i ftff HI It K f
$1.00 a Year, In Advance. FOR OOP, FOR COUNTRY, AND FOR TRUTH." Single Copy, 5 Cent.
VOL. XII. PLYMOUTH, N. C, FRIDAY, JANUARY 3, 1902. NO. 43.
-
A
Dead Body of Missing Girl Discov
ered in River.
FATHER IDENTIFIED THE CORPSE.
A Coroner's Jury Hefd An Autopsy
and Recommended That Wilcox Be
Kept For I rial.
Suffolk, Va., Special Nellie Cropscy's
dead body was found Friday In Pasquo
tank river. After thirty-seven days
of anxiety and fako reports and the
lavish expenditure of money 1o
solve the mystery of Ella
Maude Cropsey's disappearance,. Pas
quotank river gave up its dead at, 10
o'clock this morning.
Nellie's body was located on the river
bottom by J. D. Stillman, a fisherman,
who hurried word to S. W. Turner, a
member of the citizens' committee of
Ave. The news of the find spread like
a praicie lire, and soon a great crowd
of excited people had collected. Jus
tice W. H. Cropsey, the girl's father,
was summoned. Almost overcome with
emotion ho pushed through tho crowd
and stood beside the corpse, where it
had beeu tenderly laid near the bank.
There was a hush as he looked upon
his daughter's form, but only for a
minute. Justice Cropsey soon pro
nounced the body before him the re
mains of h:s missing Nellie. Ward was
sent to the mother, who has seemingly
suffered most, to the sisters and to
Miss Carrie Cropsey, of New York,
-who has remained with the family
during all their trouble. There wera
weeping and cries of grief and thy
would not bo consoled.
The corpse was found out in the river
nearly, opposite tho Cropsey home.
Later, Coroner Fearing was notified
and ho had summoned a jury who
viewed the remains in a small house cn
the Cropsey premises. Witnesses told
how the find was made, and there v.v.s
evidence to show conclusively that the
body wa3 Nellie Cropsey's..
A careful examination was made by
physicians. The body itself, though
darkened. by the water's action, was
considered in an excellent Btato 01
preservation.
James Wilcox, the suspected lover
who, in pursuance of advice of his
father and lawyer, had left town and
was stopping at a country house in
Pasquotank county, was gone after
and brought to Elizabeth City at 5
o'clock. There was no apparent change
In hi3 expression and when questioned
about the case ho answered in mono
syllables. Of course he maintains not
only his innocence, but hi3 ignorance
of the causes which led to Miss Crop
Key's death.
The Coroner's Inquest.
Elizabeth City, N. C. Special. The
coroner's jury report3 that Miss Crop
sey came to her death by being strick
en a blow oa the temple and drowned
and recommends that an examination
as to Wilcox's guilt be made.
The report made by the physicians
who performed tho autopsy on Miss
Cropsey says: "The garments show no
. marks of violence. There were .10 ex
ternal marks of violence on body, he:id
or face. Thore was a discoloration of
a pinkish tinge on the front of head
and face with a slight bluish discolo
ration over the baok of the neck. Th-re
were no marks upon the front of her
neck, except as made by construction
of. her dress collar. An examination
of the internal organs showed she was
a pure girl.
"There was no fracture discovered at
any point of the cranium. There was
no effusion of blood or water upon the
surface of tho brain or any evidence
that violence had reached its structure
or the Internal plates of It3 bony cov
ering. The brain substance so far a3
we could see shows no evidence of dam
age. The brain was removed and the
base of the brain thoroughly Inspected.
There was no damage to blood vessete
or bony structure.
The report was signed by Drs. J. J3.
Wood, O. McMullaa and I. Fearing.
The verdict of the coroner's jury fol
lowed: "We, the coroner's jury, having
been duly summoned and sworn by Dr.
I. Fearing to Inquire what caused the
' death of Ella M. Cropsey, do hereby re
port that, from the Investigation made
by three physicians of Elizabeth City,
and from their opinion and also from
our personal observation, that said Eiiq
M. Croptey came to her death by being
stricken a blow on the left temple and
by being drowned In the Pasquotank
river. We have not yet Investigated
nor heard any testimony touching as to
who Inflicted the blow and did the
drowning. We are informed that one
James Wilcox Is charged with sam-2
and is now In custody. We recommend
that Investigation as to his cir any one
else's probable guilt be held by one or
more magistrates In Elizabeth town
ship and that said Wilcox be held to
await said investigation.
(Signed) I. Fearing, coroner; P. S.
Shipp. B. F. Spence. Maurice Wet
cott, Robert J. Mitchell, J. B. Fear
bee, J. H. Leroy.
Threats Against Wilcox.
Raleigh, Special. Friday evening
Governor Aycock received the following
telegram from Sheriff Grandy, of Eliza
beth City:
"Miss Cropsey's body found in river.
