Dr Crippen
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Introduction
The case  of Dr Hawley Harvey Crippen is one of the most famous British criminal  cases. This was the first major case that Bernard Spilsbury, the famous  pathologist, was called in to investigate. The case also involved the  major use of radio in tracking down the suspects.
The Case  Details
Crippen  in the USA
Hawley Harvey  Crippen was born in Michigan, USA, in 1862. When he was 21 he came to  England to improve his medical knowledge. He obtained a diploma, which  was endorsed by the Faculty of the Medical College of Philadelphia, and  in 1885 Crippen acquired another diploma, as an eye and ear specialist,  from the Ophthalmic Hospital in New York. These qualifications were not  sufficient for Crippen to practice as a Doctor in the UK.
After Crippen's  first visit to England he wandered about the USA, practising in a number  of larger cities. In Utah, during 1890 or 1891, his wife died, and he  sent is 3 year old son to live with her late wife's Mother in California.  During one of his stays in New York he married again. His second wife  was a girl of 17 years old whom Crippen knew as Cora Turner. Her real  name was Kunigunde Mackamotski, her Father being a Russian Pole and her  Mother German. There were more wanderings: St. Louis, New York and Philadelphia,  with a short visit across the border to Toronto. The Munyon Company, a  patent medicine company, now employed Crippen. Mrs. Crippen, who was deluded  by her modest singing talent, travelled to New York for opera training.
Crippen  arrives in the UK
In 1900 Crippen  was in England again, and except for one short interval, remained in England.  He became the manager at Munyon's offices in London's Shaftesbury Avenue,  and later in the year his wife joined him in rooms in South Crescent,  off Tottenham Court Road, At one period, it is said, that he practising  as a dentist and a women's consultant. In 1902 Munyon's recalled him for  six months in Philadelphia. Mrs. Crippen had been seeking music-hall work,  with slight success. During one of her music engagements, she met an American  music-hall performer called Bruce Miller (who later testified at the trial).
When Crippen  returned to London the Crippens lived at 34-37 Store Street, Bloomsbury.  Crippen, who was small in height, left Munyon's for a variety of jobs.  Some of them failed, and presently he eventually returned to Munyon's,  who had relocated to Albion House, New Oxford Street. In Albion House,  when Munyon's business began to decline, Crippen was also in partnership  with another firm: The Yale Tooth Specialists. While working here, Crippen  employed as his typist Ethel le Neve. He had first met her when they had  been working for one of Crippen's business failures: The Drouet Institute.  Although Crippen took over the Munyon's office on a franchise basis, he  failed to halt Munyon's decline and Crippen ended his 16 year relationship  with the Munyon firm on 31 January 1910.
The move  to 39 Hilldrop Crescent
During this  period, the Crippens moved into a house in Camden Town: number 39 Hilldrop  Crescent. It was a larger house than the couple needed, indicated by the  annual rent of ï¿½58 10s. As Crippen's salary, when he earned one, was ï¿½3  a week, it seemed strange that they should choose such a house, that Mrs.  Crippen could afford to buy fox furs and jewellery and they could still  put some money away. At the end of January 1910 Crippen was a few pounds  overdrawn at the bank, but there was ï¿½600 on deposit, more than half of  this sum was in his wife's name. As a guide to these monetary sums, whisky  was 3s 6d a bottle and furs could cost ï¿½34.
Mrs. Crippen,  under her assumed name of Belle Elmore, continued with her career as a  music hall entertainer.
Mrs. Crippen  attained some success in provincial halls, but she became well known and  popular in certain theatrical circles. For two years before her death,  she was Honorary Treasurer of the Music Hall Ladies Guild, which hired  a room in Albion House. She was described as vivacious and pleasant, fond  of dress and display, with a New York accent and dark hair which she dyed  auburn. A Roman Catholic, she converted her husband to that faith.
In contrast  to his wife, Crippen was a small man. He appeared to be mildness itself,  an almost insignificant figure, dapper in dress, with a high, bald forehead,  a heavy, sandy moustache, and rather prominent eyes behind gold-rimmed  spectacles. Witnesses at his forthcoming trial described him as kindly,  gentle and well mannered.
The Murder
The crisis,  which ended with Crippen's execution, came in December 1909. His wife  was tired of him, and she knew that Ethel le Neve had been his mistress.  She threatened to leave Crippen, which would have been excellent news  for him, but she was also planning to take their joint savings with her.  On 15 December 1909, Mrs. Crippen gave notice of withdrawal to their bank.  A month later, in January 1910, Crippen ordered five grains of hyoscin  hydrobromide at Lewis and Burrow's shop in New Oxford Street. It was such  a large order; they had to place a special order with the wholesalers.  Crippen collected the order on 19 January 1910.
