Doctor Crippen: The Infamous London Cellar Murder of 1910 (4 page)

With deep regret I record the death of Miss Belle Elmore, the wife of Dr Crippen, the late hon. treasurer of the Music Hall Ladies’ Guild. She passed away in California U.S.A., March 23. She was an old and valued friend of mine of many years, and the good work she did for the guild and her kindness to all will leave a tender remembrance in the hearts of those who knew her, mingled with sin of those who knew her, mingled with sin devoted to his bright little wife.
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And another was in
The
Stage
: ‘The Music Hall Ladies’ Guild have lost a friend by the death of Miss Belle Elmore (Mrs H. H. Crippen), in California. She was honorary treasurer to the Guild for some time, but resigned from that position about two months ago in order to visit California.’
²

Over five months had passed since Cora Crippen’s disappearance when, on 8 July at around ten o’clock in the morning, Chief Inspector Walter Dew, accompanied by Detective Sergeant Arthur Mitchell, made an unannounced visit to 39 Hilldrop Crescent for what was to be the first of many trips to the quiet, leafy street off the Camden Road, containing sixty-eight houses built in the mid-nineteenth century.

They were admitted into the house by Crippen’s seventeen-year-old French servant girl, Valentine Lecocq, who had been working there since 11 June. Ethel Le Neve came downstairs a few minutes later, wearing a brooch that would later be identified as one that had belonged to Cora Crippen. Dew thought that Le Neve ‘was not pretty, but there was something quite attractive about her’.
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He also considered her to be ‘a nervous sort of girl’. In fact her real surname was Neave but she used the name Le Neve, taking her new surname from her father’s stage name from when he used to sing at concerts in Norwich.
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The detectives found Le Neve unhelpful, and got the feeling that she wanted to get them out of the house. She explained that Crippen was not in, and that she was Crippen’s housekeeper. When Dew asked her if she was Miss Le Neve she admitted to it, but ‘became a little agitated’, asking if they could return later.

Dew insisted that she took him and Mitchell to Crippen, but she was reticent and offered to telephone him. This was unacceptable, and finally Le Neve went with Dew and Mitchell by tram car and cab to Crippen’s office at Albion House. Dew had been reluctant to leave Le Neve alone, fearing she might telephone Crippen and warn him of their arrival as they made their way to his office. Le Neve went upstairs in a lift to fetch Crippen while Dew waited downstairs at a point where no one could leave the building without his knowing about it.

Crippen greeted the deputation, and the detectives were shown into his room, leaving Le Neve outside. Dew’s first impression of Crippen was that he was ‘an insignificant little man’.
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The Scotland Yard man introduced himself and Mitchell, and explained that his wife’s friends were not satisfied with his story concerning her death and that his own enquiries resulted in his feeling the same way. Crippen replied, ‘I suppose I had better tell the truth,’ and immediately confessed, ‘the stories I have told them about her death are untrue. As far as I know she is still alive.’ Dew suggested he make a full statement including a history of his life, which Crippen willingly did. Sergeant Mitchell took down the following:

