The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-07-19
LONDON POLICE
ARE ALL AT SEA
Crippen Murder Case Battles
ShreWd Detectives
INQUEST PROVES NOTHING
Experts who Examined the Dead Body
Found in DIR. Crippen's House Cam
not Even Tell the Sex of the
Murdered Person

London, July notwithstanding cir
cumstantial reports that DR.. Hawley II.
Crippen has been seen at widely separated
points, all the supposed clues have proved
to be valueless, and the London police
are still without any tangible evidence
that would likely lead to his arrest.
The coroner's inquest began today over
the dismembered body which was found
buried in the cellar of Crippen's Hilldrop
Crescent residence, and which the police
have associated with the disappearance
OF Crippen's wife, Belle Elmore. The tes-
tmony today proved of small service in
establishing the identity. as the mass of
flesh was mutilated as to make 1t I'M
sex of the victim.
After several witnesses had been exam
ined relative to the finding of the body,
the domestic relations of DR.. Crippen and
his wife, the occurrences at the Crippen
home on the night of January 81. when
Belle Crippen was last seen alive, and
the interrogations to which Crippen later
was subjected by friends of the singer,
the inquest was adjourned for one month.
H6 6COlldDQ IdTQ OlliCidiS INV al Vi
the opinion that Crippen and Ethel Le-
neve, his former stenographer, and be-
lieved to be his companion when he dis
appeared from his home on July ., may
be aboard the steamer Kroonland. which
is due at New York tomorrow night.
An Important Witness
John E. Nash. theatrical manager.
who first brought the matter to the at
tention of Scotland Yard upon his return
here from the United States, was one
of the more important witnesses.
Mr. Nash said that at the request of
friends In America, he took up the matter
of the actress death and interviewed DR..
Crippen on the subject. The doctor, he
said, was unable to give the exact place
In California where Belle Gilmore had
died although the physician had previously
announced that his wife had died in that
state. Neither could DR.. Crippen, accord
ing to the witness, produce certificate
of death, although he said that he had
his wife's ashes locked up In his safe.
Inspector Dew of Scotland Yard testi-
HE'D that on his first visit to the Cripper
residence the Leneve woman told him she
was the doctors housekeeper
Later the inspector went to Crippen'
office and had a talk with the doctor.
At this time, the witness said, the doctor
admitted that all of the stories which
he had previously told of his wife's death
were untrue. He said he had quarreled
with Mrs Crippen on the night of jan
uary 81, last. and that following the
quarrel she had left him. saying she in
tended to join a man who the doctor
said he believed lived In Chicago.
With the body the inspector said he
found a piece of string and a mans hand
1.
strangle the victim, and some pieces OF
clothing, including the Jacket of suit
of pajamas, the trousers of which were
subsequently found in an upper room of
the house.
The witness added he had not heard a
word frim Crippen of Ethel Leneve
since July when they left the Crippen
house. on that day they sent a note to
the servant saying: do not worry, We
are going to the theater." :"
inspectors Examination
Oueried In detail as to the finding of
the body Inspector Dew said at the first
of his examination of the house, he found
some loose bricks In the basement floor.
He removed the bricks and dug Into
the earth beneath. At depth of two
feet he uncovered the mass of human
flesh. The largest piece was less than
12 inches long Not a bone was disoov-
cred. The pieces of flesh seemed to have
been carved off the skeleton. The head.
feet and hands were missing. Quicklime
covered the gruesome object.
DR.. Thomas Marshall. one of the sur
geons who performed the post mortem.
testified that he had not been able to find
a trace of the bones and could not swear
on anatomical grounds whether the mem
bers supplied him were those of a male
or female Superintendent Froest OF
Scotland Yard, who has the case IN hand.
stated this evening that he had received
absolutely no clue to the wnereapouts
~ Cr,ppen and his companion. He added
that there was no evidence of the two
ho cling been seen since July g.