Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1910-11-14
The Crippeu Case.

LONDON, NOV. IL II NiCtlm OF
legal bungling," or, worse still, "a le-
gal sacrifice" is the epitaph that might
properly be placed on the tomb Of DR..
II. II. Crippen, when he is hanged on
November 80 for the murder Of his
vile, Belle Elmore, is the opinion OF
the big majority of English lawyers.
Nearly every one who followed the
famous murder case is convinced today
that somewhere along the line OF the
defense a great scandal is concealed.
People everywhere are asking: Was
Crippen sacrificed that Ethel Clare Le-
neve might go free?"
Crippen was brought TO England
from Canada; eminent English lawyers
who will bet on anything; were willing
to wager to 1that he would be ac-
quilted. Crippen was found guilty in
less than half an honr. 1t is hard to
find a parallel for such startling re-
versal and there was no development
during the trial, according to legal ex-
perts, that adequately explains it.
Solicitor Newton sent Barrister Tobln
into court with case but halfprepared
and the latter had but half mastered
even the slovenIy case presented to him
when the trial opened.
When the trial OF Miss Leneve,
Crippen's typist, was called immed'
lately following the conviction Of Grip
pen, Newton, still i'll charge, employed
F. E. Smith, one Of the ablest practi-
TONERS at the English bar. Smith got
Miss Leneve off with scarcely an
effort.
What the public wants to know is
why Newton engaged all untred bar
rister for Crippen, charged with muir
der, and the best counsel that could be
obtained for Miss Lencve, charged
with the less serious offense OF being an
accessory after the fact.
Nowton prepared Miss Leneve's case
for Smith just as lie had Crippen's case
for Tobin. And the first thing that
Smith did on the strength OF the case
Newton furnished him was to refer to
Crippen, in the plainest Of terms, as
murderer beyond the shadow Of ques-
ton"
Making all due allowances for the
fact that Newton probably thought he
had done all be could for Crippen and
might as we'll admit that he was a
murderer, il by so doing he could bene-
fit Miss Leneve, British lawyers say he
acted peculiarly. DR.. Crippen's appeal
was still pending and It was not certain
but his own solicitor might be pre-
judicing his case.
When the court OF criminal appeal
sat to decide on a date for hearing
Crippen's appeal, Barrister Hunney
jenkins, Crippen's junior counsel,
asked for all the time the bench could
allow him to prepare his case because
his senior, Tobin, had unexpectedly
Withdrawn from the case. The court
was startled by this Information. For
barrister to withdraw from murder
case" said Justice Darling, who was
presiding, after his client had been
convicted aud has an appeal still pend
ing is most unusaI. | don't under
stand it. And the very next day the
London Afternoon Times announced
that Tobin was not only going to argue
the Crippen appeal but that he had
never withdrawn from the case at all.
What all this tangle meant, no one has
vet been able to learn, but it is con-
sidered significant in connection with
the other peculiar features OF the case.
Ore thing is clear there was trouble OF
some sort among Crippen's defenders
and that it proved most damaging to
the unfortunate little DOCTORS interest