I am forty-eight years of age. After being questioned by Chief Inspector Dew as to the statements made by me that my wife, known as Belle Elmore, is dead, I desire to make a voluntary statement to clear the whole matter up.
    I was born at Cold Water, Michegan, U.S.A., in the year 1862, my father’s name being Myron Augustus Crippen, a dry goods merchant. My mother’s name was Andresse Crippen, née Skinner.
    My mother is now dead, but my father lives at Los Angeles, Cal.
    I was educated first at Cold Water, Indiana, and California, and then attended the University at Michegan until I was about twenty, and finished my education at the Hospital College at Cleveland, where I took the degree of M.D.
    I came over to England in 1883, and attended various hospitals to see the operations, and returned to the States, and was assistant for three or four months to Dr Porter, of Detroit. After that I went to New York and took a degree in specialist eye and ear work at the Ophthalmic Hospital. This would be in 1885.
    After then I returned to Detroit, where I remained about two years as assistant to the same doctor. I then went to San Diego, where I practised as an eye and ear specialist for about two years. Before going to this place I was married to a lady named Charlotte Bell, of New York, and she accompanied me to San Diego.
    We then came to New York. I have had only one child by my first wife. He was born at San Diego about 1887 or 1888, and his name is Otto Hawley Crippen. He is now married and lives at Los Angeles.
    My first wife died, so far as I can remember, in 1890 or 1891. We were living at Salt Lake City, where I was practising as an eye and ear specialist. She was buried at Salt Lake City in my name.
    After this my son went to live with his grandmother, my mother, until she died. I then went to New York, and went as an assistant to Dr Jeffrey, of Brooklyn, and I lived with him.
    About 1893, while with Dr Jeffrey, I met Belle Elmore, who was being attended by him. Her name at that time was Cora Turner. I forget where she was living, but she was living alone. She was only about seventeen years of age, and I, of course, was about thirty.
    She, at this time, was living under the protection of a man named C. C. Lincoln, a stove manufacturer, of Water Street, New York. She had been living with him, but he had given up his house and had taken a room for her and was paying all her expenses.
    I took her to several places for some weeks, as I was very fond of her, and one day she told me Lincoln wanted her to go away with him. I told her I could not stand that, and would marry her right away, and a few days after this I married her at a minister’s house at Jersey City. I forget his name and the name of the street.
    I had been married to her some little time when she told me her name was not Turner, but Kunigunde Mackamotzki. She said her mother had been married twice, and her name then was Marsinger, and she was living in Brooklyn. Her mother had been dead some years. My wife told me her father was a Russian Pole and her mother was a German.
    Her stepfather, so far as I know, is still living, and resides at Forrest Avenue, Brooklyn.
    Her parents were in rather ordinary circumstances, but she had a good education, and spoke German well.
    After getting married to her we went to St Louis, where I practised as consulting physician to an optician in, I think, Olive Street. His name was Hirsch, I think.
    We stayed there about a year, and we returned to New York, where I took a position as consulting physician to the Munyon Company. We lived in the office at East Fourteenth Street.
    I was in New York for only a few months when the company transferred me to Philadelphia. I was there with my wife for about a year, and was then transferred to the firm’s place at Toronto, where I managed their business. I forget where I lived, but we were there only six months, and then returned to Philadelphia.
    I was there some time, and while there, about 1899, my wife, who had a good voice, went to New York to have her voice trained, as she thought of going in for grand opera.
    I paid all her expenses, and occasionally visited her at New York, and then in about 1900 I came to England alone, where I was manager for Munyon’s at their offices in Shaftesbury Avenue, and I lived at Queen’s Road, St John’s Wood.
    It was in April I came over, and she joined me in August, as she wrote and told me she was giving up her lessons in grand opera, and was going in for music hall sketches. To this I objected, and told her to come over here. She came, and we went to live at South Crescent.
    When she came to England she decided to give sketches on the music hall stage, and adopted the name of ‘Macamotzki’, but she did not make anything at it. She gave a sketch at the Old Marylebone Music Hall, but it was a failure, and she gave it up.
    After this she did not do anything in it for two or three years, until I had to go to America about two years after coming here. My firm sent for me, and I became manager in Philadelphia.
    When I left England my wife and I were living at, I think, 62 Guildford Street, and she remained there while I was away. I remained in Philadelphia from November till the following June, and sent my wife money regularly.
    When I returned I found she had been singing at smoking concerts for payment, and that an American music hall artiste, named Bruce Miller, had been a frequent visitor to her house.
    She told me that this man visited her, had taken her about, and was very fond of her, also she was fond of him.
    I may say that when she came to England from America her manner towards me was entirely changed, and she had cultivated a most ungovernable temper, and seemed to think I was not good enough for her, and boasted of the men of good position travelling on the boat who had made a fuss of her, and, indeed, some of these visited her at South Crescent, but I do not know their names.
    I never saw the man Bruce Miller, but he used to call when I was out, and used to take her out in the evenings.
    When I returned to this country, I did not take up my position at Munyon’s but went as manager to the ‘Sovereign Remedy Company’, 13 Newman Street.
    They failed about eight months afterwards, and I then went as physician to the Drouet Institute, Regent’s Park, and afterwards at 10 Marble Arch, and they also failed.
    From there I took a position with the Aural Clinic Company, 102 New Oxford Street, where I remained until they failed in about six months.
    I then went back to Munyon’s, 272 Oxford Circus, as manager and advertising manager.
    I removed to Albion House as manager about eighteen months ago, after which I took it on as an agency, but as it did not pay, I, in February last, handed it over to the company again, but for the last two years I had been running the Yale Tooth Specialist Company, with Dr Rylance as partner, and am still doing so.
    I ran what I termed the Imperial Press Agency, in connection with Munyon’s, because by so doing I got their advertisements inserted at a reduction.
    At the present time I am interested in an ear-cure business, called the ‘Aural Remedy’, at Craven House, Kingsway, and I work at an address in Vine Street.
