Edwardian society was to witness what was dubbed the crime of the Century
London wasn't short of murders or horror stories so what made this murder in particular the crime of the century?
 |
| Dr Crippen in Madame Tussauds, London |
The vibrant
American music hall performer Cora Crippen disappeared in 1910 and Dr Crippen her
American husband was tried and found guilty of murder before being executed at
Pentonville prison the same year.
The new century was only ten years old. Why was the title of crime of the century so eagerly embraced? Did people not believe a more grisly crime could ever take place? Or was it perhaps that this crime in particular ticked all the boxes; something for everyone?
The new century was only ten years old. Why was the title of crime of the century so eagerly embraced? Did people not believe a more grisly crime could ever take place? Or was it perhaps that this crime in particular ticked all the boxes; something for everyone?
I believe a
concoction of four key elements raised interest in the Dr Crippen Cellar murder
case to levels not previously experienced in Edwardian society.
The contributory key elements are:
The contributory key elements are:
Society Taboos: Sex Sells
Cora Turner
met Dr Crippen when 17 years old whilst living under the protection of another
man. She married the 30 year old doctor, a widower and father, the same
year. In a Statement Crippen made to Chief Inspector Dew on 8th July 1910 he
said he had found Cora to be very attractive. Perhaps it was more than her
looks Crippen was attracted to; she was young, impressionable and in need of
protection.
Was Crippen
already a predator? Taking a young woman in need under his wing for her to do
his bidding when a husband, the man of the house? Being perceived as so
physically weak, did Crippen need to feel powerful and in control of someone
who needed him? He certainly wasn't looking for a mother for his young son, as
he left his son in the charge of his parents in San Jose, California when the
couple moved to London, England.
The young
Cora had confessed to him of her plans to run away from the man under whose
protection she was living. Instead Crippen married Cora in Jersey City 1893. Why,
when having already ventured into thoughts of leaving one man, did she choose
to leave and marry another? Crippen was described as “somewhat straggly….
Somewhat slovenly appearance…Very plausible and quiet spoken, remarkably cool
and collected demeanour”Hardly a man which a young woman of
artistic talent and sensibilities would gravitate to. Did she think that
perhaps she could control this quiet individual?
Marriage for
a young woman already tarnished by the knowledge of a man not her husband would
allow Cora to disappear from her past and gain respectability.
An Extramarital Affair
By 1907 Dr Crippen,
now 48 years old, had employed a secretary to work with him at his firm’s New
Oxford Street office. It wasn't long till they were having an affair. The
secretary was Ethel Le Neve who being 27 years old was 10 years younger than
Crippen’s wife Cora and 21 years younger than Crippen himself. The fantasy of
having a younger woman continues today, “You’re only as young as the woman you
feel”.
Crippen and
Le Neve would often meet in seedy hotels in Argyle Square, King’s Cross. Their
affair increased in intensity. In 1909 Le Neve suffered a miscarriage and
confided in her landlady Mrs Jackson. This must have been a wakeup call to Le
Neve; she was 26, unmarried and had suffered a miscarriage as a result of
having an affair with a married man. Life wasn't supposed to turn out like
this. What could be done?
No comments:
Post a Comment