The Washington times., 1910-09-14
CRIPPEN'S LIFE HANGS
UPON LOCK OF HAIR
Star Witness Admits Ana
tomical Identification of
Body Impossible.

LONDON, Sept 14-Dr- H H Grip
pens life today is literally hanging
by a hair
Under shrewd and merciIess cross
examination today by Attorney Arthur
Newton, Dr. Pepper, the government
analyst. practically repudiated much Of
his former testimony, and admitted that
IL was impossible TO determine the sex
Of the remains supposed to have been
the body OF Belle ElmOre CTipDen. from
an anatomical standpoint.
is this the only way to determine the
sex Of a body with certainty thun-
dered Newton. when he saw that ne
had the governments star witness in
a bad corner
Yes" was Peppers reluctant reply
You agree. then. with DIT. Marshall,
the other government analyst, when he
declared at the inquest that 1t was inn
possible TO determine the sex OF the
remains2' asked Newton. drawing
nearer 20 the perturbed witness
Sex Understandable.
I'll admit that it was impossible to
determine the sex by any anatomical
study replied Pepper
Newton paused significantly after this
starting admission by Pepper. The
whole court room was surprised at the
sensational turn in the case, all BELLE
ing that II marked an early collapse Of
the prosecution
Peppers admission leaves the ques-
ton OF the body's identity dependent
upon a few strands OF hair found in
curriers' near the body, another lock
Of nair found knotted in a mans
handkerchief. and the remnant of 4
woman's undervest-
e
was rendered practically vaIueIess BY
Peppers admission that the hair IN
the handkerchief was light and much
shorter tnSn that in the curriers'
Dr. Pepper, government analyst, al
ruitted that when he first saw the re-
mains OF the woman supposed TO have
been Belle EImOre Crippen- he thought
they were animal remains Il re
qriTed close inspection, ne said, 10 de
termfne that they were remnants Of u
human body
Attorney Newton, who is now al
pearfnE for both Or II H Crippen
and Mss Ethel Clare Leneve, made
the most Of Peppers admission. for
L was Pepper who first claimed TO
nave recognized the remains as those
of a woman who had undergone an
operation. and later found traces Of
hvDSCiu poisoning
You mean 10 tell the court, said
New ton, that You were able TO arrive
at this conclusion after first having
mistaken these pieces for the remains
OF IN animaI2"
''OhI I quickly saw my uista Ike"
Pepper replied. There vas no ques-
fica after a close inspection that the
remains were those Of 2 middle-aged
taOlished beyond doubt the facts Of an
operation
Body Under Floor
Pepper said the body occupied a space
under the cellar floor Of the Crippen
D. home about the length Of a human
body. DIT. Marshall, the other analyst,
was with him on this visit He said the
soil where the body was found consist
ed OF clay and loan mixed, and that
lime had been sprlnkled over the re-
mains
Pepper sought to remove all doubt as
10 the correctness OF his conclusions by
declaring that the next day, July 3, he
and Dr. Marshall held a post norton
which eliminated the last doubt as 80
the remains being those Of a woman
The dramatic features Of the "Crippen
case are appealing TO actors and play
V-rights as no other case in the history
OF English criminality, and features OF
Il viii undoubtedly find their way 10 the
stage This was evidenced today by the
appearance in the Bow street court
room OF Sir John Hare and h b Ivy
ing leading English actors. and OF Sir
William Gilbert. the playwright They
had seats close 10 the witness stand,
and made frequent notes On two preTl-
Gus occasions Gilbert was hOnOred with
q seat BY the side Of Judge De Rutzen-