Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-09-15
/ Point in Trial for the
Murder OF His Wife.
Government Expert Says He Is
Unable 10 Tell Victims Sex.
ShsrpIy cross.ExamInsd by the
Counsel for Defence.

London, Sept A.-Testifying at the
resumption today of the Crippen MUIR
der trial, Professor Augustus J. Pep
Ger, the pathologist OF the University
OF London, said that his examination
had convinced him that the human
parts found in the cellar of the Hill
drop Crescent home were severed by a
hand skilled in surgery, and directed
BY a mind that possessed real knOwl-
edge OF anatomy.
Ire evidence of the medical experts
has been awaited with -eagerness and
street was crowded to its capacity
The prisoners in the dock presented
contrasting appearances.
DR.. Hawley H. Crippen, who is
charged as the principal in the murder
Of his wife. Belle Gilmore. the Ameri-
can actress. was seemingly as cool and
collected as ever He did not miss a
word Of the testimony and eagerly
whispered to his Collector. Arthur New
ton. whenever he thought he had de-
tected a point in his favor.
On .he other hand. Ethel Clara LIZ
Neve. accused as an accessory after
the fact. was wan and plainly in men
tai and physical distress The police
authorities, had anticipated that the
day would be a'trying one for her ano
accordingly she was attended for the
first time In court by a wardress who
sat close to iler throughout the pro
ceedings. ,.
Prof Pepper was the first witness call
ed by the prosecution. He described the
examination which he had made o.
the parts and set forth his conclusions
Witness said that ne had identified
pieces of flesh AS belonging to various
parts of the body. except the head
hands. forearms, feet and legs below
the knees. He could say that the mem
bers found were undoubtedly from {
human body. No bones were discov-
cred nor was there any trace of the
genital organs.
The whole viscera was present in
tact and the only wound was cut ir
the upper part of the windpipe. Other
parts were left undisturbed by the one
who did the cutting. and the way ir
which the parts had been separated
convinced the expert that whoever was
guilty of the mutilation did his wori
with an exactness born of familiarity
with the human BODY.
Professor Pepper said that the hail
discovered included a short strand o.
fair texture wrapped up in a handker
chief of the size commonly used by
men. Witness identified particularly =
piece of flesh s by inches in size ~
coming from the abdominal wall ant
which bore Il scar which in his opn
ion. was undoubtedly left by a wound
from an operation.
Under cross-eXaminution. Professor
Pepper admitted that he had been ur-
able to establish the sex of the vic
tim
The witness said that the scar wa;
in vertical direction and more thar
four inches in length. 1t was old and
might have been on the body for q
year. possibly nay years. The oondi-
ton Of the organs recovered was
healthy and in his Judgment indicated
n stoutish person in middle life. who's
hair was dark brown. where 1t had
been artificially bleached.
Witness said that he found nc trace
of the sex. The parts had been buried
for not less than four months and 70,
not more than eight months.
At this point Solicitor Newton took
the witness in hand and asked him tc
be more specific in his statement as tC
having found mo trace of sex" The
professor agreed with counsel that II
was impossible for him IN any man
ner determine the sex from the parts
of the body found, and examined by
him
This was considered as of great inn
portance to the defence as 1t had been
generally believed that although GER
tain organs had been purposely re
moved to conceal the identity of the
victim. sufficient evidence would be in
truduced to establish that the body was
that of woman. The witness ex-
planned that he meant that he could
not identify the sex automatically. He
was closely questioned regarding the
scar by Newton. who tried to make out
that what appeared as scar. might
be merely an overlapping of the skin
"That suggestion is fantastical." re-
torted the pathologist.
Solicitor Newton suggested that a
man specializing in the ear. nose and
eve like DR.. Crippen would not neces-
sariiy ne able to adroitly separate tie
members of a body but Professor Pep
per thought that such a specialist as
counsel described would have. gen
eral anatomical knowledge.
Newton frequently exhibited heat
when the witness refused 10 answer
yes" or NO" without qualifying his
replies. Counsel intimated that Drs.
Wall and Turnbun. experts engaged by
the defence. had reached conclusions
differing from these OF Professor Pep
per in some particulars and turning to
the witness said:
"Your qualifications have nothing
approaching theirs. Ecth are eminent
among their number as ,-ou know"
A brief redirect examination by the
crown closed the evidence offered by
the witness. which was gruesome
throughout.
Police Surgeon Marshall corrborated
the testimony of Pepper. On cross-~H-
amina' ion he said that body buried
in clay and lime might he preserved for
years. Witness said his impression
was that there were marks around the
scar found on the abdomen which hac
been made by the stitches taken in
wound. The trial was adjourned to
Friday.