North Carolina Newspapers

I; E r ij II; I i 4 h 2 in if iti 1 i, i 1i II s 1 H 8 H si Si i . i ! Detective Finds Clues v in the Gropsey Miiraer Indications Point to More Thafi One Participant in the Crime v; The New York Journal Sunday prints: the following statement by c. J . " -Pn. a detective, who has investigated the Cropsey case. Th rlopk of the Town Hall or Enz abeth City and the steam whis:le of the shingle mill on the north bank of the Pasquotank river will prove jmponaui tell-tale factors in the trial4, of James , Wilcox for the murder of Ella Cropsey. The facts Gathered by me -"tend to strengthen the belief that' there were more than one connected with the crime, lor it cannot be possible that the, men aeen with Wilcox within an hour of the time he called Nellie Cropsey from her father's house, and others who were " seen at the spot where the girl's". body was found Friday morning would not come forward and make .their identity known unless th?y have guilty knowl edge of the doings of that mght. ''The medical examination at the au topsy shows that, the girl received a se vere' blow on the left temple. This disposes of the theory of suicide, and sustains the contention of those who knew the victim most intimately. What, then, are the circumstances that point to Wilcox as her murderer? They are these: . " K erased to Go vrXtH Wilcox "On the night prior to the girl's dis appearance the accused called at the Cropsey home and iiivked her to go with him to the skatind rink. She refused. At this time she h'ad given many evi dences of her 'desire to discontinue her outings with him." She suggested -that perhaps her cousin . Carrie, who was in the room at the timW would like to go with him. and Carrie consented! Be fore leaving' the house Ella whispered to her cousin, asking her to take the opportunity to tell Wilcox that Ella ' had "no'further use. for him.' "On the way back from the rink Car rie asked the young man why It was that her cousin had taken -such a dis i ike to him. The reply he made was: You tell me and I'll tell you He then made, a purchase, of some fruit and Car rie Cropsey carried it home. When they reached .:he honse the young woman at once offered some o? this to Ella Crop sey, telling her at the same time that .Wilcox had purchased it for her. "I don't want any,' was the girl's somewhat haughty reply. . . "Wilcox remained in the" house "about half an hour, sulked and did not speak a word to the girl with whom he pro fessed .to be in love. When he got up to go Carrie Cropsey accompanied him to the hall, but did not see him leave the house. Iflade Fan of Him "Returning to the parlor, she closed the door. Ella Croppy,' in her quick and "jovial way, bounced across the room and seized an apple," declaring, with a merry laugh, that that w,as" 'one on ' Jim.' "This led to much talking and raillery of the young Suitor. Carrie Cropsey told of what shevhad said to him on the way home and concluded with the remark that she would never go out with him again, as she felt so big to be walking such a little fellow. "'Why didn't "you call him Squatty , Wilcox and he woHld have left you?' suggested Ella Cropsey, and then there was much more laughter at .the man's expense. This sort of thing was kept up for more than half a.n'haur. Then the girls locked up the house and went to bed. ' r ' '-. '- -I :''-. . Wai He Eaveidropplnz 1 "During the whole of this time Wil cox was standing in "tie hall, eaves dropping, and heard every word that was said. He admitted ii the net day to Carrie Cropsey, mildly upbraided her and said that listeners never heard good ,. of themselves. ., "In this circumstance and the fact that Wilcox knew that Ella was doing all she could to make him discontinue .his attentions ,to her is the motive for , revenge found. 4 "The day following the event I have just quoted was November 20. Wilcox arrived at the Cropsey home at a few minutes after S o'clock in the evening and sat there in a sulky mood until a few" minutes alter 11 o'clock. During the whole of ti.ls rime he never once epoke to-Ella Cropsey. "With a general .'good-night he left the room, and, as-h turned into "the hall -he called back, . 'Ella. I want to 'speak to you for a 'minute.' She immediately left her seat and went out to him. A Jly.-t rlon Sklfl" r "Exactly 10 minutes after the girl left the huse a lO-ftnt skiff, paintedjwhite, pulled out from the shadowy of the wharf alongside Kramer's mill -and headed westward toward Elizabeth Cityr a quarter of a mile- away, -iThere'. was a' man seated in the stern and' - another' tnan was rowing. The pier from which this skiff. was.' seen to leave Is -not more: Khan 200 yards from the Cropsey house and is the same one down; which the;, bloodhounds trailed two days later. "The exact time is fixed in this way. 