Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-15
CRIPPENS LETTER STATES
WIFE DIED IN CALIFORNIA
Gives Version of Death in Mes
sage to Woman'S StepSister

NEW YORK, July 14.-Belle Elmore
was a Brooklyn girl. The first news
of her death was received here by a
Mrs. P. H. Mills, q stepsister, in
letter dated April 7, No. SO Hilldroy
Crescent, North London, Eng, and
signed by DR.. Crippen.
The police regard the date as inn
portant because, although it carried
the first word from DR.. Crippen to his
wife's family of her death, 1t was near
ly two months later than the death
notice was published in London. The
letter follows:
my Dear Louise and Robert: I
hardly know how to write you of my
dreadful loss. The shock to me has
been SO dreadful that / am hardly
able to control myself. My poor Cora
is gone and to make the shock to me
more dreadful, I did not even see her
at the last. A few days ago we had
news that an old relative of mine in
California was dying and to secure
important property for ourselves it
was necessary for one of us to go and
put the matter in lawyers hands at
once.
"As I was very busy, Cora proposed
she should go, and as it was neces-
sary for someone to be there at once,
she should go straight through from
her to California without stopping at
all and then return via Brooklyn and
she would be able to pay all of you a
long visit.
GIVES DETAILED STORY
Unfortunately on the way out my
poor Cora caught a severe cold, and
not having, while travelling, a chance
to take care of herself, it settled on
her lungs, later developing into pleuro-
pneumonia.
"She wished not to frighten me, so
kept writing not to worry about her,
that It was only slight matter, and
next 1 heard by cable she was dan
gerously i'll. After I cabled to know
If I should go to her, had the dread
full news that she had passed away.
Imagine, If you can, the dreadful
shock to me, never more to see my
Cora alive nor hear her voice again.
She is being taken back to me, and l
shall soon have what is left of her.
"Of course am giving up the house
lin fact, 1t drives me mad to be In 1t
alone. 1 will sell out every thing in
few days. I do not know what 1
shall do, probably find some business
to take me travelling for few months
until can recover from the shock a
little. but as soon as 1 have settled
address, I will write again to you.
NAS IL IL LOO " lllS W nave
to write this dreadful, dreadful news,
will you please tell all the others?"
WAS OF NOBLE DESCENT
Belle Elmore was born in Kunigunde,
Makomarkski of noble Polish descent.
When she was years old her widowed
mother married M. F. Marsinger and
the little girl, growing up with Ameri-
can born stepbrothers and stepsis-
tors, became known as Cora Marsing-
err. Her step-father. Mrs. Mills, the
stepsister to whom the Louise and
Robert letter was addressed, and other
relatives were found today in Brook
lyn and Queens. Her mother is dead.
Marsinger the stepfather, is a far
mer and huckster. He said today:
"At the time Of her death, Cora must
have been SO years old. While she was
young girl, she showed a fondness
for the stage. We did not approve at
first, but she was headstrong and we
let her have her way. On one of her
tours through the west she met DR..
Crippen-don't knox just where and