. This newspaper learned the
intimate family life of the DOzcy'>.
and the gossip concerning il. W''''
DOxry himself told the reporter
that he shot his nephew.
The readers of this newspaper
were given the story in its entire
tv. showing how Willis Doxcy.
srriu@ his home wrecked by the - =
SiStcnt gossip concerning his wife
and nephew. had finally been Criv-
ON tn shoot his nephew. 1t was
story that created wide comment.
and brought. letters and cOmmcnda-
ton from far and wide, one of the
leading business men Of North
Carolina writing Ia this newspaper
that it wHS nInS'"""i"'-.' ""d
regular Ollcnry story. 1t showed
IN both sides of the ease. Friends
uf DOxcy said it was written from
the viewpoint of the woman. ara
would convict the husband: friends
of the woman said it would help
To acIuit DOXcy.
When Walter Small got to Currl-
tuck Monday. he found Il battery
Of wcIl-kmOwu lawyers opposing
him in his SingIe-hamdcd fight for
the STATE. There waS EbrinShauS
and Aydlett of Elizabeth City and
the WOlcUttS of Norfolk. Jlc fOnnd
powerful connections ready TO give
DOXey all the assistance possible
in his hour of trouble. Small was
Continued on Page TwO)