On the evening  of 31 January 1910, there were two guests to dinner at 39 Hilldrop Crescent:  a retired music-hall performer called Mr. Matinetti and his wife. After  dinner, the Martinetti's and Crippen's played several games of whist.  At 1.30am the following morning the Martinetti's left.
The next  day, 1 February 1910, Crippen pawned a diamond ring and some earrings  for ï¿½80, and that night Ethel le Neve slept at 39 Hilldrop Crescent. On  3 February 1910, two letters signed "Belle Elmore" and dated  2 February 1910, were received by the Secretary of the Music Hall Ladies  Guild. Mrs. Crippen had resigned from her position as Honorary Treasurer,  as she had been summoned to the USA, as one of her relatives had been  taken seriously ill. The letters were not in Mrs. Crippen's handwriting.  Mrs. Martinetti called on Crippen later that day, and rebuked him for  not telling her directly about her friend's sudden departure. Crippen  told her that they had been busy packing. "Packing and crying"  replied Mrs. Martinetti, Crippen relied that they had got over that.
Crippen then  pawned more rings and a broach for ï¿½115. On 20 February 1910, Crippen  took Ethel le Neve to the ball of the Music Hall Ladies Benevolent Fund.  It was noticed that le Neve was clearly wearing a broach, which was known  to belong to Mrs. Crippen. On 12 March 1910, Ethel le Neve moved permanently  into 39 Hilldrop Crescent. Shortly after this event, Crippen have his  landlord's 3 months notice of his intention to vacate the house. Just  before Easter 1910, Crippen told Mrs. Martinetti that Mrs. Crippen had  been taken seriously ill in the USA, and that she was not expected to  live. If she died, Crippen told Mrs. Matinetti that he would take a week's  holiday in France.
On 24 March  1910, the day before Good Friday 1910, a telegram arrived for Mrs. Martinetti:  "Belle died yesterday at 6pm". It had been sent from London's  Victoria Rail Station, before Crippen and le Neve set off for Dieppe.
During his  absence in France, Mrs. Crippen's friends had a great deal of discussions  about their friends sudden trip to the USA, and her death. When he returned,  Crippen made several attempts to prevent the sending of tokens of remembrance.  Crippen stated that she had died in Los Angles, her ashes were returning  to England and that gifts sent to the USA would arrive too late.
Everything  was neatly explained, and the Crippen went around his normal business.  Ethel le Neve was seen wearing more of Mrs. Crippen's furs and jewellery,  which was regarded as being in poor taste.
A friend  of the late Mrs. Crippen, a Mr. Nash, made a short visit to the USA where  he made some unsuccessful enquires about Mrs. Crippen. When he returned  to London, he went and spoke to Crippen. Dissatisfied with his answers,  he went to Scotland Yard and told them his story.
A week after  Mr. Nash's visit to Scotland Yard, Chief Inspector Dew called upon Mr.  Crippen at his work place located in Albion House. He admitted that he  had been lying about his wife's death. He believed that she was still  alive, and she had gone to Chicago so she could be with her friend of  her early music-hall days, Bruce Miller. His lies were to shield her and  himself from any scandal that would result from her elopement. Dew then  obtained a search warrant and visited Hilldrop Crescent, accompanied by  Mr. Crippen. He found nothing and was beginning to believe Crippen's explanation  regarding his wife disappearance.
Crippen & le Neve flee
For some  reason, Crippen panicked and left for Antwerp, accompanied by le Neve  who was disguised as a boy. When Dew returned to the house, just to check  a couple of dates with Crippen, he found the house empty. He then raised  the alarm.
While Crippen  and le Neve's description was being widely circulated, Dew returned to  Hilldrop Crescent and thoroughly searched the house. While in the coal  cellar, Dew probed the brick floor and found the remains of Mrs. Crippen  buried in lime.
During their  voyage from Antwerp to Canada, Ethel le Neve disguised herself as a boy.  The Montrose's Captain became suspicious of the couple's affectionate  behaviour, and radioed his concerns back to London. Chief Inspector Drew  boarded a faster ship, the SS Laurentic, and arrested the pair on 31 July  1910.
This was  Spilsbury's first murder case and the one that established the reputation  of his name. In his notes he recounts the discovery in the cellar:
Human remains  found 13 July . Medical organs of chest and abdomen removed in one mass.  Four large pieces of skin and muscle, one from lower abdomen with old  operation scar 4 inches long - broader at lower end. Impossible to identify  sex. Hyoscine found 2.7 grains. Hair in Hinde's curler - roots present.  Hair 6 inches long. Man's pyjama jacket label reads Jones Bros., Holloway,  and odd pair of pyjama trousers.
There was  no head, all the limbs were missing and no bones, except for what appeared  to be part of a human thigh. One of the pieces of skin that was recovered  had a scar, made as a result of an operation. The organs were analysed  by Drs. Wilcox and Luff. The skin was analysed by Drs. Pepper assisted  by Spilsbury.
