As compelling as fiction, The Mystery of Beautiful Nell Cropsey tells
the dramatic story of the disappearance of nineteen-year-old Nell
Cropsey from her riverside home in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, in
November 1901. Bloodhounds, detectives, divers, and even a psychic were
brought in to search for her. In the ensuing weeks, the story was taken
up by major newspapers from Norfolk, Virginia, to New York City, putting
the eastern North Carolina river-port town on the map and turning the
case of "Beautiful Nell Cropsey" into a national sensation. Bland
Simpson, who first heard the tale as an Elizabeth City schoolboy, weaves
this true story into a colorful account told in three first-person
voices: Nell's sister Ollie, who blamed herself for the part she played
in her sister's fate; famous newspaper editor W. O. Saunders, who
covered the case as a fledgling reporter; and Nell's suitor Jim Wilcox,
who was implicated in the case. Nell and Jim's romance, her
disappearance, the great search, and the community's feelings of
excitement, anger, and frustration are artfully reconstructed from
interviews, court records, and newspaper accounts. The result is a
fascinating retelling of Nell Cropsey's story. But it is also an
evocative look at a particular time and place, when the disappearance of
a beautiful young girl could rivet the attention of a community and a
nation.