Threats of violence against James Wil
cox. Notify Naval Reserves here to be
at my command."
The Governor replied: "Naval Re
serves ordered to obey your orden'3.
Maintain law at all hazards. Keep me
fully Informed by wire."
Sampson's Condition,
Urbana, 111., Special. John B.
Weeks, of Champaign, a personal
friend of Rear Admiral Sampson, has
received a letter from Mrs. Sampson,
In which she says the mental condi
tion of the admiral is beyond recovery.
The letter was written in reply to a
note expressing sympathy with the
rear admiral in the personal annoy
ances he has suffered in the controver
sy with Rear Admiral Schley.
Committed Su'clde.
Washington, Special The War De
partment is in receipt of a cablegram
from Gen. Chaffee, Manila, P. I., re
porting that Odrus Reeder, second
lieutenant of Philippine scouts, com
mitted suicide on the morning of De
cember 23 by shooting himself with a
carbine on board the Lawton. He was
suffering from temporary insanity, due
to illness. Lieutenant Reeder was a
native of Beverly, W. Va.
Destructive Fire.
New Orleans, Special Fire at Shre
veport, La., early Wednesday destroyed
the furniture establishment of Jackson
Bros., involving a los3 of $60,000 on
stock and $15,000 on building. The flee
situation in Shreveport is considered
bad and agitation has been started in
favor of building reform and improved
fire apparatus. Forty insurance com
panies have withdrawn from tho city
pending an adjustment of conditions.
The losses in the past six months have
been eceptionally heavy.
Boer General Surrenders.
Washington, Special. The War De
partment has been advised by cable
from Manila of the surrender of the In
surgent chieftain Samson, at Mutasa
ron, with all hi3 officers and men, 28
cannon and 45 rifles. M'utasaron doe3
not appear on any of the maps in the
possession of the Department, but It i&
assumed that the surrender took place
in the island of Bobol, as it was there
that Samson of late has been operating
with his followers, having crossed over
from the former scene of his opera
tions, the island of Cebu.
Removed to Prevent Lynching.
Hot Springs, Ark., Special. Chas.
F. Moore, who shot and killed Jame3
Garner and mortally wounded Will
Garner here, was taken to the peni
tentiary at Little Rock Monday night
for safe keeping, after he was de
clared by the coroner guilty of mur
der in the first degree. Threats cf
lynching were made. The shooting
was caused by the two Garners de
clining an invitation to take a drink
with Moore.
Southern Gold and Silver.
Mr. George E. Roberts, director of
the United States Mint, estlates that
the value of gold produced In the coun
try In 1900 was $79,171,000, and of sil
ver $35,741,140. The value of gold pro
duced In Southern States was Alabama
$100, North Carolina $28,500, South
Carolina $121,000, Tennessee $100,Texas
$1100 and Virginia $3020. Alabama pro
duced $62 worth of silver, Georgia ?243
worth, North Carolina $694? worth,
South Carolina $24S worth and Texas
$295,988 worth.
Two Men Shot.
Dublin, Ga., Special. At Brewton,
near here, James Lovett and Omar
Keen were shot and probably fatally
wounded Tuesday night by Robert
Fort. Lovett Is a merchant and Keen
and Fort are hi3 clerks. Lovett and
Fort got into a dispute and Fort drew
a pistol and began to shoot. Keen tried
to stop the row and Fort turned his
gun on him. Lovett Is believed to he
dying and Keen can hardly live. Young
Keen is the son of State Treasurer
Lemuel Keen.
SERIOUS RACE RIOT
Warred the Esstivilies of the Happy
Christmastide in New York.
MANY OTHER HOLIDAY FATALITIES
A Number of Crimes and Accidents
That Detracted From the Enjoy
ment of the Occasion.
New York, Special. A race skir
mish between whites and blacks in
Harlem Christmas day developed seri
ous proportions and kept the police
busy for a time. The negroes, 1000
strong, were armed with revolvers and
elubs, while equally as many whites
used stones as weapons. The negroes
had the advantage, but were driven
back Into their tenements by the po
lice after they had charged on the
whites with pistols and razors. Four
teen negroes were arrested. Four
whites, including a policeman, were
badly shot or cut.
The rioting began when some white
boys storied two colored girl3, where
upon a dozen negroes seized the white
boys and beat them. The boys when
released told their story to white men
in the vi?inity and an organized at
tack was made on the negroes, who
were driven back to their tenements
under a shower of stone. The confu
sion increased when the white men be
gan to bombard the tenements with
stones and other missies, and the ne
groes fired from their. windows into the
crowd. The whites, surprised by the
shooting and seeing men fall wounded,
turned and ran, followed by the ne
groes, who used knives and clubs free
ly. At this point a squad of policemen
arrived and with drawn clubs stopped
the rioting, chasing the negroes back
Into their houses.
