Belle Elmore: murdered in 1910 by her husband

The true story of a woman In 1910, which was murdered, it was justified and justified only nowadays, it is indicative of anyone who may believe that the past was a milder, romantic time for women.

The case of Dr. Crippen, described in detail in Hallie Rubenhold’s book « History of a Murder », would be known to many at the beginning of the last century.

The newspapers of that time on both sides of the Atlantic described her « physician » husband based in London as a loud, weak, glossy eye who fell in love with his typewriter, Ethel Le Neve, who murdered his wife to be with her.

Dr. Crippen, According to the New York Times, He had been presented as « kind -hearted », « well -meaning » and « sympathetic », a victim of romantic impulses beyond his control.

His murdered wife, on the other hand, never received such praises.

How they then rejected Belle as ‘a useless creature’

By the name of Kunegunde Mackamotzki, he was a Music Hall artist and professionally known as Belle Elmore.

In the trial, it was repeatedly pointed out that she had been hanging out with other men, even before her marriage. She spent her own profits on jewelry and beautiful clothes. According to her husband’s words, « uncontrolled temperament ».

As it turned out, Hawley Crippen had poisoned her, sliced ​​her body and buried it in his cellar. Nevertheless,

The chronographers of the crime will then claim that it was « a fancy, unfaithful bitch, with a loud voice, vulgar » and will reject it as « a useless creature »

This, as expected, is not the whole story.

It had to be over a century, but Rubenhold, an American -British historian who has written extensively about social history, has finally attributed justice to Belle Elmore.

What was Belle really

Belle emerges as a much more complex person in the « story of a murder » by the frivolous aspiring singer depicted by the newspapers of the time.

Book readers discover that she was a Brooklyn -born resistant who made a new life for herself when her husband, Hawley Crippen, decided they would move from America to London, a place of origin. Talented singer who initially sought to become an opera diva, Bell found a job in the city’s music halls.

And far from being the talented amateur who describe later references – and her husband – had a successful seven -year career and received many positive reviews. Through her work Belle, she became a treasurer of the guild of the Ladies of the Music Hall. Had a close group of friends.

Hawley Crippen, meanwhile, was anything but « kind -hearted ».

The murder’s past

Bell’s murder may be frightening, but almost as worrying are some of the atrocities imposed by Hawley Crippen on other women in his life.

Far from being a mild doctor, Hawley was a fraudster who was selling ventilation treatments to vulnerable, desperate people.

Not only did he physically abuse his first wife, Charlotte but pressed her to make multiple abortions. The author of the book Rubenhold proposes the possibility that her husband was also the cause of her premature death – as Charlotte had written to family members that « if I die it will be to blame ».

After Charlotte Crippen’s death, Hawley left their young son before marrying Belle. As soon as he did so – probably a desire to avoid further offspring – he persuaded Belle to undergo an unnecessary octomy, which she could do.

This not only made it barren (the cause of a great distress for Belle, who loved children), but also left her a « pus bag that grew up on the skin » and caused premature menopause and significant weight gain, which left her exposed to ridicule.

How did they get to the killer

Ethel, the typist who would become Hawley’s mistress, had no better luck. She removed 20 teeth and gave her a « beautiful set » of dentures.

Although this was not an unusual process for those who wanted to save dental expenses, Ethel’s father believed that in this case he was intended to advertise Hawley’s work as a dentist. Then it is noteworthy that Ethel would not only conspire with the doctor to kill his wife, but also leave the country dressed as a boy so that the couple were together.

Belle Elmore tomb

The two of them would certainly have escaped the murder if there was no what Rubenhold called « the affection of Belle’s friends ».

Its cycle was an exciting bohemian circle, which included Clara Martineti, comedian pantomime, Isabelle Ginet, circus horse rider, and the rope Violet Bartram.

The dedication that the team has shown to solve the crime would put in a difficult position for every lover of true crimes – and would prove to be decisive to ensure Hawley’s final arrest.

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