The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-10-23
Jury Declares That Ameri-
 can Killed His Wife
IS SENTENCED TO HANG
Prejudice Against Infiicting Capital Punishment on Cfrcumstantial Evidence May Give Crfppen
 Life Term

London, October 2.-Dr. Hawley Har- vey Crippen, after trial extending over five days and 30 minutes deliberation by jury. was today found guilty of the mur- der of his wife, an American woman, known on the stage as Belle Fillmore. Lord Chief Justice Alverstone, who pre- sided at the trial, sentenced Crippen to be hanged on November b..
 There Is, however, the strongest preju- dice in England against conviction on purely circumstantia1 evidence, and an incident at the close of Crippen's trial has caused the impression that the jury may have recommended life sentence. After Crippen was sentenced to death the fore man of the jury handed to the lord chief justice a note. after looking at which the justice said:
 That shall be forwarded to the proper quarter"
 The proper quarter might mean the home secretary, who has Jurisdiction in such matters. The jurors refused to dis cuss the incident.
 A large crowd awaited the departure of Crippen from New Bailey. There was no demonstration as he drove away to Pen tonville.
 Time Must Eiapse
 It is the rule in England to allow three Sundays to intervene between a sentence of death and the execution.
 The trial lasted less than five days, having begun at 1o:so o'clock last Tues day morning. The jury retired at 2:ll o'clock this afternoon And returned with the verdict at PAT o'clock.
 Crippen received the death sentence with apparent calmness that characterized him throughout the trial and which, in fact has been noticeable from the moment ol his arrest.
 He appeared rather nervous during tht adge's summing up. which was strong against him. As Lord Alverstone iercilessly portrayed his character as de
 sloped during the trial, Crippen twirleo his thumbs, crossed and recrossed his legs and shuffled his feet
 The silence in which the sentence was received was broken by the clerks for nal question: Prisoner at the bar, have you anything to say why sentence of the court should not be passed against you?
 For fraction of second Crippen hesi- tated, then replied, betraying his emotion by only the slightest fiutter of the voice:
 1T still protest my innocence.
 Lord Alverstone pronounced the sem tence of death and the wardens again held out their arms to support the prisoner He ignored their proffered assistance and, turning, walked firm ly from the room, stopping only once and then for brief moment to take last look at the court room within which he had fought for his life.
 Crippen Is Questioned
 When the proceedings were resumed today Lord Chief Justice Alverstone called Crippen to the stand and asked him questions regarding the use oi hyoscin, the poison with which, it Is charged, the accused killed his wife The justice elicited the information that hyoscin was administered through the mouth and not hypodermlcally.
 Richard Muir then began the closing speech for the prosecution. He said the defense had relied largely on the the ory thta Crippen was too kind-hearted to commit murder. Counsel pointed out the defendant had, however, lived for months a life of hypocrisy mocking the grief of his wife's dearest friends
 
 scarcely more than an hour. He con cluded by saying that the prosecution had proved beyond reasonable doubt that the body found at Crippen's home was that of his wife, Belle Elmore. the actress, and that no one but the pris- oners could have cut up the body and buried it in the cellar.
 Lord Chief Justice Alverstone began his review of the case as soon as Mir. Muir had concluded.
 The justice, in summing up, described Crfppen as an extraordinary man, whether guilty or innocent. If guilty he had covered up a ghastly crime In ghastly way, and, it was believed, in most brutal and callous manner. If he was innocent it was impossible to fathom his mind as he was absolutely indifferent to the. charge of murder. He had taken no steps whatever to prove his innocence.
 Jury Must Be Convinced
 Crippen, the justice declared, undoubt- edly was liar and lived an immoral life, but he added, the jury could not convict the defendant on that score. It must be quite convinced that the human parts found were from the body of Belle El- more and that her death was caused by a willful act of the prisoner.
 The lord chief justice charged the jury that they must be convinced of the iden- tification beyond reasonable doubt. As he concluded the jury retired.
 The jury was out just 30 minutes when 1t returned and announced that 1t had found the defendant guilty. Lord Chief Justice Alverstone asked the prisoner if he had anything to say. Crippen replied in low voice: q still protest my inno- cence."
 The chief justice then donned the black cap that has rested near him through out the trial and pronounced the sentence of death.
 Addressing the condemned man, Lord Alverstone said:
 You have been convicted on evidence which cannot leave any doubt in the mind of any reasonable man that you cruelty murdered your wife and then mutilated her body.
 T advise you to entertain no hopes that you will escape the consequences of your crime. implore you to make your peace with Almighty God"
 As the lord chief justice concluded a policeman stepped forward and in the hush that had fallen over the court room led Crippen from the dock.
 The trial of Ethel Clare Leneve as an accessory after the fact in the murder of Mrs. Crippen will begin on next Tues dau441S t41