Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-10-19
CRIPPEN PLACED ON TRIAL
Charged with Murder, American Den.
fist Pleads Not Guilty.
ENGLISH CHIEF JUSTICE PREsDEs
Taking Of Testimony begins nt once.
Mrs. MRrtinetti, with whom
Crippen Dined; Being called
~ witness.

LONDON, oct 1S.-Dr. Hau,ey II. Grip
pen was today put on trial for his life.
charged with the murder Of Cora Belle
Crippen. the American actress known i'm
the profession as Belle Gilmore The jury.
a typical body Of middle class tradesmen
and clerks, was secured with but little
trouble, objection having been made i'm but
three instances. Crippen pleaded not guilty.
The trial which is being held in the new
Bailey, promises to be one OF the most
historic in the annals OF that famous court.
No less a parsonage that Lord Chief JUS
tice Alverstone Is presiding lie was &C
companied into court today by Sir John
Knill lord mayor OF London, Sir Thomas
Vesey Strong, lord mayor elect; and the
sherlffs in their robes Of office. Richard
d. Muir, X. c., conducts the prosecution
with the assistance Of Solicitor Travers
Humphreys, who represented the crown at
the preliminary hearing. Crippen is repre-
scented by Alfred Asphalt Tobin, X c..
unionist member Of Parliament and Hunt
ley Eugene jenkins.
Ethel Not In Court.
Ethel Glare Leneve. the doctors typist
who has beenfndicted as an accessory after
the fact, was not in court today Her trial
will follow in the event of Crippen's con
Miller OF Chicago, and his wife, were recog-
nized when they appeared in a cab and
were followed 20 the doors Of the building.
Crppen entered the dock wearing a black
frock coat and light trousers escorted by
two policemen. II was well on toward noon
when Lord Chief Justice Alverstone took
his seat From that moment the proceed
ings moyed quickly. The indictment was
read at once and Crippen, standing, re-
piled to the usual questions and pleaded
mot guilty, my lord"
A hush fell as Couse Muir rose and made
the opening statement for the crown He
related the familiar story OF the tragedy so
far as it has been learned by the prosecu-
ton and the public
The taking of testimony was then begun.
The most interesting of this introduced be-
fore the lunch interval was given by Mrs
Paul Martinette, who repeated the evidence
she had given in the police court The wit
ness and her husband dined with the Grip
pens at the home of the latter on the even
ing of January 81 and played cards until 1880
o'clock in the morning The Crippens
seemed perfectly happy This occasion
was the last on which Mrs Crlppen was
seen by any one 50 far as the police have
been able to learn.
Miller on the stand.
The feature of the afternoon session was
the testimony OF Bruce Miller, in which the
story of his acquaintance with Belle FL
more was gone into at length Miller ad-
mitted he thought great deal of Crippen's
wife, but denied their relations were other
than those of propriety. When he was ex-
cused from the stand Miller was granted
permission by the lord chief justice to re-
turn to the United States at once.
Miller said he had last seen Belle Gilmore
in 1904 in London. There had never been
proposition made that she should ioin
him in America. The two exchanged LETT
ters three or four times a year,
Mr.. Tobin cross-examined the witness
closely concerning his relations with Belle
Gilmore. He ELECTED the admission that
Miller had been in the habit OF visiting the
actress often In the absence of her husband.
Lord Alverstone here asked:
Were there any improper relations?"
The witness said "No."F
The witness admitted he had written the
woman affectionate epistles, concluding
with Love and kisses to BrOwneyes." He
thought that these were not improper let
ters to write to a married woman Miller
said Crippen knew all about the affair. He
was not Belle ElmOre's sutton He Had
kissed her and that was all. Asked whether
the actress letters were couched in the
same affectionate terms, the witness said:
Perhaps. My wife read my letters"
Did Miss Gilmore discourage attentions?"
was asked.
mo. My attentions did not bear the in
depreciation which you wish to put on
them"
On re-eXamination Miller told Mr.. Muir
his relations with Miss Elmore were in no
way improper.
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