    I did not think anything of Bruce Miller’s visiting my wife at the time.
    After returning from America we went to live at 34 Store Street for about a year. During this time she adopted the stage name of ‘Belle Elmore’, although she had had it in her mind when she came over, but I persuaded her to use the other name.
    She got an engagement at the Town Hall, Teddington, to sing, and then from time to time she got engagements at music halls. She went to the Oxford as a comedienne, and was there about a week.
    She also went to the Camberwell, and also at a hall at Balham. She also sang at the Empire, Northampton, and various towns.
    She would probably go away for about two weeks and return for about six weeks, but used to earn very little.
    We remained at 34 Store Street for some time, and went to 37 same street for about two years, and about five years ago, in, I think, 1905, removed to 39 Hilldrop Crescent, for which I pay £50 a year.
    It is quite four years since she ever went out at all to sing, and, although we apparently lived very happily together, as a matter of fact there were very frequent occasions when she got into most violent tempers, and often threatened she would leave me, saying she had a man she could go to, and she would end it all.
    I have seen letters from Bruce to her, which ended ‘with love and kisses to Brown Eyes’.
    About four years ago, in consequence of these frequent outbursts, I discontinued sleeping with her, and have never cohabited with her since.
    She did all the housework herself, with the exception of having a charwoman in occasionally.
    About two years ago she became honorary treasurer of the Music Hall Ladies’ Guild, and was here every Wednesday.
    I never interfered with her movements in any way; she went in and out just as she liked, and did what she liked; it was of no interest to me.
    As I say, she frequently threatened to leave me, and said that if she did she would go right out of my life, and I should never see or hear from her again.
    On the Monday night, the day before I wrote the letter to the Guild resigning her position as treasurer, Mr and Mrs Paul Martinetti came to our place to dinner, and during the evening Mr Martinetti wanted to go to the lavatory. As he had been to our house several times, I did not take the trouble to go and show him where it was. After they had left my wife blamed me for not taking him to the lavatory, and abused me, and said, ‘This is the finish of it. I won’t stand it any longer. I shall leave you to-morrow, and you will never hear of me again.’
    She had said this so often that I did not take much notice of it, but she did say one thing which she had never said before, viz., that I was to arrange to cover up any scandal with our mutual friends and the Guild the best way I could.
    Before this she had told me frequently that the man she would go to was better able to support her than I was.
    I came to business the next morning, and when I went home between five and six p.m. I found she had gone.
    I realised that she had gone, and I sat down to think it over as to how to cover up her absence without any scandal.
    I think the same night, or the next morning (Wednesday) I wrote a letter to the Guild saying she had gone away, which I also told several people.
    I afterwards realised that this would not be a sufficient explanation for her not coming back, and later on I told people that she was ill with bronchitis and pneumonia, and afterwards I told them she was dead from this ailment.
    I told them she died in California, but I have no recollection of telling any one exactly where she died.
    Some one afterwards asked me where my son lived, and I told them.
    I then put an advertisement in the
Era
that she was dead, as I thought this would prevent people asking a lot of questions.
    Whatever I have said to other people in regard to her death is absolutely wrong, and I am giving this as an explanation.
    So far as I know, she did not die, but is still alive.
    It is not true that she went away on legal business for me, or to see any relations in America.
    I did not receive any cables to say that she was ill, and it is not true that she was cremated at San Francisco, and that the ashes were sent to me, or that she sailed from Havre.
    So far as I know, she has no claim to any title.
    I have no recollection of telling any one my son was with her when she died.
    We had a joint account at the Charing Cross Bank, subject to the signature of either, but it pleased her to think she was signing cheques, and she also did so, and several blank cheques were always already signed by her, and some of them have been changed by me since her departure, and there is one here now (produced).
    When my wife went away I cannot say if she took anything with her or not, but I believe there is a theatrical travelling basket missing, and she might have taken this with some clothes.
    She took some of her jewellery, I know, with her, but she left four rings behind – three single stone (or solitaire) diamonds, and one of four diamonds and a ruby, also a diamond brooch.
    She had other jewellery, and must have taken that with her.
    I have never pawned or sold anything belonging to her before or after she left.
    Everything I have told you is true.
    I do not know what clothes, if any, she took away; she had plenty.
    Whenever we quarrelled, and she threatened to leave me, she told me she wanted nothing from me.
    I have bought all her jewellery, and, so far as I know, she never had any jewellery presents, and I do not know that she ever had any money sent her, except that Bruce Miller used to send her small amounts on her birthday and at Easter and Christmas, to purchase a present.
    She suffered from bilious attacks, and I have given her medicine for that – homeopathic remedies.
    It is true that I was at the Benevolent Fund dinner at the Criterion with Miss Le Neve, and she wore the brooch my wife left behind. She has also worn my wife’s furs.
    Miss Le Neve has been in my employ, and known to me through being employed by the firms I have worked for, for the past eight years, and she is now living with me as my wife at Hilldrop Crescent. I have been intimate with her during the past three years, and have frequently stayed with her at hotels, but was never from home at nights.
    After I told people my wife was dead Miss Le Neve and I went to Dieppe for about five days, and stayed at a hotel there (I forget the name, but the proprietor’s name was Vacher) in the names of Mr and Mrs Crippen.
    My belief is that my wife has gone to Chicago to join Bruce Miller, whose business on the music hall stage is a musical instrument turn, but I think he has now gone into another business, and has speculated and made money. Mr Didcot was his agent when he was over here.
    I shall, of course, do all I can to get in touch with her, so as to clear this matter up.
    She has a sister named Louise, whose name is Mills, living with her husband, who is a soapmaker living at Brooklyn. They live with my wife’s stepfather, Mr Haraanger.
    I do not know where any of her other relations live.
    I cannot tell you how you can find or trace her, except as I have already said.