Boy Killed H's Father.
Brazil, Ind., Special In defending
his mother from an assault . by her
drink-crazed husband, Theo. Watkins,
13 years old, shot and killed his father
Christmas night at heir home here.
Richard Watkins came homo and be
gan abusing his family. He picked up a
hatchet and started after his wjfe, ray
ing he was going to kill her, and at
tempted to strike her on the head.
Theodore seized a revolver, which he
fired at his father. The bullet took ef
fect near the heart and death resulted
soon. Young Watkins surrendered aim
self to the police. He says he shot his
father to keep him from killing his
mother, but that he did not Intend to
kill his father. He insists he was justi
fied in the shooting.
V The Pope on Socialism.
Rome by Cable The Pope Monday
received the cardinals, who offered
him their Christmas greetings. The
Pontiff made a lengthy address, in
which he condemned what he char
acterized as the excessive liberty of
thought now indulged la. He sharply
criticised Socialism, agitation for
divorce and hostility between dif
ferent sections of the Church and
urged a union of the Christian
Churches. The Church, said the
Pope, Is now confronted by difficulties
similar to those of earlier' tlme3.
There are attempts everywhere to
make the masses enemies of the
Church, the religious orders are sub
jected to all kinds of vexatious per
secutions and laws are being passed
in open defiance of God's eternal
laws. The Pontiff said the only
means of successfully combating So
cialism was for Catholics to hearken
to and obey the instructions of tue
Church.
Three Negroes Killed.
Little Rock, Ark., Special. Three
negroes were killed near Wilmot Tues
day as the result of a quarrel over a
land sale. Martin Davis and Jeff Davis,
cousins, engaged In a fatal duel. Jas.
Thompson a friend of one of the dead
men, was subsequently shot and killed
by Arthur Davis- father of Martin
Davis.
SOUTHERN INDUSTRIAL
New Enterprises That Are Enriching
Our Favored Section.
Paying 1 heir Way.
A dispatch from Jackson to the
Memphis Commercial-Appeal shows
that the Mississippi State government
Is moving In the direction of self-support.
It says that under the present
convict farm system the Mississippi
penitentiary has been converted into a
source of revenue, and it adds:
"During the past two years tho peni
tentiary has paid into the State treas
ury as net revenue over and above the
prison expenses $18,771.70. During the
last fiscal year the amount paid in was
only about $700 greater than the year
previous, but over $40,000 had been
paid out for a new farm.
"The State revenue agent Is also a
self-sustaining office, and one that has
proven an enormous source of revenue
to the State during the past two fiscal
years. From this source the treasury
of Mississippi- received for the two
years $348,151.90.
"The office of State land commission
er has also proven a most remunerative
one to the State during the past bien
nial period. The report of this officer
shows that he has collected enough fees
to pay the expenses of his departmeut,
and that the State treasury has receiv
ed from his hands the sum of $1S3,661.
83. 'The report of the secretary of State
is not yet ready for publication, but it
has been repeatedly published since the
new charter fee bill went into effect
that the office was yielding a handsome
revenue derived from this sourse, many
thousands of dollars in exces3 of its
sxpenses."
A 10,000-Ton Ship,
One of the steamships now being
built by the Maryland Steel Co. at Spar
row's Point for the Boston Towboat Co.
is to be named the Shawmut, and has
reached a point where it is ready foi
the water. The vessel is one cf two
being built by this company and will
bo the largest yet constructed at ths
Span-row's Point yards. It Is 503 feet
in length, 58 feet beam, and will have
three . steel decks. Its total carrying
capacity Is estimated at about 10,000
tons. It will be placed in service as an
American "tramp" steamship, joining
ihe fleet owned by the Boston Company,
which have been built at the same
plant. It will have engines capable of
producing 5000 horse-power, giving it
a speed of from twelve to fourteen
knots an hour.
Shipbuilding on the Gulf.
Officers and directors of the Gull
Coast Shpbuldng & Dry Dock Co..,
which is considering the establishment
of such plants at Mobile, also at New
Orleans, have recently been in both
cities examining coast sites. Chas. M.
Jcsup of New York is president; C. M.
Wickes and Samuel B. McConnico. vice
presidents. There Is a possibility that
what is known as the McLellan dech
at New Orleans may be purchased, and
it is reported that the company has se
cured extensive water frontage at Mo
bile for its purpose. The financial r'.sn
of the company includes the issue ol
$5,000,000 in bond3 to furnish the neces
sary funds to build the plants. C. P.E
Burgwyn of Richmond is also reported
to be Interested in the projects,
Norfolk Shipbuilding.