The remains  of Mrs. Crippen were eventually reburied in Finchley Cemetery, a week  before the start of her husband trial.
It was decided  that Crippen and le Neve would be tried separately.
The Trial
On 18 October  1910, Crippen's trial opened before Lord Chief Justice Lord Alverstone,  in the No. 1 Court of London's Central Criminal Court (Old Bailey). The  trial lasted five days. The prosecution's evidence was the purchase of  the poison by Crippen, and that no one had seen Mrs. Crippen since the  Martinetti's left the whist game early on the morning of 1 February 1910.
Crippen was  defended by A.A. Tobin, KC (later a judge). Tobin was assisted by Mr Huntly  Jenkins and Mr. Roome.
Prosecution  witnesses on the 1st day included Mrs. Martinetti, other acquaintances  of the Crippens, some of Mr. Crippen's business associates. Bruce Miller  and Mrs. Crippen's sister travelled from the USA to provide evidence.
At the start  of the 2nd day, Chief Inspector Dew gave evidence, including  the reading of a long statement provided by Crippen. In the afternoon,  Dr. Pepper took the stand. He stated that the mark on the piece of skin  (produced in the court) was caused by an abdominal operation. Someone  skilled in dissection, he stated, carried out the dismemberment of the  body. The remains were those of an adult, young or middle-aged, but there  was no certain anatomical indication of body's sex. When the remains had  been examined, they had been buried for around 4 to 8 months. The burial  had taken place soon after death had occurred. When asked by the prosecution  whether the burial could have occurred before 21 September 1905 (when  Crippen took up residence), Dr. Pepper relied "Oh, no, absolutely  impossible." During cross-examination, Dr. Pepper was asked whether  he had cut a piece of the skin sample across the area of the scar and  handed it to Dr. Spilsbury. He confirmed that this was the case.
At the start  of the 3rd day, 20 October 1910, Dr. Spilsbury was called to  give evidence. He confirmed the analysis performed on the sample by Dr.  Pepper, and that Dr. Pepper had provided him with a sample for microscopical  analysis. Spilsbury stated that the provided sample was 1ï¿½ inches long,  and almost ï¿½ inch wide. It included a portion of the scar. At each end  of this fragment he found glands, but there were none in the centre, proving  that it was indeed a scar and not a skin fold. Spilsbury also stated that  the presence and arrangement of certain muscles provided further proof  that the specimen came from the lower abdomen.
The defence  then asked Spilsbury how long he had been associated with Dr. Pepper,  whether, before his own examination, he had heard that Mrs. Crippen had  had an abdominal operation. Spilsbury replied that
The fact  that I have acted with Mr. Pepper has absolutely no influence upon the  opinion that I have expressed here. The fact that I had read in the papers  that there had been an operation on Belle Elmore had no effect at all  upon the opinion I have expressed. I have no doubt that this is a scar."
The evidence  presented by Wilcox and Luff took up the majority of this day. This concerned  their analysis of the organs and other material found: a small portion  of liver, one kidney, a pair of combinations, hair in a curler and three  fragments of a pyjama jacket. The day finished with the opening of the  defence, and the examination of Crippen by Mr. Huntly Jenkins.
The 4th day mainly consisted of Crippen's cross-examination by the prosecution.  As the questioning continued, Crippen's replies became more vague and  evasive. When asked when he purchased the pyjamas, Crippen replied that  he had purchased them in either 1905 or 1906. A buyer for the firm Jones  Brother of Holloway was able to prove that this pyjama material was not  acquired by his firm until the end of 1908, and that three suits of pyjamas,  made from this material, were delivered to 39 Hilldrop Crescent in January  1909. As the prosecution stated in their summing up, who alone during  the next 12 months could have buried the jacket in that house? And "Who  was missing who could be buried in it?"
After the  trial
The jury  took 27 minutes to find Crippen guilty and sentenced to death by hanging.  Ethel le Neve was tried 4 days later and found not guilty as an accessory  after the fact.
On 23 November  1910, Crippen was hanged at Pentonville Prison in London. Before his execution,  Crippen requested that a photograph of Ethel le Neve be buried with him.
Ethel le  Neve sailed for New York, under the name of Miss Allen, on the morning  of Crippen's execution. After reaching her final destination of Toronto,  she started calling herself Ethel Harvey. Sometime during the period 1914-18,  she returned to London and married a clerk called Stanley Smith. The couple  settled down in Croydon and had several children, eventually becoming  grandparents. Ethel died in hospital in 1967, aged 84.
The once  "most famous house in London" (as some newspapers called 39  Hilldrop Crescent at the time) was destroyed, together with the surrounding  houses, by German air raids in World War Two.