Los Angeles herald., 1910-10-23
DEFENDS son IN
GALL0WS' SHADOW
Myron A. Crippen, Father of Muir
derer Sentenced to Death,
Ayers Son Is Innocent

.'My son is innocent, even though
he stands convicted, and firmly be-
lieve that his wife, Belle Elmore, is
alive and living somewhere in the
United States"
With a faith that stirred the admira-
tion of his hearers, and in the quaver-
ing tones of an aged man, Myron A.
Crippen, father of DR.. Hawley H. Grip
pen, yesterday voiced his confidence in
his son, sentenced in London yester-
day to die on the scaffold for the muir
der of his wife, known on the stage
as Belle Elmore.
Mr.. Crippen Is rs years of age. He
lives in modestly furnished room in
the Veranda house, 245 South Flower
street. Broken in health by several of
the ailments attendant on age. he is
too feeble to work. But his ills and
his trobles have not destroyed every
shred of his optimism. He hopes to
be able soon to get to work and repay
those who have befriended him,
With tears dimmtng his troubled,
faded blue eyes as they looked stead
fastly ahead; with shoulders dropping
as If from burden too great to bear,
the old man, with sorrow crushing
him, commenced reviewing the life OF
his doomed son and only child.
'"This trouble overtaking, my. boy and
me in my old age seems like dream,
an unreality, and I, who cared for
him when he was young; who watched
him grow from a boy to a man, bril-
liant in his profession and honored,
cannot believe that even the thought
of such crime could ever enter his
mind.
SHOWS UNUSUAL MIND
"When but a child he showed an un-
usual mind, disposition to overcome
all obstacles, to attain every object ne
sought He was always fond of music
and when but child he clamored for
violin. We thought him. too young
to care for one and learn to play it,
whereupon he set to work and made
one out OF wooden box and was soon
playing snatches of several popular
tunes on the instrument of his own
manufacture.
''When still in the public schools he
fixed his mind on taking up the pro-
fession of medicine, and at his first
opportunity entered a Doctors office
in San jose from where he went to
Ann Arbor, Mich. While attending
school there he became acquainted
with a DR.. Phil Porter of Detroit, and
studied in his office for period. After
ward he attended the Cleveland uni
versity and graduated with the high
est honors.
81 have written to him, sending the
letter in care of the officials who were
conducting his trial." continued the
father. trying hard to control his feel
ings, "but / have received no reply,
not even a word. If he would only
send a line 1t would make me feel so
much better, but when I get no word,
only the news in the papers, it makes
me feel awfully blue. Sometimes 1
feel like there was nothing to live for. :"
The aged man was silent several
minutes. Then he said:
"I might as we'll be dead. There is
nothing to live for. I have no means
and cannot work"
IIANDLADY OFFERS AID
However, need will not overtake Mr..
Crippen in his declining years, as MS
landlady, Mrs. L. N. Franks, said:
"Mr. Crippen will never want as long
as have the means to give him as
sistance."
Mrs. Franks in making this state
ment. knew that Mr.. Crippen was des-
titute. He had acquainted her with his
moneyless situation, telling her that if
he improved little he might be able
to earn a little in some way.
When his wife died several years ago
she left a mortgaged home at 1927
Hoover street. This property was to
be divided equally between Mr.. Crippen
and his grandson Hawley o. Crippen,
employed by the Pacific Telephone and
Telegraph company of this city. But
when the mortgage, court costs and at
torney fees had been deducted there re-
mained but little, and when this little
was divided Crippen found himself fac
(contlnue3 on Page fivel