The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-09-13
CASE AGAINST
CR|PPEN IS WEAK
His Counsel Plans To Break Strong
est Link in Case Against
Accused.

LONDON, Sept. 12.-Because an
undertaken and morgue keeper were
compelled TO use enormous quantities
OF carbolic acid TO counteract the
odors OF decaying flesh while remo'-
ing the body from the cellar oil the
Crippen home, the acQuittal oil Or. n.
H. Crippen for the murder oil Ills
wife may be forced.
When the inquest over the body
taken from the Crippen cellar was
resumed today, Attorney Arthur New
ton. counsel for Crippen and the
Leneve girl, grilled the undertaken
and morgue keeper who took charge
OF the body, with a series OF sharp
questions. He tried to show that they
shoveled the remains into box tax
ing little care to keep dirt and stones
separate The men denied this, say
ing there was neither stones nor dirt
in the coffin when IL was taken TO the
morgue. They admitted, however,
that there was great deal OF car
bolic acid used and said they had TO
use il in order TO approach where tht
body was buried
IL was plain from the questions
that Newton put TO these two wit
nesses that he hopes TO demonstrate
that the testimony OF the chemists that
hyoscin poisoning caused the death or
the person whose body was taken
from the Crippen cellar was con-
cluslon that could not have been
reached by an analysis. He apparent
ly was laying the foundation TO i'm
peach the possibility that satisfac-
tory analysis could have taken place
and To show that the carbolic acid
used ruined the body for the pur-
poses of analysis.
When The inquest was resumed to-
day, Coroner Schroeder was in charge.
The interests OF the Crown were look
ed after by Inspector Dew. Detective
Sergeant Mitchell and Lawyer Ira
yers Humphreys while Newton look
ed after the interest Of the accused.
Neither Crippen nor Miss Leneve was
present.
After the morgue keeper and un-
dertaker had told of the removal OF
the body. Miss May. secretary OF the
Music Hall Guild. told of the disap-
pearance of Belle Elmore as Mrs.
Crippen was best known. Early in
January. before Mrs. Crippen dlsap-
peared. the witness said. she told her
Of dream she had at Christmas
time. In ii Mrs. Crippen said she
imagined she was being strangled by
the doctor
Miss May told of hearing that Mrs.
Crippen had died in California and
asked the doctor about it. Because
she failed to get any details OF the
cause OF death she wrote TO Crippen's
son, o. II. Crippen, in Los Angles, ask
ing him to write her about the death
of his stepmother. In reply she re-
ceived a letter telling her that the
report of the death was as much a
surprise TO him as il had been to any
one else. He had first learned OF the
matter from his father he said. The
doctor had written him that Mrs. Grip
pen had died in San Francisco.
Mrs. Paul Martinetti stated that
she considered herself one OF Mrs.
Crippen's most intimate friends. She
last saw Mrs. Crippen at the party
in the Crippen home on Jan 81. At
that time, she swore. Mrs. Crippen
was then in excellent spirits and dis
cussed with her the affairs of the
Music Hall Guild. AT no time did she
refer to America, nor did she make
country. On June 10. she said, Mr..
and Mrs. John Nash asked her about
Mrs. Crippen saying they were not
satisfied with the story about her
death, that they had investigated and
did not find his story borne out She
suggested to the Nash's that they
call the attention of Scotland Var
to the case.
Questioned on cross-examination by
Newton regarding the cleanliness of
the remains, Morgue Keeper Robin
con said the human remnants were
placed in jars and the jars sealed and
covered with white paper.
The paper used was the same kind
used TO wrap my children's lunches
in" he said. Those in the courtroom
laughed so loudly at this that the cor
oner threatened to clear the room.
Mrs. Harrison, a theatrical II
OF the dead woman testified that
Belle Gilmore told her the nature of
the operation that she underwent
which was for the removal of certain
organs.
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