The San Francisco call., 1904-03-27
AHOCiOuS Crime Of a
POlygamiSt in
London.
Murderer Commits Suicide
During q Pursuit by
the Police.
Five Of the Women Who Married the
Criminal Are Found Alive, but
Two Others Are Missing.

LONDON, March 26.-Polygamy and
who had eight or more wives, and the
developments following from the sui
eide Of CrOssman are absorbing public
attention.
On the night Of March % Crossman,
who was living in the respectable SUI
burb Of Kensalrys, killed himself to
avoid arrest by the police, whose sus-
picions had been aroused regarding the
contents Of a trunk which CrOssman
was sending away from his house.
On opening the trunk the body Of
woman was found incased in cement
An investigation proved that she was
murdered about six months ago and
that she was one OF CrOssmans s wives
Five Of his wives were traced and
found alive One wife is dead and two
are missing. The body found cemented
Is in decomposed condition even TO
the skull, which had been split with
an Ak.
The police believe il possible the in
vestiEaron may prove that Crossman
adopted a similar method in ridding
himself Of other superfiuous wives, Of
which il IS suspected he may have
had several who have not yet been
traced.
RIVALS GREAT CRIMINALS.
Though only 90 years old, Cross
mans career rivals that Of famous
criminals Under various aliases he
led a double and even a triple
married life. He was an engin-
eer, composer, wigmaker and
boOkmalzer- His chief means Of sup
port, however. appear TO have been de-
rived from his wives, several of whom
he secured through advertisements.
In 1898 CrOssman was sentenced to
FIVE years Imprisonment for bigamy,
and when he killed himself he was still
on parole. Yet his neighbOrs always
regarded him as a respectable man,
who led a quiet and uninteresting life.
CrOssman's first wife died, apparent
~ Of natural causes, in 1897. He re-
married in 1897 at Maidstone. and the
same year created a bigamous mar
riage at AldOn, with the result that
he was sentenced TO five years in penal
servitude. Good conduct in prison en-
sbled him 10 avoid the full term.
once free, he set to work TO marry
by wholesale. Wife No. 4 was quickly
secured. She and her baby recently
were living at Crossman's house at
Kensalrys.
AT Reading Crossman secured a fifth
wife under the name Of Seaton. A
month later he married again. The
Whereabouts and fate Of his sixth wife
are still uncertain. Having three wives
living at different places, Crossman
. took a fourth wife making a total of
seven. UP TO that time. For a year he
kept UP the deception, and apparently
none Of his wives had the faintest sus-
piciOn Of his pOlygamOus living.
VICTIM IN THE CEMENT.
Crossman found his eighth wife in
the young daughter Of a London rail-
way employe, and she is supposed TO
be the victim he incased in cement.
At the time Of his suicide Crossman
had five known wives living and sew
eral children. The discovery occurred
through the suspicious Of a lodger 70
whom 'CrOssman let some rooms. For
several weeks the lodger had noticed
an obnoxious odor and complained of il
but CrOssman attributed il to the
drains. At the same time Crossman
was living with one Of his wives in the
same room where the body Of wife No
8 was concealed in a trunk The lodger
traced the ooor thereto and Crossman
agreed TO take the trunk away. During
the evening OF March %, while moving
the trunk, the lodger's suspicious were
further increased, and when he saw q
black fluid ooze out Of the trunk be
went TO a police station. Just as the
EreWsome load was lifted into a car,
the police appeared. With a cry, Cross
man started to run. For three-ouarters
OF a mile he fed for his life. The DO.
lice gained on him, and just as the fore.
most Of his Dursuers was on his heels
Crossman drew from his pocket a razor
and cut his throat from ear to ear
Death was almost instantaneous.
The body found in the trunk is tha'
Of a young, well-formed woman, only
partly dressed. The police theory Il
that Crossnlan, while she was undress
ing, struck her from behind with al
AK severing a portion of the skull
part OF which is now missing.