'As the town clock struck 11 a tug with: a barge in tow left the; shingle- mill at KnobbV creek for Alligator- r1verv , It had to pass by the pier in' question, and as it did so the skiff came out -into the moonlight, The captain of the tug says that he had received imperative orders; to leave the mill dock at 11 o'clock antl he did so. It takes just 15 minutes to reach the point of the rivfer where the pier is situated. - '" -met Ulm a 11.45 ''Leonard Owens arrived in his fishing smack that night at Toludexter creek, which runs into Elisabeth City, at M:30. He left. his .boat with his men and en Ktered a nearby saloon, where he remain ed about threec minutes. . , "At 1130 o'clock, also,-the bartender in this saloon began to make up his cash and was eo engaged when Owens entered. The latter then started for his home, which lies in the same direc tion, but .not so far- away as 'the Crop sey honse: . ''rf Tfn?':S:': "When Owens reached f the residence of P. H. Ives, on Sheppard street, 10 minutes later, he met Wilcox. This was at 11:45 o'clock and just : 40 minutes after Wilcox had left the CrbpseyJplace, which is., only 10 minutes' walk from Ives'. :-' '";..,- "The men are known to each other and they stopped and spoke. Owens asked Wilcos whera he had. been and the latter replied, lOh, to see my girl, and walked on. "Owens was detained for some min utes at hk door when he reached -home, and, after being admitted, he attended to the lights in the house and then lock ed the street door. As he did so the town clock struck 12 and he heard tht s-ceam whistle at Blade's mill sound for the night force to stop for the midnight lunch. 8enatnidnlsbt,T "A few minutes before 12 o'clock Fanny Mitchell and Alexander Brown were standing on Sheppard street, im mediately opposite the Wilcox home. They say that on the corner of Road street not more .than 200 yards away they saw Wilcov. whom they both know wel'l, speaking to tw other men; that the three separated, and that they saw Wilcox go into his father's house. "At 11:40 on :he same night Leroy Crawford, the young man. who had been visiting Mis Olive Cropsey, left the house for his home. His course lay precisely along the same route as that taken by Owens. It took him 10 min utes to, reach the point where Wilcox and Owens met. and, as he did not see the latter during his journey, it shows that Owens had already passed. "When Crawford reached his lodging house the proprietor had to let him in. It was then exactly 12:0T. This is of importance, because it takes just 25 minutes to wallk the dlstamce, and the accuracy of rhe Cropsey dining room clock is thus established. "The. pier near which the skiff was seen lis between the point at which Wilcox was met by Owens and the Cropsey house and not more than three minutes' walk from the latter.- The locality is extremely quiet and well suited to the perpetration of the crime that was committed. A Suiemeat of the Aecncd "In spite of the fact that Wilcox grave no testimony at the trial, that 'he re fused' to make a statement '"to "the 'chief of po;ke an-1 to the committee of five, I succeeded in getting him to give me his version of what took place when be called the unfortunate girl from her iiome. His story was written by me at hi3 direction, and at the request of Chairman H. T. j! reenleaf was after ward turned over "to the committee of live. It was as follows: . " 'When I called Ella Cropsey to come out and speak, with me it was for the purpose of returning to her two photo graphs of herself then in my possecsion. One of them I had worn in the case of my Avafch for some time, and this I re moved as I f-at in the room a few min utes before leaving. The other, was a larger picture, which I had in my pock et. I thought that as she didn't want to, have anything further to do with me I 'would give them back .o her. I al-?o had an old white silk parasol belonging to her, and this I' placed beside the steps in- front of the porch when. I arrived early in the evening. "'After calling to heT I waited just a moment until she came into the hall, and as sho did so 1 walked out on the porch. She followed me as far as the outer door only, and, as she stood on the threshold 1 handed her the smaller of the '.:wo photographs and said: ' "Here, El-a, t3ko this.' " 'She took it from me and said at once: 4 "I know what this means." ' ; "'She then began to cry. ... I handed her the other photograph, walked out to the edge cf the veranda, stooped 1 ..,.cf tt.,v.;ct Sh6 had C-.C forwar,, and ,ood be.ide " "r " ' Vul ;:i.own. He would not listen to .the., advice e. I gavejior rhe parasol She asof flnv onf when he Avns fln .assistant iil crying, but sho said nothing to me. I Hfr-T-pt'nrv nn,1 that: nronpnsitv seems to me '"It was a bitteri cold night, and as ; the had nothing over her s-houlders or j on her henri I asked her to sro into the 1 house. She said hc would not. I re- ' and wanted to