THE CRIPPEN SENSATION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 886, 1 September 1910, Page 3

THE CRIPPEN SENSATION.

Eondon, August 29. The preliminary hearing of the charge of the murder of his wife against Crippen and his alleged accomplice, Miss Ee Neve, has begun at Bow street. Inspector Drew stated that a card was found on Crippen which bore in his writing the following words: —“I cannot stand every night’s horror. As there is nothing bright ahead and the journey is ending I will jump overboard to-night. I have spoiled my life. Some day you may learn to forgive me.” A second card in the same writing bore the question : “Shall we wait till eleven to-night?” Inspector Drew added that when Crippen was arrested he said he was not sorry. The anxiety had been too much. Drew said : “As you have written that you intend to jump overboard I must fasten the handcuffs on you.” Crippen replied, “I won’t do that. My anxiety has been too awful.” Crippen added, “It is only fair to say that Miss Ee Neve knows nothing about it. ’ ’ Le Neve assured witness that she knew nothing of the murder. The hearing has been adjourned. ACCUSED BEFORE THE COURT. Eon don, August 29. “ Dr.” Hawley Harvey Crippen and Ethel Ee Neve appeared at Bow Street Police Court to-day, the former to answer a charge of having, at No. 39, Hilldrop crescent, Camden road, Eoudon, in February last, murdered his wife, Cora Crippen (whose stage name was Miss Belle Elmore), and the latter to answer a charge of being an accessory after the fact.

Detective-Inspector Drew, of Scotland Yard, who went to Canada and arrested the accused pair on board the steamer Montrose, in his evidence stated that he found on Crippen a card on which was written: “I cannot stand every night’s horror. As there is nothing bright ahead, and the journey is ending, I will jump overboard to-night. I have spoiled my life. Some day you may learn to forgive me.” On a second card, in the same handwriting, were tha words : “ Shall we wait till n to-night ? ”

The witness believed the handwriting ontha cards was Crippea’s. Inspector Draw addad that when Crippga had hsaa arrested he said; ‘‘l am not sorry. The anxiety has been too much.” The detective replied : ‘‘As you have written that you intended jumping overboard, I must fasten tha handcuffs on you.”

To this Crippen answered : “I won’t do that. My anxiety has been too awful.” Crippen added : “ It is only lair to say that Miss Le Neve knows nothing about the affair.” Le Neve also assured witness that she knew nothing about the murder. The hearing was adjourned. THE INQUEST. GRUESOME DETAIES OE THE POLICE SEARCH. London, July 22. At the inquest on the mutilated remains dug up from the cellar of Crippen’s house at Hilldrop Crescent, in North Loudon, on Crippeu’s disappearance (she was last seen alive at a card party in her house about x a.m. on February Ist), of Crippeu’s version of her death in California, and of the suspicions of her friends culminating in an appeal to Scotland Yard, was vividly told. Then Inspector Drew, ot Scotland Yard, described the examination of Crippen, lasting almost all the day before he fled. When on Monday of last week the inspector heard of the flight he began an examination of the house, in which he first found a loaded revolver, and then on Wednesday the remains in the cellar. Medical evidence showed that the murderer, with anatomical knowledge, had destroyed all evidence first of identity, and second of sex. But the belief is that the remains are those of a woman. The inquest was adjourned for examination of the cause of death, and for the police to prosecute the search for the wanted couple. Inspector Drew described at length the finding of the remains In the cellar. On Wednesday (said the Inspector), when examing the floor in the passage leading to the cellar, I said; We will have a more minute examination of this cellar.” Sergeant Mitchell and I cleared all the dust off the cellar floor, which was of brick. We were probing about, when I found that one of the bricks appeared to be somewhat looser than the others. I determined to have the floor up. I look several of the bricks upThe Coroner : Did you see signs of blood on the surface ? —None at all. After taking about four shovelfuls out I dug up what appeared to be a piece of human flesh. On digging further we came across another portion. I sent for the divisional surgeon, and let him see them. I procured other officers from Kentish Town, and caused a hole to be dug right round. We found a large quantity of human flesh. Did you find the head? —No, no head. Among the things we put ou oue side was a Hinde’s hair cutler, and in this was a piece of hair, which appeared to be in two colours. [Miss Elmore is said to have bleached her naturally dark hair]. There was a small piece of hair in a portion of a man’s

handkerchief, two of the corners of which were tied in a kind of reef knot. There were also two small pieces of cloth. We found no trace of the head. The largest piece of flesh was not bigger than that bag [the witness pointed to a small hand-bag on the coroner’s table]. Someone had simply carved the flesh off the bones and buried it there. There were no bones whatever. What about the feet ?—There was no sign of them. The hands? —Nothing at all. There was a quantity of quicklime along with the mould and day. I drew the deduction that the idea was to destroy the identity of the person murdered. The bones would take longer to destroy?—Yes. The quicklime, mixed with the quantity of water, was put in under the impression that in a short time nothing would be left. The bones might have been burnt or dropped in the river. There are a thousand ways of getting rid of them. I found also a portion of a female’s undervest encrusted with hard cementlike material. There was a piece of coarse string, fifteen inches long, with attached to it a piece of cement, another piece eleven inches long, two small pieces of cloth, a piece of light brown paper with bloodstains on it, and small piece of string about three inches l«ug.

The clothing found consisted of a portion of a lady’s woollen uuderrest, a portion »f what I would describe as woollen combinations, and a portion of what I think must be a tab on which Is the name “Jones Bros., Holloway road.” In a box upstairs in the bedroom I discovered a suit of pyjamas somewhat similar to that found with the body, and also an odd pair of pyjama trousers very much worn. But I could not find the jacket of the odd pair, though the jacket found among the remains might be it. The string and the handkerchief might have been used for the purpose of strangulation, or for dragging portions of the body along. We cannot tell.