Murderer, born in Michigan, USA. He studied medicine and dentistry, eventually settling in London, UK (1900) with his second wife, Cora Turner. Having transferred his affections to his secretary, Ethel le Neve, he poisoned his wife, dissected the body, and interred the remains in the cellar. He and his mistress attempted to escape to Canada on board the SS Montrose as Mr and Master Robinson. The suspicious captain contacted Scotland Yard by radiotelegraphy (the first use of radio for a murder case). They were arrested, and Crippen was hanged in London.
Dr Hawley Harvey Crippen (11 September 1862 – 23 November 1910), usually known as Dr Crippen, was born in Coldwater, Michigan, USA, in 1862 and hanged in Pentonville, England, on November 23, 1910 for murdering his wife. In 1900, Crippen and his spouse moved to England. The couple moved to 39 Hilldrop Crescent, Holloway, London where they had lodgers to compensate Crippen's rather measly income. Crippen was not a homeopath in the classic sense in that he used many potions aside from homeopathic remedies.
Murder
After a party at their home on January 31, 1910, Belle disappeared. Hawley Crippen told everyone she had returned to the United States, and later added that she had died in California and had been cremated. However, Crippen did not know this -- he and le Neve panicked and fled to Brussels spending the night in a hotel. Mrs. Crippen had to be identified from a piece of skin from her abdomen, because her head, limbs and skeleton were never recovered. Crippen and le Neve fled across the Atlantic on the Montrose, with le Neve disguised as a boy. Kendall sent a wireless telegram to British authorities: "Have strong suspicions that Crippen London cellar murderer and accomplice are among saloon passengers. (Had Dr. Crippen and Miss le Neve travelled 2nd or 3rd class, they might well have escaped Kendall's notice.) Dew boarded the faster White Star liner, the SS Laurentic, arriving in Quebec ahead of Crippen, where he contacted the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
As the Montrose entered the British territorial waters (in 1910 Canada was a crown dominion) of the St Lawrence River Inspector Dew, disguised as a pilot, came aboard. This was Crippen's second mistake concerning his evasion. Kendall invited Crippen to meet the pilots as they came aboard. Dew removed his pilot's cap and said, "Good morning, Dr Crippen. After a pause Crippen replied, "Thank God it's over. Crippen and le Neve were arrested on board the Montrose on 31 July 1910. After discovering the circumstances of his arrest, when Crippen alighted he cursed both Kendall and his ship.
The Montrose
As World War I approached, the Admiralty feared that Dover harbour would be an easy target for U-boats, and decided to sink two obsolete ships at the harbour entry as an added defence. The last sailor to leave the Montrose before she broke up was named Crippen.
Captain Kendall
Captain Kendall later became master of the Empress of Ireland which was wrecked on the 29 May 1914, with the loss of 1,012 lives. She sank off Father Point, Quebec, the exact place where Crippen was arrested.
Trial and execution
Crippen and le Neve were tried separately at the London assizes held at the Central Criminal Court, Old Bailey, London EC4. Dr Crippen was found guilty of murder and hanged in November.
Crippen's trial revealed the startlingly meticulous manner in which he had disposed of his wife. Throughout the proceedings and at his sentencing, Crippen showed no remorse, only concern for Ethel's reputation and prospects.
Although Crippen's grave on the prison grounds is not marked by a stone, tradition has it that soon after his burial a rose bush was planted over it.
Many people consider that during the trial Crippen was shamefully bullied by Mr R.D. Some accounts relate that during his trial Crippen made Masonic signs appealing for assistance, namely interlaced fingers held above the head. Whether this is true or not, the judge, Lord Chief Justice Richard Everard Webster, 1st Viscount Alverstone, who was renowned for his leniency towards prisoners, at one point during the trial definitely changed his stance towards Crippen and supported Muir up to the point where he could be equally accused of bullying the accused.
Shortly after the execution Muir made a visit to the United States where he was very aggressive toward the press. One journalist asked if he thought he would have won his case if Crippen had been tried in the US. That evening the headlines ran: "Man who hanged Crippen boasts that he knows no law."
Question of doubt
There remains some dispute over whether Dr Crippen did, in fact, murder his wife. One theory, which was first propounded by Edward Marshall Hall (who had initially been engaged to lead Crippen's defence, although he later gave up the brief), was that Crippen was using hyoscin on his wife as a sexual depressant but accidentally gave her an overdose and then panicked when she died. On that occasion, she is said to have told him that Crippen murdered his wife because she had syphilis.
Raymond Chandler, the novelist, commented that it seemed unbelievable that Crippen would successfully dispose of his wife's limbs and head, and then, rather stupidly, bury her torso under the cellar floor of his home. (The history of Old Bailey trials does however reveal many remarkable and fantastic mistakes made by otherwise intelligent murderers made to their detriment and police officers the world over will confirm that those who have the least reason to want to be noticed are the very ones who draw attention to themselves through unusual or exaggerated behaviour.)
Close examination of the press reports and the transcript of his trial (18 to 22 October 1910) leave open the suggestion that Belle Elmore may not have been his only victim, although no evidence was ever presented concerning this theory.
Further reading
The Erik Larson book "Thunderstruck" ISBN 1-4000-8066-5 interweaves the story of the murder with the history of Marconi's invention of radio.
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