reach there before the saloons closed. She then told me to go, and 1 went. leaving uer crying at the top of the steps. , "'During our. talk there I did not lay a hand upon her. nor did she attempt to embrace me. She made no threats or statement other than what I have told you. I don't know - what- became of her.'" . peated my reauest st-veral times wkh- rffn his patriotism, hnt no one m om out effect, and then told her that I had cial circles wdl accept his judgment .., i I The audience in tne parquet, the an engagement w.tha mau down town nr , . ha. Four nen f ull of Whiskey I Shoot an Inoffensive Man Memphis, Tenn., Dec. 30. Four white men crazed by drink killed an inoffen sive passenger on passenger train No. ( on 'tne Yazoo and Mississippi .Valley Ilailroad, near Leland, Miss., at 3 o'clock .this morning, took possession of the train, forced the engineer .to cut the engine loose and run them to a place of escape. The victim was D. M. Itiiea and the members of the party who killed him were Ashley Cooke, a merchant and planter of Cleveland, Miss.; A. M. Phipps, postmaster at Shelby, Miss. ; .. Thos. Lauderdale, Phipps' brother-in4aw, and John Black man. The men went, from Shelby to Leland early last night where they spent sev eral hours drinking and carousing. At three o'clock they boarded the north bound train. Cooke having a revolved and Lauderdale and Blackman carrying Winchester rifles, Soon after they got a? iw,am )ne of them stumbled over ur.. nea, an eniriutr.. mrnnto nr J wiler, Miss., ro -take out a train. The A Country Editor :.Gets. to Columbia, S. C. Dee. SO. The court house town of Saluda has no railroad cr telegraph. The Sentinel, edited by II. S. Cunningham, is the disseminator of civilization. Two weeks ago there was a rumor reflecting on Mr. Cunningham or his family and he printed the follow ing editorial: , - ,'. "There are some of the lowest, gos sipy women in Saluda that ever infest ed a town. They sneak, around and lie and slander the innocent. The worst part of it is that decent people listen and give credence to these lies. - If one or two could be made examples of their lying tongues "would be silenced. The female lar is stalking abroad in Saluda, but sooner or later she will be run down." - A mass meeting o the citizens held in the court houso resolved that Editor Cunningham's card was slanderous and a committee of three was appointed to prepare an apology and retraction which Cunningham was to sign and pub lish, rlf ho refused . to publish the re traction he was ;o. furnish" the commit tee with rhe names- of the "lying wo men" to whom, he ief erred. When the Sentinel went to press again it contain ed an apology written .by Mr. Cunning ham, in which he s.aid thap he was sat isfied the rumors to which "he referred No Visible Opposition to the Nicaragua Canal Washington, Dec. 30. The consider ation of the Nicaraguan c;li;al bill, which is to be the coitliiui'irr order In It 3 House of Represnitativi's until dis posed of, beginning next Tuesday, Jan uary 7. will be marked by an unusual feature in that the opposition to it , will be practically nothing. Mr. Hepburn, chairman of the Com mittee on Inter-state and Foreign Com merce, whose name the bill bean?, speaking of the matter today, said that no arrangement had been made fcr handling the opposition to the b'li. "Mr. Davey of Louisiana," he said, "the senior Democratic member of the committee, told me he wanted to con trol the time in opposition, but I do not see how that can be done as he favors the bill. Mr. Fletcher of Minnesota, cast the only negative vote in coram't tee against t, but he; has' expressed --no desire in the matter. He has made no report against the bill. , The only ' per son who ligs asked for time against the bill is Mr. Burton of Ohio;? chairman )f the Committee on Itivers and Harbors, who said he wanted about' fifteen min utes." - ' " "' . ;-' "".--" ' Despite thw seeming lack of antag onism to a bill proposing to iuvolve the United States in he ' execution -of a contract calling for the largest sum of Roosevelt Made a Record as a Kicker New York, Dec. 30. A special dis patch from Kansas City, to, The World says: ' ' '."