The San Francisco call., 1910-08-01


Claire Leneve aboard the steamer Mon
trose, is destined to become one of the
most notable in criminal history. Not
only the circumstances of the crime, but
the remarkable detective chase across
the Atlantic, with wireless telegraphy
contributing for the first time as de-
cisive factor in detection, and with the
people of Europe and America eagerly
intent upon the quest, have combined to
/ make the case one of extraordinary In
terest.
SENSATIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES
The circumstances of the finding of
the mangled and burned body OF Belle
Elmore are of recent occurrence, the
salient features being as follows:
Doctor Crippen and his wife, known
by the stage name of Belle Elmore. had
for the last two years occupied mouse
at SO Hilldrop crescent, North LONDON
He was an American dentist, born at
CoIdwater, Mich, educated In Indiana
and pursuing medical studies later IN
Michigan. California, Ohio and New
York city. He had managed patent
medicine business in Philadelphia and
in Columbus and had appeared as
specialist at many other points, among
them Detroit, San Diego, Salt Lake
City, ST. Louis and Brooklyn
Belle Elmore was a well known Vau-
deville actress, about 35 years old, Ior-
merly of Brooklyn. She was an at
traetive woman and an officer of the
Music halls artists guild of London.
With the Crippen pair at Hilldrop cres-
cent lived Miss Leneve, young typisl
of French birth, who served as stenoS-
rapher to Doctor Crippen.
Mrs Crippen disappeared from ner
J<-%
her friends Doctor Crippen explained
that she had gone to California. Later
an advertisement appeared In the Lon
don papers saying she had died In Cal
| ifornia. But Belle Elmore's former
| actress friends in London and America
began to doubt. Their inquiries led 10
the belief that Mrs. Crippen had not
died in California, and suspicious were
communicated to the police
NET TIGHTENED
! The clews of Scotland Yard gradu-
ally began to encircle Doctor Crippeh
| early in July. Sir Melville MacNaugh-
ron chief of the criminal investigation
| department, took the matter personally
| in hand and then, for the first time, ap-
peared on the scene InspectorA)eW. II
| was Dew who subjected Crlppen TO the
ordeal of minute cross examination.
The doctor finally admitted that ms
asserted that she had run away as a
| result of family chickering's.
| The suavity of Crippen led the police
| to give conditional credit to his state
ment. and thay took his word of honor
| that he would remain subject to call
until his story could be verified This
was on July II.
The next day Doctor Crippensand the
pretty young typist. Miss Leneve, dis
| appeared, leaving no trace OF their
| whereabouts. The house at Hllldrop
| crescent was hastily searched. Thls
! time Inspector Dew and his staff ran
sacked cellar and garret. In the cellar
a misplaced brick led to ghastly dis
coyery. Beneath the floor was found
the battered body of human being.
It had been placed in quicklime and
was burned beyond recognition. Even
the sex could not be determined by the
doctors at first although the body was
finally established as that of woman.
SEARCH Is BEGUN
| Immediately a search of almost world
wide scope began, at first in London
! and England and then through France
and continental points and finally to
America. Many false clews were fol-
| lowed to a fruitless end. Doctor Grip
pen. and his typist appeared to have
| vanished completely. Police descrip-
tions were cabled throughout the world.
| One circumstance of the flight proved
to be most important; namely, Doctor
| Crippen purchased a suit of boys
tclothing, evidently to disguise his COM
panion as a boy in their flight.
The first real clew came with the
| sailing of the Canadian Pacific steamer
Montrose from Antwerp July 20. A
couple of strange appearances took
lhasty passage on the steamer two
hours before it sailed. They gave the
/ names of REV. John Robinson and
| John Robinson Jr..' father and son.
Two days out Captain Kendall of the
Montrose had his suspicious aroused.
/ He became convinced that the younger
/ Robinson was a woman, and then that
the pair were those for whom London
and the outer world had been search
ling in vain. BY wireless he communi-
! Gated his suspicious to Scotland Yard.
4 A minute description of the pair, sent
by wireless to the ship a sea. con-
frmed Captain Kendalls suspicious.
COUPLE WATCHED
| The two were kept under surveil-
lance, but not under arrest. Then be-
gan the sensa tional detective chase,
which eliminated yesterday. Inspector
Dew, baked in his first attempt to ap
prehend Crippen, hurried to Liverpool,
where he caught the White Star
| steamer Laurentic. 1t is faster than
the Montrose. and both were headed for
the same destination. The Laurentic
overlook and passed the Montrose at
sea, and two days ago Inspector Dew
landed at Father point, one of the re-
mote outposts on the ST. Lawrence, and
| awaited his quarry. Meantime, the
/ wireless had been busy in furthering
the work of detection, so that the iden-
| tity of the pair as Doctor Crippen and
Miss Leneve became practically assuerd
as the Montrose drew nearer the await
| ing officers.