The Detroit times., 1910-11-23
1sIPPEE GOES TO HIS
DEATH WITH STEADY NERVE
scessInuea prom rage oneJ

. fro mhis cen. declaring nc had no
appetite ana wished 10 spend his few
fcmaining hours with his spiritual
adSiser
shortly before 9 O'Clock the COVER
nor OF the Jail appeared and notified
Crippen 60 prepare Tor the march TO
the galloWs. The governor of the jail
had left crippen and gone 10 the jail
yard, where he stood at the side OF
the gailows
The governor. the sheriff, the pris.
on physician. two wardC>S. and two
oflicial reporters were alone present
when the mournful little procession
ON Il way 20 the gallows, appeared
from the condemned cell few yards
distant II consisted of Crippen. his
arms pinioned at his side and his
shirt collar open ready for the moose.
AT his side were two other wardens,
TO support him ii he became weak
and needed assistance. Before them
walked Father Carey, intoning the
prayers for the dying. Behind them
came John Ellis, assistant execution
er, who took the place Of William
Pierpont, the official eXecutioner in
dropping the doomed man TO death.
No time was lost As Crippen
stepped from the warm cell TO the
prison yard he shivered slightly. as
though he was faint The warders
seized his arms. expecting him 10 fall
but he shook them of with wan
smile and explained that the thinnesS
of his attire caused him TO become
chilled in the biting morning air. He
showed absolutely no fear as he
marched with firm step across the
narrow fog-shrouded prison yard and
mounted the steps to the gallows. lie
was led quickly over the trap door
and Ellis adjusted the moose with the
knot directly behind the left ear A
black wooden cap was then pulled
down over Crippens head. During all
this time the American said not a
word
AS tn great clock I'm the prison
doomed out the hour of 9, the COVER.
nor raised his hand and let IT fall
again. II was the death signal. Ellis
neryously thrust the lever from him,
and the trap fell
Crippen was a light man, but the
seven foot drop had proven sufiicien'
to break his neck There were few
convulsive Jerks. and the American
had paid the penalty for one OF the
most brutal crimes in modern Grim
inal annals.
Outside the jail morbid crowd
had gathered, and groans. Kisses and
even a few cheers greeted the black
flag which was hoisted. according TO
custom, at the moment Crippen was
officially pronounced dead. Later
warder posted on a board on the wall
or the prison the Official document or
dering the hanging. the sheriffs certi-
ficate that Il had taken place accord
ing to law. and the physicians certiti-
cate OF death.
AS is. usual in such cases, the
corpse will be buried in quicllime I'M
der flagstone within the prison
grounds
Now that Crippen is dead, there is
considerable mystery in London as TO
the alleged confession published In
The Evening Times, this afternoon.
Despite the denials of all interested
parts. the Times insists that the con
fession Is legitimate. According to
the paper. Crippen confessed his guilt
10 a friend before he was executed.
This friend unable TO hold the secret
longer, had given il to the Times.
The confession" is not in the first
person, as having been written or die
tated by Crippen himself. but in the
third person. as having been written
by the man to whom Crippen made ii.
Murder Was CoId-BIooded.
The confession" relates the unhap-
piness OF Crippen's married life, due
to the alleged unfaithfulness OF his
wife, "Her jealousy, her slatternll-
ness, her tantrums and her drunken
ness
These things, Crippen's friend says
he confessed, drove him TO the point
OF desperation and he determined 10
kin mr. This determination was moi
the result OF a sudden passion. but OF
cold blooded due elaboration. dur |
ing which Crippen made his plans
with fiendish carefulness as TO detail. !
Crippen, according 10 the state
ment, purchased hyoscin, one Of the
deadliest of drugs, under the pretense
that he was to use 1t, in minute guam.
. titles, upon nervous patients He be
gan impregnating digestive tablets
which his wife was taking. with the
poison, and administered doses to her
on Jan. 81. and Feb. ! OF this year
The second tablet given her on Feb
=. caused her 10 fall into stupor,