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.

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.

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Doomed Dr Crippen was more concerned about his missing cat — 16 Comments

Michele S. on March 25, 2015 at 8:15 pm said:
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 🙁
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- Michael Broad on March 25, 2015 at 8:35 pm said:
  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.
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  - Michele S. on March 25, 2015 at 10:07 pm said:
    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.
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    - Michael Broad on March 26, 2015 at 7:37 am said:
      This has got to point to the ‘four legs good” “two legs bad” club of which I am almost a member.
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Eva D.R.Force on March 25, 2015 at 6:23 pm said:
Smiley goes>[HERE}
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Eva D.R.Force on March 25, 2015 at 4:17 pm said:
Nor I-But I was tickling your fancy trying to cause a side effect[ Laughter }
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- Michael Broad on March 25, 2015 at 5:54 pm said:
  I liked it. Very neat and clever comment.
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Eva D.R.Force on March 25, 2015 at 3:36 pm said:
About Dr. Crippen- He might have been Catatonic at the time, based on all the charges filed against him.
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- Michael Broad on March 25, 2015 at 3:45 pm said:
  Sounds plausible or he was in a state of complete denial. Perhaps he was innocent 😉 . I don’t know the case well.
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Eva D.R.Force on March 25, 2015 at 3:33 pm said:
It sounds like Dr. Crippen was Trippen ?!
Thanks for this cryptic news Michael.
Your cat friend Eva.
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- Michael Broad on March 25, 2015 at 3:46 pm said:
  It sounds like Dr. Crippen was Trippen ?!
  Made me smile. Nice one.
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Cat on March 25, 2015 at 2:55 pm said:
That is sad. I can’t help but wonder what did happen to the cat.
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- Michael Broad on March 25, 2015 at 3:47 pm said:
  It hints at the possibility that he was a decent person! Cat lovers are all decent aren’t they?
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  - Cat on March 25, 2015 at 7:13 pm said:
    I was always led to believe that a person who likes cats isn’t all bad.
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    - Michael Broad on March 25, 2015 at 8:36 pm said:
      Me too. Therefore Crippen was not a monster. Just a murderer. I think a lot of normal, average people are not far from being murders under the right circumstances.
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      - Linda on March 26, 2015 at 12:54 am said:
        Yeah I’ve felt like it a few times myself!
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