Another addition to the gror.ins
ship-repairing and building interests
of Norfolk, Va., 13 announced in tht
Union Construction & Dock Co., capi
talized at $20,000. This company in
tends to build and have in operatior
within six months a general plant, t
include, foundry, marine railway, float
ing dock of 500 to 100 tons capacity
spar-yard and sail-loft. About 2?0 men
will be employed. Large vessels will b
put on the dock and the smaller crafl
on the marine railway. The officers an
D. D. Hitehings. president; J. E. Davis
vice-president; C. T. Dean (of Ironton
Ohio), secretary-treasurer, and direc
tors, Messrs. W. T. Bowden, Thornton
Reed and T. S. Ward.
Textile Notes.
The Weatherford (Texas) Board of
f rade announces that a textile mill of
?onsiderabIe extent will bo erected in
Weatheford. The work of constructing
said plant will commence within thirty
days, and its product will be woolen
cloth and camel's-jcdr press-cloth.
it is rumored at Sanrord, N. C, that
parties are investigating the waters of
a creek near that town with a view to
establishing a bleachery.
It Is stated in a dispatch from Bir
mingham that the proposed cotton mill
for Pell City, Ala., mentioned last
week, will be built by a $600,000 com
pany that Boston and Lowell (Mass.)
parties will organize, and that tleo. W.
Pratt ,of Atlanta, Ga., will bo presi
ARE WORLD POWER
The United States So Designated. At
a Banquet. -.
A CHINAMAN'S HIGH ESTIMATE.
Justice Brewer Makes a Notable Ad
dress Several Other Patriotic
Speeches,
Philadelphia, Special. -The twenty
first annual banquet of the New Eng
land Society of Pennsylvania was held
Monday night in Horticultural Hall,
covers being laid for nearly 400 mem
bers and guests. Guests were present
from New York, Baltimore, Washing
ton, Boston and other cities. Assistant
United States Attorney General James
M. Beck, president of the society, open
end the speech-making with a brief
address. His mention among illustrious
New Englanders of "George Dewey"
evoked the greatest applause of the
evening. Associate Justice David J.
Brewer, of the United States Supreme
Court, responded to the toast "The
United States a World Power." He
said:
"While the events of the last two or
three years have compelled an increase
in our military and naval forces, while
the amount of money which is called
for by the Secretary of War and Sec
retary of the Navy seem to many to be
too large, and while tho roll of the
drum and the blare of the bagle are
more often heard, yet the sons of the
Pilgrims will never turn our country
over to the man on horseback, nor will
our dearest laurels be crimsoned with
the blood of the dying soldier. We shall
deserve to be called a world power be
cause our relations with all nations
will be carried upon the highest prin
ciples of truth and justice."
Judge Brewer discussed the nearer
relations of capital and labor, the
growth of export.", to tho United States
and closed with an eloquent plea for
the Golden Rule in our dealings with
Inferior races and , ignorant people
"We cannot afford," he said, "to grow
rich by wrecking them."
David J. Hill, First Assistant Secre
tary of State, responded to the toast
"Patriotism." American patritism, he
said, is not born of possession but of
aspiration; not of the influence of
place but of the inspiration of princi
ples. Wu Ting-fang, the Chinese minister,
alluded briefly to the open door of the
Chinese- empire. The oldest nation in
the East, he said, wa3 grateful to
America for all she bad done for China.
America, he "continued, would not op
press the weak, but would see that jus
tice is done to all. This country, said
Minister Wu, will not only become "a"
world power, but "the world power in
commerce and policy."
Bourke Cockran responded to tha
toast "The Twentieth Century." There
were numerous other distinguished
speakers.
A By-Stander Shot.
Delphart, Tex., Special. One man
was killed and another wounded dur
ing a fight at a railroad depot here in
which Deputy Sheriff John L. Sullivan
and B. V. Ctmmaek attempted to ar
rest Thomas Myers and Al Timmer
man on a charge of murder. When Sul
livan ordered Meyer? and Timmermaa
to surrender it is claimed one of tnem
attempted to draw a revolver when the
shooting began. Gus Bock, a bystan
der, was killed and Paul Hinlnger,
another non-participant, was mortally
wounded, while Myers, one of the men
wanted, was shot in the chin. At the
coroner's inquest Sullivan was exoner
ated from all blame.
Called on President.
Washington, Special. Booker Wash
ington, president of theTuskegee Nor
mal Institute, Tuskegee, Ala., was vith
the President for a considerable time
Monday. He was received In the cabi
net room. While he was talking to the
President Secretary Hitchcock arrived
and Washington left. Washington de
clined to make any statement as to his
business with the President but it is
believed .they discussed Southern ap
pointments. Riot in noscow.
London, By Cable. The Vienna cor
respondent of the Daily Chronicle says
there were serious anti-German demon
strations at Moscow last week during
which the eseoutchecn over the German
consulate there was shattered. The cor
responded adds that the Russian cen
sor stopped the transmission of this
news.