The Detroit times., 1910-08-02
Scotland Yard SleuthS
Bungled Crippen Case

mas there been enacted more thrill
ing drama than the wireless pursuit
OF DR.. Hawley Harvey Crippen, accus-
Elmore. the actress. in London, and
Miss Ethel Clare Leneve, his typist,
with whom be fed 10 Canada
Three elements entered into this
sensational criminal chase and made
IL success after Scotland Yard had
bungled it.
The first was the work OF the news
papers in carrying TO every portion
OF the world complete description or
the missing pair, together with their
pictures.
The second was the astuteness of
Capt. Kendall, OF the Canadian Pacific
Liner Montrose. He read the papers
and from the descriptions recognized
Crippen and Miss Leneve in John
Robinson and Son. who boarded his
ship at Antwerp.
The third was the great wireless,
perfected by Marconi, the Italian-lrish
electrician. II was through enlisting
this Instrument as his chief aida that
Capt Kendall first notified Scotland
Yard Of his suspicious ard made 1t
possible for Chief Inspector Walter
Dew to board fast steamer, the
Laurentic and reach Father Point
ahead OF his fleeing quarry.
The British governments boasted
secret service really played minor
role in the great criminal drama that
reached its thrilling climax Sunday
morning out On the st. Lawrence. For
brief moment only Scotland Yard,
represented by Inspector Dew. held
the spotlight. Captain, there's your
man." mechanically declared the
English detective In his pilots dis
guise to Chief Mccarthy OF the pro
vincial police Of Quebec on the deck
of the liner as he pointed to the pale
and trembling John Robinson"
Then four sharp blasts from the
Montrose's siren, as a signal to the
fifty newspapermen In the pilot tug
Eureka waiting alongside. rang down
the curtain on the third act of the
play.
II might almost be said that Grip
pen and his companion were captured
In spite OF Scotland Yard. The British
secret service started out with a seri-
GUS blunder, and kept 1t up
On June %. Scotland Yard was In
formed by friends of Mrs. Belle Grip
pen OF their apprehensions. Dr. Grip
pen had told Mrs. Crippens friends
that she died while on a hurried bus
mess trip to Los Angeles, Cal.
Detective Chief Inspector Walter
Dew was assigned to the mysterious
case. With other officers he question
"a Mir In
home and seemed satisfied with the
story he told. alter through Mrs.
Crippen's sister in America, who
had been investigating the case II was
learned that no one by the name OF
Mrs. Crippen had died in Los Angeles.
Again Dew sought Crippen in his
London Office and obtained from him
a ready promise that he would not
leave London until the mystery OF his
wife's disappearance should be solved.
Hardly had the door closed upon
the astute representative OF Scotland
Yard than the willy doctor and his
typist fed. leaving London on July 8
or 10 for the continent.
Find Dismempered Body.
On July 13, their suspicious that
Belle Elmore had met with foul play
having been fully aroused, the detec-
tives instituted a thorough search OF
the doctors house and finally located
the dismembered and lime-eaten frag-
ments OF a human body-as yet un-
identified, but believed TO have been
Mrs. Crippen-in the cellar But their
prey had escaped.
Even then Scotland Yard continued
to blunder. They refused to give any
information TO the press until forced
by popular clamor and threats of an
inquiry by parliament At last, grlidg-
ingly they made the official announce
ment OF their suspicious that DR.. Grip
pen had murdered his wife. Il was
not until several days after the discov-
cry Of the body that tho police circular
containing a description and pictures
OF the fugitives was mailed to the vari.
Gus headquarters of the continental
police departments.
Meantime, however, the newspapers.
unaided-in fact hampered by Scot,
land fard-had printed fairly accurate
details OF the tragedy and such made.
quate descriptions and pictures of the
fleeing pair as could be secured.
Capt. Kendall OF the Montrose. was
q newspaper reader So when his YES.
sci prepared TO sail from Antwerp on
July 20. he was fairly we'll posted on
the Crippen case
| When, therefore, John Robinson and
Son" came on over the side, without
baggage, and holding hands in a man.
ner unusual to men his suspicious
were aroused. Next he noted that
when the Son" removed his coat, he
had employed a safety pin to hold up
his trousers Closer scrutiny made
him suspect that the "Son" was really
a woman. He engaged them in con.
yersation. Between times he re-read
MS London papers. With Kendall
who Is not detective OF the Scotland
Yard type-to suspect was TO act
Inc sea-faring follower OF Sherlock
Holmes had wireless on board and he
had Operator Lew Jones, a 2O-year-old
youth, as his Or Watson" No detec.
tive could have asked two better aides
than Marconi and Jones.
] Jones called the wireless stations on