Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-15
CR|PPEN CLAIMS
WIFE DIED HERE
American Physician Sought to
Evade Detection by MiSIead-
ing Advertisement
LOOKED FOR IN NEW YORK
Scotland Yard SIeuthS Advise
American Officials to Watch
Incoming Steamers
LOOKED FOR IN NEW YORK
ASSOCIATED Pressl


LONDON, July 14.-All the intricate
machinery of Scotland Yard has been
set in motion to capture Dr. Henry 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 Crescent, North Lon
don.
Crippen has been missing since Sat-
urday, when apparently he could no
longer offer explanations for the death
of his wife, which was alleged to have
occurred months ago in California.
Then it was that the police, in making
thorough examination of the empty
house, came upon the body, mutilated
and burned beyond recognition by
Quicklime that had been thrown on 1t.
The thick clay by which it was partly
surrounded to some extent retarded the
action of the quicklime, and so frus-
trated the murderer's plan of destroy
ing 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 rumors that
he was seen in London this morning.
Nothing, however, developed today, al
though the police continued their dig
ginp operations at the house. Nothing
was found that would throw further
light on the mystery, which has be-
come the chief sensation in the London
newspapers.
MAY BE WITH WOMAN
The police believe Crippen is accom-
panied by Ella Clara Leneve, French
woman, whom he had recently intro
duced as his wife. This woman is be-
lieved to be dressed in male attire.
Before leaving Hilldrop Crescent,
Crippen sent out for a boys suit, ana
this the police surmise is now being
worn by his companion.
The indications point to coolly
planned murder. Early in FEBRUARY
last a letter signed Belle Elmore" was
received %aSe bv the Vaudeville Artists
Guild. stating that the writer had
gone to America on business. 1t was
this letter which the police say was
intended to cover up a crime that, as
It turned out, furnished an evidence
Of criminality. Belle Elmore spelled
her name with one 81" The d1scre-
pancy was noticed and aroused sus-
picion among the members Of the gulld
and largely Influenced them in deter
mining to bring the woman's disap-
pearance to the attention of the au-
thorities.
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.
It was learned today that when the
officers visited Crippen they forced him
to admit that his wife had not died in
California. He then said, according to
the detectives, that he and his wife
had quarreled, and that, following the
quarrel, she disappeared. The police
refused to accept this explanation be-
cause Of the fact that the woman was
found to have left her jewelry and
money behind.
LIVED IN Los ANGELES
Pursuing their inquiry the police
discovered that DR.. Crippen had been
born at Coldwater, Mich. He was ed
Gated in Indiana and in Los Angeles,
and completed his medical studies in
Michigan, Cleveland and New YORK
city. He practiced in Detroit, San
Diego, Salt Lake City, st. Louis and
Brooklyn as an eye and ear specialist.
At one time he managed a patent med
icine business at Philadelphia and in
Toronto, Canada. Recently DR.. Grip
pen appeared in public with Miss Jen-
eve, who according to the police, was
introduced by the doctor as Mrs. Grip
pen.
Neighbors of the Crippens speak of
them as quiet folk, who appeared to
be in prosperous circumstances. They
occupied a well-furnished and we'll
maintained semi-detached house of
twelve rooms. They did not mingle
with their immediate neighbors, but
from the number of callers at their
home it was judged they had many
friends.
Mrs. Crippen was very we'll known
in vaudeville circles. She attended the
meetings of the music hall artists
guild regularly up to the time of her
disappearance last February. Miss
Leneve was the doctors stenographer'
The similarity in the fate of Belle
Elmore and of Mrs. Charlton, who was
recently murdered by her husband in
italy, is most striking. Both women
were actresses who left their American
homes to meet death by violence in.
foreign land, and in each instance the
police pursued the American husband
to the shores of his native land. Por-
ter Charlton was arrested at Hoboken,
but in the absence of extraditlon
treaty between the United States ana
Italy, specifically providing TOT the re
turn to either country of citizen OF
the other country who has committed
a crime abroad, may go free
In the Crippen case no such COM
plications are probable, as the British
American extradition treaty leaves no
hole of which a suspected criminal
may take advantage.
The London police have made def
mite charge against Dr. Crippen and
propose to get him with the co-opera-
tion of the American authorities.
nnInnrM rnnMFD DECInEMT