Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-07-19
NOTHING POSITIVE
Shown That Actress Belle
Gilmore Is Dead.
Hardly Certain That Remains
Found Were Of a Human.
And No Trace or Clue to the Miss.
Ing Dr.. II. \. crippen.

HaWley II. Crlppen and Ethel Cara
Leneve may be aboard the steamer
kroonland, which sailed for New York
from Dover at IL o'clock on the night
of July 9, the day the two disappeared
The steamer is due at Quarantine be-
fore II o'clock tomorrow night.
At Dover the Kroonland was board
ed by one New York man and a num-
Der of passengers from London.
Crippen and his companion are sup
posed to have left on the afternoon of
July 9. Crippen was last seen going
from his Office at l o'clock. They had
ample time to catch the Red Star Lin
er at Dover.
The inquest into the death of the
woman supposed to be Belle Gilmore,
Crippen's wife, whose body was I'M
earthed in the cellar of the Crippen
home following the doctors disappear
ance, was opened today and subse-
quently adjourned for one month. 1t
developed nothing at this session. The
steamer Kroonland was reported as
$50 miles east of Sandy Hook at S
A. M. today. She should be off Sandy
Hook under favorable conditions at 10
o'clock tomorrow night.
The Kroonland will probably dock
about 100 o'clock Wednesday morning
Interest in the mysterious murder
centered today in the inquest at which
it had been hoped the physicians would
be prepared to describe the manner of
death and possibly make positive the
identification of the dismembered body
However, the formal evidence adj
duced added nothing material to what
was already generally known. The
only startling fact developed was that
the experts We're not even in a posi-
ton to state definitely whether the
homeless mass of flesh dug from be-
meath the cellar floor was that Of
woman.
Instead of throwing light on the
mystery the testimony served to make
the case still more battling.
When the physicians had concluded
their statements it was decided to
postpone the conclusion of the inquest
for one month in order to give DR.. Pep
per, examiner in surgery at the Royal
Army Medical College, opportunity to
make a complete examination of the
pieces Of flesh and the police to con-
tinue the thus far fruitless search for
Crippen and the Leneve woman. Sew
eral witnesses recited the history of
the known occurrences surrounding the
tragedy from the time that suspicion
first fell upon Crippen to the hour OF
his flight and the discovery of the
murdered woman.
John f, Nash, theatrical manager.
who first brought the matter to the
attention of Scotland Yard, upon mis-
rx.t,I ha
was one of the more important wit
nesses.
Mr.. Nash said that at the request
Of friends in America he took up the
matter of the womanS death and in
terviewed DR.. Crippen on the subject.
The doctor, he said, was unable to
given the exact place in California
where Belle Gilmore had died. although
the physician had previously announc-
ed that his wife had died in that state.
Neither could Crippen, according to
the witness. present certificate of
death, although he said his wife's
ashes were locked up in his safe.
At this point Inspector Dew of Scot
land Yard took IN the thread of the
narrative. He said that he first visited
TIlilci ItiltNt at Tic NllPPCI itSiuCiitcs
The woman on that occasion, told him
that she was Crippens honsekeeper.
Later the inspector went to Crippen's
office and had talk with the doctor.
At this time, the witness said, the doc
tor admitted that all of the stories that
he had previously told of his wife's
death was untrue. He said that he had
ouarreled with Mrs. Crippen on the
night of Jan. 81 last and that following
the quarrel she had left him. saying
| that she intended to join man who.
the doctor said, he believed lived in
Chicago
With the body the inspector said, he
| founl q piece Of string and mans
| handkerchief, which might have been
| used to strangle the victim and some
| pieces of clothing including the jacket
of suit of rajamas. the trousers of
| which were subsequently found in an
upper room of the house. The witness
added that he had not heard a word
| from Crippen or Ethel Lenevc since
July g. when they left the Crippen
house. On that day they sent note
to the servant saying: do not worry.
| We are going to the theater.'
Questioned in detail as to the find
ing of the body Inspector Dew said
| that at the first of his examination of
| the house he found some loose brick
| in the basement floor. He removed the
| bricks and dug into the earth beneath
At a depth of two feet he uncovered
| the mass of human flesh. The largest
piece was less than IL inches long. Not
| a bone was discovered. The niece of
| flesh seemed to have been carved off
the skeleton. The feet head and hands
| were missing The lime covered the
gruesome object In the house he
, picked up fully loaded five-chamber
| revolver.
DR.. Thomas Marshall. one Of the
surgeons who nerformed the post NOR
| tenn, testified that he had not been able
| to find a trace Of the bones and could
not swear on anatomical grounds
whether the members We're those os
male or female. One piece Of flesh. he
said, had given rise to some debate
among medical men. but so far he had
hnen unable definitely to give the sex
= The surgeon said the lime had not only
obliterated the cause of death. Int also
the sex IF the deceased The witness
said that a microscopical examination
| which might disclose more than was