The Wilson times. [volume] (Wilson, N.C.) 1896-19??, 1910-10-25
CRIPPEN IS
TO HANG
Convicted of Numbering His
Wife Must Pay Penalty
on Nov. 18th

London, Oct 24.-Dr. Hawley Har-
vey Crippen after a trial extending
over five days and thirty minutes de-
liberation by the jury has been found |
guilty of the murder of his wife, an |
American woman known on the stage |
as Belle Flmore. Lord Chief Justice |
Alverstcne, who presided at the trial. |
sentenced Crippen to be hanged on
November 18th.
AS the Lord Chief Justice concluded
a policeman stepped forward and in
the hush that had fallen over the
court room, led Crippen from the
dockk
The trial of Ethel Leneve as an
accessory after the fact in the MUIR
der of Mrs. Crippen, will begin on
Tuesday.
The trial lasted less than five days,
having begun at 1870 o'clock last
Tuesday morning. The jury retired
| at 2:17 o'clock this afternoon and re-
| turned the verdict at 2:47 o'clock.
Crippen received the death sentnce
with the apparent calmness that char
acterized him throughout the trial.
| He appeared rather nervous during
the judges summing up, which was
strongly against him. AS Lord Al
verstone mercilessly portrayed his
character as developed during the
trial, Crippen twirled his thumbs,
crossed andre-crossed his legs and
occasionally shuff1ed his feet. How
ever, as soon as the charge had been
concluded, the prisoner seemed to pull
himself together.
| When the verdict was announced
Crippen did not finch. Richard Muir
| made the closing speech for the prose-
| cution He declared that the crown
had proved beyond a reasonable doubt
that the body found in the cellar of
the Crippen home was that of the
doctors wife. No one else. he said,
had chance to murder the woman
and bury the body as it was found to
have been buried.
Lord Chief Justice Alverstone inn
: mediately began his summing up of
the case.
The Justice described Crippen a an
extraordinary man whether guilty or
innocent. If guilty he had covered up
a CHASTITY crime in a CHASTITY way and
t was believed, in a most brutal and
90 llorS manner. If he was innocent 1T
was impossible to fathom his mind
as he was absolutely Indifferent to
the charge of murder. He had taken
no step whatever to prove his limo
cence Crippen, the justice declared
, undoubtedly was a liar and had lived
an immoral life, but, he added, the
jury could not convict the defendant
on that score.
1t must be quite convinced that the
human parts found were from the
body of Belle E1more and that hel
Z death was caused by wilful act o
, the prisoner.
The Lord Chief Justice charged the
jury that they must be convinced O
: the Identification beyond reasonable
I doubt.
There is, however, the strongest pre-
judice in England against executing
man on purely circumstantia1 evi
I dence, and an incident at the close O
: Crippen's trial has caused the impress
: sion that the jury may have recon
= menced life sentence. After Crippel
: was sentenced to death, the foreman
e of the jury handed to the Lord Chic
: Justice note, after looking at which
3 the, Justice said: '"That shall be for
l warded to proper quarter"
t'The proper quarter might NEAR
I the home secretary, who has jurisdic
4 ton in such matters. The jurors re
4 fuse to discuss the incident.
A large crowd was awaiting the de
D parture of Crippen from the New
e Bailey court. There were a few
, 'ebeos'' as he drove away to the Pen
t tonville prison, but no other demon
: stration.
: The jury was out just 80 minutes
When it returned and announced that
: it had found the defendant guilty, Lore
: Chief Justice Alverstone asked The
3 physician if he had anything to say
ICrippen replied in a low voice:
t1 still protest my innocence"
The Chief Justice then donned the
black cap that has rested near him
: -Ithroughout the trial, and pronounced
: the sentence of death.
Addressing the condemned man
Lord Alverstone said:
"You have been convicted on evi
, dence that can leave no doubt in the
mind of any reasonable man that you
cruelty murdered your wife, and then
lmutilated her body.
"I advise you to entertain no hope
: that you will escape the consequences
!; lof your crime. implore you to make
:, lpeace with Almighty God"
:, Richmond, Va, Oct 24.-Asked Of
: his intended action toward the retak
ling Of the condemned murderer, who
( was rescued by fail storming party
i, lof friends from the Nelson county 1ai
: lat Lovingston early Friday morning
lGovernor William Hodges Mann said
Y that he would, if necessary, vest the
; lcounty officers, with the full powers O
i 1.-THE State The Governor said he ha6
!, full Confidence in the Nelson county
Icficers and Was certain they Woult