New-York tribune., 1910-07-15
FORMAL CHARGE IS MADt
Body of Belle Elmore PartlyiDls
sected Police Say.

London July 14-All the intricate ma
chinery of Scotland Yard has beensset In
motion to effect the capture of Dr. Ha"-
lev H Crippen, the battered body OF
whos. wife a music hall singer, known
under the stage name of Belle Eimore,
was found buried deep in the clay IN the
cellar of their home, at Hilldrop Cres-
cent North London.
Crippen has been missing since Satur-
day last, when apparently he could no
longer offer explanation for the death
~ his wife. which was alleged to have
occurred months ago in California
Then il was that the police, in making a
thorough examination Of the empty
house. came upon the body, mutllateo
and burned beyond recognition by quick
lime which had been thrown upon IT,
The thick clay, by which it was parity
surrounded, to some extent retarded the
action of the quicklime. and so frus-
trated the n1urderer's intention of de-
stroving the body utterly. 1t is reported
that the body had been partly dissected
before burial, and that nearly all the
bones are missing
Renuests have been sent out broad
cast that all incoming steamers De
watched The belief is strong that Grip
pen sailed on Saturday for New York
bu+ there have also been rumors that he
WAS seen in London not longer ago than
this morning. Nothing, however, de-
veIoped during the course Of the day
The police continued their digging op-
erations at the house, but nothing was
found that would throw further light on
the mystery. which has become the chief
sensation in the London newspapers.
The case is strikingly similar to that
of the Charlton murder at Lake Como
rtaIv. Both women were Americans and
actresses who left their homes to meet
death bv violence in a foreign land, and
in each instance the police pursued the
American husband to the shores of his
native land.
The London police have made a def
mite charge against DR.. Crippen, ana
purpose to get him with the cooperation
of fhe American authorities. DR.. Grip
nen who is a dentist and fifty years Of
age. has made his home for some time
at No. SO Hilldrop Crescent, North Lon
don. Some time ago his wife, Belle Ell
more a vaudeville actress, and treas
urer of the Music Hall Artists Guild,
disappeared and subsequently a notice
of her death was published in the local
napers. The fact of her demise was gen
orally credited but there was more or
less gossip among the woman's In
Inmates, and this finally reached the ears
Of the police. The latter visited DR.. Grip
pen. and the interview appears 10. have
been satisfactory.
Disappeared on Saturday.
DIR. Crippen disappeared last Saturday.
at noon. and since then the police have
not been able to locate him. Yesterday
a search of the Crippen house WAS made,
and the battered body of woman was
found buried in the cell;r. It had been
placed in quicklime. and was burned be-
yond recognition, but the finding of the
body, together With other discoveries
to-day. has left no doubt in the minds
of the authorities that the murdered
woman was Mrs. Crippen.
Sir Melville MacNaughton, chief of
the Criminal Investigation Department
OF Scotland Yard. took the matter in
hand and developments followed rapidly.
The first thing the police did to-day
was to cable to the police of American
ports asking them to search incoming
steamers for Crippen, who was described
with the aliases of Peter Crippen and
Franckel Crippen. The police believe
that he sailed on Saturday for the
United States. They state that ne is
by Ethel Clara Leneve a
French woman, whom he had recently
introduce as his wife. This woman, the
police state. is believed to be dressed in
male attire.
Before leaving Hilldrep Crippen sent
out for boys suit and this, the police
surmise, is now being worn by his com.
pAnien
It was reported late to-day that Grip
pen had been seen in Kinesway. in the
west central portion of London, this
morning
1t appears that Mrs Crippen fre-
ouently had urged her husband to dis
miss his typist, liss Leneve, and that