The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1904-03-30
HORRIBLE GRIMES.
LONDON is HORRIFIED BY
THE DEEDS OF A MOD
ERN BLUEBEARD.

+ Found in a Trunk
Marries by the
Wholesale.
+ London, March 26.-Polygamy
Iand its Influence over George Cross
man, who had eight OF more wives
and the developments following
from the suicide of Crossman, are
absorbing public attention. On the
night7of March %, Crossman, who
was living in the respectable SUBJ
urb of Kensalrise, killed himself to
avoid arrest by the police whose
suspicions had been aroused regard.
ling the contents of a trunk which
tCrossman was sending away from
his house.
! On opening the trunk the body
jof woman was found encased in
cement. An investigation proved
she was murdered about six months
lago, and that she was one of Cross
mans wives. Five of bis wives
were traced and found alive. One
wife is dead and two are missing.
The body found cemented is in a
] Edecomposed condition, even to the
skull which had been split with an
\ ak.
>! The police believe it possible the
investigation may prove that Cross
man adopted a similar method in
| Kidding himself of other superhuous
wives, Of which it is suspected be
may have had several who have not
1 yet been traced.
Though only 80 years of age,
Crossman's career rivals that of ia.
NOUS criminals. Under various
aliases, he led a double and even q
triple married life. He was an
, engineer, composer, wigmaker ol
, bookmaker. His chief means o.
. support, however, appears to have
been derived from his wives, sever.
al of whom he secured through ad'
vertisements.
, In 1899 Crossman was sentenced
to five years Imprisonment for big
amy, and when be killed himself ht
still was on parole. Yet his neigh
bors regarded him as a respectable
. man, who led quiet and uninter
!, esting life.
Crossman's first wife died appar
emily, of natural causes in 1897
He remarked in 1898 at Maidstone
? and the same year crested q biga
. nous marriage at Aldon with ths
result that he was sentenced to fv
t years in penal servitude. Good con
3 duct in prison enabled him to avoit
8 tha full term.
9 Once free he sets to work to mar
~ by the wholesale. Wife No. .
was quickly secured. She and he
: baby were recently living at Cross
t mans house at Kensalrise. A
Reading, Crossman secured q fiitl
9 wife under the name of Seaton. 1
Y month later he again married. Th
9 whereabouts and fate of the sixth
: wife are still uncertain. Havin,
Q three wives living atdiferent place
g lCrossman took fourth wife, max
8 ing q total of seven up to that time
3 For year he kept up the decep
tion, and apparently none Of hi
wives had the faintest suspicion O
his polygamous living.
g Crossman found his eighth wifi
: in the young daughter Of Londol
3 railroad employe, and she is euppos
: ed to be the victim he encased il
q cement.
eI At the time of his suicide Cross
i man had five known wives livin,
y and several children. The discov
cry occurred through the suspicious
of a lodger to whom Crossman le
4 some rooms at Kensalrise. For sew
: eral weeks the lodger had noticed
: an obnoxious odor. and complainet
). of it, but Crossman attributed it Il
"a the drains.
n At the came time Crossman wa
:. living with one of bis wives in tn
Isame room where the dead body Q
J. wife No. 8 was concealed in
q trunk. The lodger traced the odo
g thereto, and Crossman agreed t
q send the trunk away. During th
s evening CT March %, while movin,
# the trunk, the lodger's suspicion
,e were further incre ased, and whe
.r he saw a black fluid ooze out of th
=. trunk he went to police station.
70 Just as the grewsome loa1 wa
lifted into a Cart the police annea,