CRIPPEN'S TRIAL.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 284, 30 November 1910, Page 6

CRIPPEN'S TRIAL.

ENS OF THE CASE.

THE DEATH SENTENCE,

LONDON, October 22.

Dr. Hawley Harvey Crippen, the American practitioner, was to-day found guilty of the murder of his wife, the American actress, Belle Elmore, and sentenced to death. The jury was out thirty minutes. When it returned and announced it had found the defendant guilty, Lord Chief Justice Alverstone asked the physician if he had anytiin" to say. Crippen replied in a low voice: "I still protest my innocence." The Chief Justice then donned the 'black cap that had rested near him throughout the trial and pronounced the sentence of death. Addressing the condemned man, Lord Aiver&toue said: "You have been convicted, on evidence which can leave no donibt in the mind of any reasonable man that you cruelly murdered your wife and then I mutilated her body. j "1 advise you to entertain no hope that you will encape the consequences of : your crime. I implore you to make your peace with Almighty God." As the Lord Chief Justice concluded a policeman stepped forward, and in. the hush that had fallen over the courtroom, led Crippen from the dock. When the Court convened this morning Richard Muir made the closing speech for the prosecution. He declared I ithe Crown iiad proven 'beyond a reasonable doubt that the 'body found in the 1 cellar oi the Crippen home was that of I the doctor's wife. No one else, lie said, I had a chance to murder the woman and I bury the woman's body as it wad found. iLord Chief J-ostice Alverstone at once began his summing up of the case. The justice described (Jrippen as an extraordinary man .who waa cither guilty or innocent. If guilty lie had covered up a ghastly crime in a ghastly way, and, it was believed, in a most brutal and callous manner. if he was innocent it waa impossible to fathom his mind, as lie wad absolutely indifferent 'to the charge of murder. He had taken no steps whatever to prove his innocence. Crippen, the justice declared, undoubtedly was a liar and lived an immooil life, but, he added, the jury could n«* j the defendant on that score. It must «c I quite convinced that the human parts j found were from the body of Belle El- | more and that her death was caused by I a wilful act of the prisoner. i The Lord Chief Justice's charge to the jury was that they must be convinced of the identification beyond a reasonable doubt. As he concluded the jury j retired. j After being out half an hour the jurors ■ returned and reported that they had found Crippen guilty. Crippen wae therej upon sentenced to death. i The trial lasted less than five day. - , j having begun at 10.30 o'clock last Tues- ; day morning. I The jury returned at 2.17 o'clock this afternoon, and returned with the veril'et at 2.47 o'clock. Crippen received the death sentence with the apparent calmness that characterised him throughout the trial, which, in fact, has been noticeable from the moment of his arrest. JUDGE WORRIES CRIPPEN. He appeared rather nervous daring the Judge's summing up, which was strongly against him. As Lord Alverstone mercilessly portrayed hie character, as developed during the trial, Crippen twirled his thumbs, crossed and rpcroseed his lejrs, and occasionally shuffled his feet. However, as soon as the charge had been concluded, the prisoner seemed to pull himself together. As the jury moved ont of the room he appeared to be not quite snre what to do with himself, and for a moment he stood in the centre of thr- dock with his elbows resting on the railing, and watched the men in whose hands his fate rested file post him. During the hall hour that the jnry wae out the court-room filled up, and when an officer returned with tihe exhibits in a case for wfcieh the foreman had asked, and intimated that a verdict had been readied, every foot of space in the room was occupied. There was little delay after the judge and the jury had again taken their seats in tie open court before the prisonar mounted the stairs and confronted the jurors. Hβ walked between two warders to his seat He was paler than usuaJ. When the verdict was announced, he did not flinch, and was in no need of the protecting arm which a warder held out toward him. The sQence was broken by the cleric's fonnai question: " Prisoner at the 'bar, have you anything to say why sentence of the court should not be ■passed against you!" For a fraction of a. second Crippen hesitated, then replied, betraying his emotion by only the slightest flutter in his voice: " I etHl protest my innocence." Lord Alverstone pronounced the sentence of death, and the warders again ■held out fcheir arms to support the prisoner. He ignored their proffered assistance and turning, walked firmly from the room, stopping only once, and then for a brief moment, to take a last look at the court room within which he had fought (for his life.