Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-09-09
new EVIDENCE
Beilg Brought 0utAgsinst
Dr.. HaW|ey \. Crippen.
Showing That Dead Woman Was
Belle Gilmore, His wife.
Proved That No Sought Poison,
Such % Found In Body.

O0VW ~ V0WS w
~
London, Sept Sat the resumption
today Of the trial Of Dr. Hawley H.
Crippen and Ethel Clara LIE Neve. for
the murder Of the formers wife. Public
Prosecutor Humphreys introduced evil
dence to establish the claim of the
Crown, that the parts Of the mutilated
body found in the Crippen home once
formed a part of the person of Belle
Elmore, the missing wife; and to SO
strengthen what has been popularity
regarded as the weak link in the chain
Of circumstantial evidence against the
accused.
The first witness called was Mrs.
Adeline Harrison. whose acquaintance
with Belle Gilmore had extended over
q period Of IL years. Mrs. Harrison
was asked to examine strands of hair
found when the disinembered body
WAS uncovered. and having done so,
she swore that she recognized the ex-
hibit as similar to that worn by Belle
Elmore.
A torn bit of feminine underwear,
discovered by the searchers in the
cellar, being shown the witness said
she had seen Belle Gilmore clothed in
undergarme1ts of like texture TIES.
timony had been offered before show
ing that the lower part of the body
bore a scar the result of an operation
Mrs. Harrison testified that she had
seen a similar scar on the body Of her
friend. go sr~t uf-.,.
The startling statements of the pub
lie prosecutor in his opening address
Tuesday. to the effect that traces of
poison had been found in the body
and that Crippen had purchased an
identical drug shortly before his wifes
disappearance. served further to slim
ulate public interest in the sensational
drama. and fashionably dressed wom-
en- were again prominent in the over
crowded courtroom today.
The accused were seated in the dock
within whispering distance and the
doctor took advantage Of the oppor.
tunity to speak to the girl. Miss LIE
Neve presented a woe begone appear
ance and did rot seem anxious to con-
verse. Crippen, to whom his spec
tacles had been returned for the first
time since his arrest, appeared as the
Crlppen of early photographs. He spoke
to the girl anxiously and she replied
In monosyllables.
When Mrs. Harrison left the stand
the prosecution called the chemist who
claims that he sold hyoscine, deadly
poison. to Crippen The witness tes-
titled that the doctor purchased five
grains of the drug on Jan. 10. He ex-
planned that he required the poison
for use in homeopathic preparations.
AS Is required of purchasers Of poisons,
he signed the registry book of the
store, making this inscription: Mum
yon's Per II. H. Crippen."
Arthur Newton. representing Grip
pen, detracted somewhat from the
strength of the evidence and incident
ally indicated what he believed to be
the line of defence in his cross exami-
nation of Mrs. Harrison. In reply to
his questions. the witness assented to
the suggestion that the hair portions
of woman's vest and the curling iron
found In the Crippen cellar. We're not
only similar to those worn or used by
the missing woman, but also "resembl-
ed thousands of others"
1t is believed that the defence will
maintain that the parts found were
not of the body of Crippen's wife and
so prevent the identification necessary
to establish the prosecutions case.
Inspector Dew. who arrested the
fugitives and brought them back from
Quebec. re-entered the witness box to-
day and read lengthy statement
signed by Crippen when the police first
asked him to make an explanation of
his disappearance from London after
suspicion had been directed against
him. The gist Of the statement had
already been covered by Mr.. Humph-
reys In his opening address.
Inspector Dew also testified regard
ing the search OF Crippen's house and
told of finding there loaded revolver
and a box of cartridges.
The statement which Crippen made
to Inspector Dew concluded:
My belief is that my wife has gone
to Chicago to join Bruce Miller
In cross examining the Inspector
Solicitor Newton tried to get the wit
ness to say that the parts found might
have been buried long prior to the
disappearance of Mrs. Crippen. but
Dew insisted that though portions were
decomposed. other bits of flesh re-
manned quite firm and when cut ap-
peared fresh Some pieces have been
petrified by the action of the lime in
which they were buried The trial
was adjourned to Sept. IA.