-,: ' -; "Roosevelt will be renominateil for the Presidency and defeated for the office," says Webster Davis, formerly Assistant Secretary of the Interior. "President Roosevelt .is not halter broke. He signed a round robin for whichi he ought to. have., been court martialed, inasmuch as he was in the face of the enemy, and last week he degraded the general commanding the army and the admiral commanding the navy, for a little break. "President Roosevelt is sincere, pa- triotic. enthusiastic anrt unhroKen. e SS"' nave een much -enlarged since being called to the 'executive chair. No one will charsre' him with nesk-eting to fur- ther the interests of the republic or ar conies will pay no attention to him. He is faking his lines and will not stick to the text. He came In on a gust of wind, and when the storm has exhausted itself he will find his level. It will be his felicity to escort a Democrat to where the chief justice is standing to ad minister the Vath to the next President. The Republican party surely will go down by Roosevelt's weight. Republi cans will defeat him. In the convention one who stumbled against Rhea accus ed Rhea of tripping him up, and the others joined in the quarrel. Rhea tried to explain that he had done nothing wrong, but they refused to listen to him. One of them drew a pistol and fired at Rhea and the others .followed suit, eight shots being fired in ail. Rhea fell dead. Th party then took posses sion of the train, pulled the bell cord and boarded the engine, forcing the en gineer, "Hike" Delaney, to run the train back to Leland. At Leland the engine v was cnt from the Krain and the engineer Was compelled to run to Cleve land, carrying pll the party except Phipps, who became separated from ois companions and was arrested at 'Le land. Arrived at Cleveland, the men took the north-bound train to Shelby, where they were all arrested .this moin ing. Rhea, the victim, was a peaceable man. Cooke, the' leader of the quar tete, is a4 desperate character who has been tried a number of times for homi cide. Only last Friday he killed a ue- ' gro at Shelby, ot Water I did not originate with a woman, but the Sentinel did not appear with the re traction. . - Editor Cunningham and his three young daughters who assist him in his journalistic work, were in the editorial office when Dr. J. W. Pitts, Edward Turner' .nd J. B. Coleman came in and demanded that a typewritten retraction be printed. A dozen of two copies of the paper had already been run off. The apology, according to Editor Cunning ham, did not allow him a word of ex planation or defense. They told him if he published his statement he would do so on peril of his life. He decided not to print their apology and not give the names of these ladies -through whom the report had come. , . "As I could not go on with the publi cation without bloodshed," he says, fearing for ythe lives of my innocent daughters in'the office, there being a tur bulent crowd in the street, I suspended publication and took my girls home." Mr. Cunningham has submitted his charges and retraction to Governor Mc Sweeney and two of the best lawyers fn the state, and all think he has done all that could reasonably be expected. The outcome of the affair is awaited with intense interest in Saluda. The town is divided for and against the ed itor. - money ever applied to the construction of a public work, Mr. Hepburn, while hopeful of the accomplishment of the purpose upon which he has set his heart, is not emphatically sanguine of the result. "I would not hazard an opinion," he said in reply to a auestion regarding the final issue. "I should not be surprised to see something interposed to the progress of the legislation in the House or Senate or in conference, if it should reach that stage, to provoke de lay. That game has been' played, and successfully, three times in the past six years." Washington, Dec. 30. The Nicara guan Canal bill, reported favorably to the Senate by the Committee On, Inter oceanic Canal, is to be sent back to the committee for further consideration. A motion will be made in the Senate when it meets again that the Nicaraguan Ca nal bill be referred back to the commit tee for further Consideration on the grounds stated, and there is reason to believe the motion will prevail. This action on the part of the Senate means that a fair opportunity will be given the Panama Canal Company to pre sent the rumored offer of a sale of the canal property with all concessions to the United States for $40,000,000. t he will prevail because almost any presi dent, save some magnificent fellow like Chester A. Arthur, can control a con vention through. the medium of his fed eral office holders." - Obstreperous Argentina Washington, Dec. 30. Advices re ceived here indicate thatChile has shown a more temperate disposition than the Argentine Republic in dealing with the questions which may ultimately involve the two countries in war. The most sur prising feature of the negotiations, ac cording to these advices, is the refusal of Argentina to accept the friendly of fices of the' United States to bring atoa an amicable adjustment, and the prompt ness of Chile in welcoming American ''in tercession. -4- Workln: 24 Htari a Dr There's no rest for those tireless little workers Dr. King's New Life Pills. ,-illions are always busy, curing Torpid Liver, Jaundice, Biliousness, Fever and Ague. They banish Sick Headache, drive out Malaria, Never gripe or weaken. Small, taste nice, work won ders. Try them. 25c. at all druggists. THANK y" ' .