The San Francisco call., 1910-07-15
POLICE TO SEARCH ALL
STEAMERS FROM ENGLAND
Former Californian and Woman
Companion Dressed as Man
Flee From London
CRIME Is SIMILAR TO
THE CHARLTON MURDER

IT ONDON, July 12.-All the intricate
machinery of Scotland Yard has
- been set in motion to capture DR..
Hawley H. Crippen, the battered body
of whose wife, a noted music hall
singer, known by the stage name OF
Belle Elmore. was found buried in the
cellar of their home at Hilldrop Cres-
cent, North London
| Crippen has been missing since Sat-
urday, when apparently he could no
/ longer offer explanation for the death
of his wife, which was alleged by him
to have occurred months ago in Cali
fornia. Then it was that the police, in
making a thorough examination of the
empty house came upon the body,
mutilated and burned beyond recog-
nition by quicklime that had been
| thrown upon it.
Body Dissected
The thick clay by which it was
partly surrounded. to some extent
retarded the action of the quicklime
and so frustrated the murderer's plan
of destroying the body. IT is said the
body had been partly dissected before
burial and nearly all the bones are
missing
Requests have been sent out broad
cast that all incoming steamers be
watched The belief is strong that
Crippen sailed on Saturday for New
York, but there have been ruomrs
that he was seen in London this MORN
| ing.
The police today continued their
digging operations at the house. Moth
ing was found that would throw fur
ther light on the mystery, which has
/ become the chief sensation in the Lon
don newspapers.
The case is strikingly similar to
that of the Charlton murder at Lake
Como, Italy.
Doctor Crippen, a dentist. 50 years
of age. has made his home for some
time at 80 Hilldrop Crescent. North
London. Some time ago his wife,
| Belle Elmore, actress and treasurer
of the Musical Hall artists guild, dis
appeared and subsequently notice OF
her death appeared in the local papers.
Her death was generally credited,
but there was more or less gossip.
and this finally reached the ears of
the police. The latter visited Doctor
| Crippen and the interview appeared to
be satisfactory Then came the dis
covery of the body.
Woman Companion
The first thing the police did today
was to cable to the police of American
ports asking them to search incoming
steamers for Crippen, who was de
scribed with the aliases of Peter Grip
pen and FranckeI Crippen. The po-
lice believe he sailed on Saturday for
the United States. They believe that
he is accompanied by Ella Clara
Leneve, French woman. whom he had
recently introduced as his wife. This
woman is believed to be dressed in
male attire.
Before leaving Hilldrop Crescent
Crippen sent out for boys suit and
this the police surnise. is now being
won by his companion
The indications point to coolly
planned murder Early in February
last a letter signed Belle Gilmore
was received by the Vaudeville Art
lists guild, stating that the writer had
gone to America on business. 1t was
this letter. which the police say was
intended to cover up q. crime. that, as
il turned out, furnished an evidence of
criminality Belle Elmore spelled her
name with one 81" The discrepancy
was noticed and aroused suspicion
among the members of the guild and
largely Influenced them in determining
to bring the woman's disappearance to
the attention of the authorities.
False Death Report
Then the advertisement appeared an
nouncing that Belle Elmore had died
in Los Angeles. An investigation was
begun and the advertisement was
found to have been untrue.
1t was learned today that when the
ofacers visited Crippen they forced him