Doomed Dr Crippen was more concerned about his missing cat

This is a snippet of cat news in a very short post. Letters written by the infamous Dr Crippen, 6 days before he was hanged for poisoning his wife and while he was at Brixton prison, reveal that he was more concerned about his missing cat and buying a silk blouse for his mistress, Ehel Le Neve, than the fact that his life was about to end.

Dr Crippen concerned about his cat
Magazine page of sketches from the Dr Crippen trial at the Old Bailey in 1910. Source: The Lordprice Collection

Also, Dr Crippen was obviously very optimistic that he would be let off and released a mere 6 days before he was hanged. Crippen was executed on November 23, 1910. His letters are to be auctioned by Henry Aldridge & Son.

16 thoughts on “Doomed Dr Crippen was more concerned about his missing cat”

  1. The author of the best comment will receive an Amazon gift of their choice at Christmas! Please comment as they can add to the article and pass on your valuable experience.
  2. British, serial killer Dennis Nilsen had a black and white mongrel bitch with a bad eye, called Bleep. From all accounts the dog was well loved and cared for.

    On Nilsen’s arrest, Bleep was taken to Hornsey Police Station where Nilsen could hear her whining from his cell. “I am ashamed that her last days should be so painful,” he wrote. “She had always forgiven me everything.” Bleep died under anaesthetic a week later 🙁

    Reply
    • Wow, that makes painful but interesting reading. She was euthanised because she no longer had a caretaker and because she had a bad eye and therefore was not suitable for rehoming. Is that correct? I suppose too that as the dog ‘belonged’ to Nilsen it would have made her unadoptable. Perhaps that was a factor.

      Reply
      • According to neighbours, he walked her twice daily, and the mutual devotion between Nilsen and Bleep was obvious to anyone who saw them together.

        I haven’t been able to find out anything further about Bleep or the circumstances surrounding her death, but your comment makes sense. It could also be that she pined for him so much, her depression was another factor against re-homing her.

        Moors murderer, Myra Hindley’s dog Puppet also died whilst both of them were in police custody. Puppet featured in many of the photos taken on the moors close to where victims were buried. He was a puppy in some of those photos so detectives arranged for him to be examined by a vet to determine his age. It was thought this would then help them date when the photos were taken. The examination involved an analysis of the dog’s teeth, which required a general anaesthetic from which Puppet did not recover. Apparently he was suffering from an undiagnosed kidney complaint. Hindley was furious when she heard the news and accused the police of deliberately killing him. It was said to be one of the rare occasions when she actually showed any emotion.

        Reply

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