The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-10-21
.CR|PPEN GOES
ON THE STAND
Alleged Wife Murderer Perfect
ly Calm When Facing Jury
and Prosecutors.
TELLS OF ALIENATION
OF WIFE'S AFFECTIONS
Declares She Went Away, and
RecOunts His Flight With
Miss Leneye.

LONDON, Oct 2o.-Dr. Hawloy Har.
vey Crippcn faced his accuscrs from
the witness box today. 1t was Il dra-
matte moment when the diminutive fig
ure of the American emerged from the
comparative isolation of the dock and
TOOK u position where he was stared
"A. with interest by the throng that
filed tho new Bailey court room.
Crippen was pale, but ms compos-
ure that has remained since be was
first charged with the murder of his
actress wife, Belle Elmorc, did not dc,
quickly into the box and holding the
Bible in his hand took the oath calmly.
Accused Tan Cool.
Crippcn leaned ainst the rail of
the box in characteristic easy attI-
tudc and gave his testimony in Il
steady, clear and calm voice. Hc told
Of the gradual alienation of his wife s
affections until The climax was reached
in a quarrel on the night OF January
81 last. His wife. he said, had accused
him of lack of attention TO Mr.. and
Mrs. Martinetti, who bad spent the
evening with them. They Quarrelcd and
on the following day his wife went
away. He bore out his coInsel's state
ment of an alleged plot which he had
formed to escape from the steamer
Monirose.
He said the quartcrmastcr had told
him the captain had recognized him and
Miss Bcneve and that nc was to be
arrested when the steamer landed
The auartcrmaster offered to make IL
splash in the water during the night,
when Crippcn was to pretend to com.
nit suicide. The quartermaster had
told him there was no charge against
Miss Lcneve, and he planned TO separ-
later
This concluded his direct evidence
aud the court adjourned.
Expert Testimony. .--.
Drs Marshall and Spilsbury. medical
experts, who examined the human parts
uneartbed in the cellar of the Crippen
home in Hilldrop Crescent. repeated the
evidence they had given in the lower
court, This was in confirmation of the
testimony given Yesterday by DIR. Pep
per, who swore the members were hui
man, but that he could not determine
anatomically tho sex.
The cross examination of the cx,
perts, in which Lord Chief Justice AL
verstone, who IS presiding. joined, CEN
tered on the alleged scar on the body,
which the defense declares was only a
fold in the skin. Alfred Aspinall To.
bin, chief counsel for Crippen, piled
Drs. Spilsbury and Marshall with iu-
quiries, but the medical men were not
shaken from their assertion that tho
mark had been left from the wound OF
an operation, and that no sebaceous
Crippen, paler than at any time be
fore, followed the evidence with
strained intenseness.
Dr.. William II. Wilcox. tho scientific
analyst TO the home office. testified tc
having discovered in the body poison
which he was satisfied had been taken
through the mouth and was the cause
of death This poison. he said. was not
used by homeopatbistS, as was sug-
gested by the defense.
Outline of Defense.
The medical evidence closed the evil
dence for the prosecution. and the stir
in the courtroom as Mr.. Tobin rose to
address the court showed the interest
which the announcement of the line of
the defense was awaited. This interest
was whetted by the first sentence OF
counsel, who confirmed his earlier state
mept that Crippeu would enter the wit
ness box Immediately when his attorney
had concluded his address
Medical witnesses would follow. Mr..
Tobiu said, one of whom bad the high.
est reputation as 4 microscopic expert.
and would give conclusive reasons why
the mark on the skin was not scar
Similarly. an authority on poisous would
testify that the alkaloid found in the
body might be animal alkaloid devel-
oped after death.
The defense. it is now known, will
80 10, hot laI
in Crippen s home was not that of his
wife.
Mr. Tobin contcnded that the prosecu-
tion's claim that desire for money and
the wish 10 marry Ethel Clare Lcnevo
formed a motive for the murder was un-
tenable. Crippeu. ho said. owed nothing,
and he had not married Miss Lenove
since the disappearance OF his wife. al
No purchase Of lime, In which the parts
had been buried, had been traced 10 Grip
pen, nor had a weapon with which the
deed could be committed been found
demeanor since February 1. the date OF
his wifc's disappearance. and the absence
OF an appearance of haunting psye,, dis
proved the theory that he WAS q mur-
dercr,
Suspicion "of Wife.
Mr. Tobin said that Belle fillmore had
threatened frequently TO leave her hus-
band. and at last carried OUT her threat
Who knew. no asked, whether Belle FL
more was alive or dead? The jury
however must know before it could con-
denim man to death.
The defense insisted that II WAS per
fcctly natural that Crippcn should lake
flight In the company of Miss Lenove
and both he I'm disguise when no realized
that the Hes which he had told TO cover
up the scandal OF his wifes departure
had served only to create a mountain OF
prejudice against him, Mr. Tobin then
made the s,trprlsinE statement that Grin
pen two days before his arrest on the
steamer Montrosc arranged with the
ouartermaster 10 hide him in the cargo
and 10 land him in the nighttime at Que
bee The discriminating card suggesting
suicide which Inspector Dew found In
Crippen's cabin was declared by his coun-
sci 10 have been deliberately left thore
by tho fugitive with the object or giving z