MURDER AND SUICIDE

Otago Witness, Issue 1851, 30 March 1904, Page 15

MURDER AND SUICIDE

A RIVAL TO DEEMING.

LONDON, March 25. Crossinan, a ticket-taker, living in a flat on Kensal Rise, committed suicide in the street under sensational circumstances, the suggestion being a detire to avoid arrest for murder. Another occupant off the house where Crossman resided informed the police that he suspected Crossman of concealing a corpse in an evil-smelling trunk in a cupboard. Crossman was bargaining with a carman, to remove the, trunk when the police arrived. Crossman immediately bolted, and when on the point of capture drew a razor from his pocket and cut his throat, dying immediately. The trunk was found to contain the body of a young woman embedded in a mass of cement. She is suspected to be the woman passing as Crossman's wife. The body was greatly decomposed. The woman had been dead at least six weeks. Crossman's pockets contained correspondence showing an attempt to entrap a girl into matrimony. The murderer had served a term for bigamy, and is supposed to have been married to five women. After placing the body of his victim in the trunk 1 j poured liquid cement, which stuck so firmly to the features that the woman's remains were unrecognisable. March 26. Crossman, the ticket-taker who committed suicide when about to be arrested on a charge of murder, went through the form of marriage on eight occasions under various aliases. Two of hi.s wives are missing. Duiing his late wife's absence for a fortnight in September another woman lived on the premises. An autopsy of the body of the woman found in a trunk in the Keusal Rise Home shows that death approximately took place in September. Portion of the skull is missing. It is believed a hatchet was used in killing her. March 28. Crossman, who committed suicide as he was being arrested on a charge of wife murder, was on January 10 last year married to a woman whom he sent back tc her parents on the 12th. Crossman, alias Sampson, on the loth of the .same mouthj, married ilrs Owei^ a owteraity

nurse, in order to secure her sav^g 0 , and forthwith bought a bushel of cement. The police are convinced Mrs Owen was murdered during the other wife's absence.