-'' . : T - T THE CONCLUSION OF ONE YEAR'S BUSINESS WE DESIRE TO THANK OUR PATRONS FOR THE LIBERAL MANNER IN WHICH THEY HAVE PATRONIZED US DURING THE PAST YEAR. TO SAY THAT WE ARE OBLIGED BUT FEEBLY EXPRESSES OUR GRA1ITUDE. WE ARE MORE THAN OBLIGED, AND THE KIND AND CONSIDERATE TREATMENT ACCORDED US IS AN INCENTIVE TO '.'Up TO REDOUBLE OUR EFFORTS TO PLEASE AND MAKE OUR STORE THE CLOTHING STOKE OF THE TOWN AND AN IDEAL STORE OF ITS KIND 7 . f WE WANT REGULAR TRADE. WE WA2T CUSTOM--.1IS WHO COME' TO. US CONFIDENTLY.' WE HAVE MANY WE WANT MORE. WE ARE NEVER SATISFIED UNTIL OUR CUSTOMER IS, -AND THE CUSTOMER'S GREATEST SATISFACTION GIVES US THL GREATEST, PLEASURE; WE HAVE PITCHED OUR TENT HERE TO STAY, AND WE TRUST THAT OUR CIRCLE pEFRIENDS WILL WIVES AND EXEND, LIKE THE RIPPLE ON THE WATil. UXTiL THE ENTIRE ARMY OF CLOTHIN' J BEYERS IN AND ABOUT RALEIGH- CAN E XCLAIM IN ONE ACCORD: ' WII BUY. OUR CLOTHING OF S. & D. BURW ANGER." AGAIN THANKING OUR OLD FRIENDS FOR THEIR F AT R O N A fJ E, AND TRUSTIN0 !' MAY SEn MANY NEW FACES AT OUR COUNTERS DURING THE COMING YEAR, WE ARE . . YOUK SERVANTS Sensational Shootinq Affair at Newport News, Va., Dec 30. The shooting, mortally,, here this afternoon of E. A. Marye, a civil engineer, by C. Aylett Ashby, a young lawyer, is the most sensational ever occurring here be cause of the prominence of the family connections of both the principals. Marye was in love with -a Miss Garnet, sister-in-law- of Ashby, But his attentions were not favorably received. It is said that tais, in connection with several ne ws-s paper attacks made on hdm as city en gineer, because of the drawing of speci fications foir paving which were favor able to the asphalt trusty had driven him to distraction. , " - This afternoon , he ' proceeded to the house of Miss Garnet and began to bombard it by throwing bricks, shells and potted flowers into the house through the window, and it is said made No Army Legislation Probable This Session Washington, Dec. 30. "I do not think Congress will pass any bill , for the re organization of the army at this session," said Senator Hawley, chairman of the Senate Committee on Military Affairs, this afternoon. "While I think there might be changes made in the act under which the army Is organized; I do not think there will be any legislation on this subject at present- I am particu larly opposed to the four year detail clause. I -do not believe that after a man has spent twenty years-in perfect ing himself in one special branch of the service, engineering, ordnance, etc., he should suddenly be .transferred to an other branch such as the cavalry, Tor a period of four years. There are other changes which I would like to 'see made, in fact, I would favor taking several things out of the present act, but not of putting anything else an it." Senator Hawley' views as to the necessity of passing a new act at this session are directly opposed to those of Q u m FOR- s Write us your wants and prices will be quoted to suit yon. Our goods are the best. - .'.-...- -: .-''. ' .''' NORTH CAROLINA DEPOSITORY FOR THE ... . ..-.- . - --,'''' PUBLIC 5CHOOL BOOM ' . " ' -'.. . . -,: - :' : : Send for price list. Orders filled by return mail. Yours truly, ' ' " ALFRED W Ml rale; gh, n. c. s. & D. BERWANGER, uNE PRICE CliOTHlEPS Newport News r i insulting" remarks relative to Mrs Ah by-and Miss GaYnet. For this hetai taken into custody by a police officer In the meantime Ashhy had been S Phoned to at his office and - advised of what had occurred. He took his pistol and went out to look for Marye. Meet ing him and the policeman coming down the street, Ashby drew his revolver and began to fire. The first shot hit-the pohce. officer just above the heart, but as it struck a button on his coat its force was broken" and it penetrated no further than the officer's breast bone The next shot took effect in Marre'i abdomen, which made a wound tronj which, the doctors say, there is but faint chance of recovery. ; Ashby waa bailed late tonight in the sum cf $20,000. Representative Hull, chairman of the House Committee on Military Affairs, who believes the last re-organization bili contained several features inserted to conciliate the opponents to the bill, which might, with the increased ma jority of the Republicans in both houses and the greater length of time for. con sideration. Via pliinlTinttd .at ha. jsoeelvr. -4 " bchley willing to guit . New York, Dec. 30. James Parker, of Perth Amboy, N. J., who wag one of Admiral Schley's counsel at the re cent trial in Washington, was seen in rv, i t ri: i- Talking about the Schley case, Captain Parker said that Admiral Schley regards the controversy closed, but that friends of the admiral wiH ask Congress to vin dicate him by retiring him on full pay and by reimbursing him for the expense of his trial. ! JU S & CO., Cf y a nr JI U 1111 III III 1 4 hi