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Theresa Hunn
Theresa Hunn (b 1876?) was Cora Crippen's younger sister and she was brought to London to testify at Crippen's Trial:
Her Testimony
THERESA HUNN, Newport, Rhode Island, America:
I am known as 'Tessie' and I am the younger sister of Belle Elmore, whose maiden name was Kunigunde Mackomatzki. She was known at home as 'Cora'.
The first time I saw prisoner was about 18 or 19 years ago when he came to my father's house with her. She showed me a wedding card and introduced him to our parents as her husband. I see by the card that they married on September 1, 1892; they came to us soon after.
My father lived then near Brunswick, Long Island. She went to New York and from there to Philadelphia; they had then been married a few months. She returned to New York and from there she came to our house. At that time I noticed a scar on her stomach; it was not all healed; it was fresh. I saw it again seven years ago and it was healed much better than the first time I saw it. It was between four or five inches long and about an inch wide. The flesh outside it was paler, more of a cream colour, than the centre scar.
On April 15 of this year, my half sister, Mrs. Mills, got this letter (Exhibit 71) from prisoner:
'My dear Louise and Robert, I hardly know how to write to you my dreadful loss. The shock to me has been so dreadful that I am hardly able to control myself. My poor Cora has gone, and to make the shock to me more dreadful I did not even see her at the last. A few weeks ago we had news that an old relative of mine in California was dying, and to secure important property for ourselves it was necessary for one of us to go and put the matter in the lawyer's hands at once.
As I was very busy, Cora proposed she should go, and, as it was necessary for some one to go there at once, she would go straight through from here to California without stopping at all, and then return by way of Brooklyn, when she would pay all of you a long visit. Unfortunately, on the way out my poor Cora caught a severe cold and, not having a chance to take proper care of herself while travelling, it settled on her lungs, and later developed into pleuro-pneumonia. She wished not to frighten me, and said it was a slight matter, and the next I heard was she was dangerously ill, and two days later, after I had cabled to know should I go to her, the dreadful news came that she had passed away. Imagine, if you can, the dreadful shock to me; never more to see my Cora alive, nor hear her voice again. She is being sent back to me, and I shall soon have what is left of her here.
Of course, I am giving up the house. In fact, it drives me mad to be in it alone. I don't know what I shall do; probably find some business to take me traveling for a few months until I can recover from the shock a little. It is so terrible to me to have to write this dreadful news. Will you please tell the others of our loss? Love to all. I will write again and give you my address, probably next in France.'
The letter was signed 'Doctor' and the envelope was postmarked 'London, W.C. 10.30 a.m. 7 April 1910.' My sister brought the letter to me; I had seen it previously in my father's house.
Cross-examined:
Belle Elmore was my full sister. Our father, who married twice, was a Pole.
To the Court:
I could not judge whether the scar was the scar of an operation or not.
Challenging Crippen's Will
On 31 January 1911, an Attorney representing Theresa Hunn and her six brothers and sisters of the half blood challenged Crippen's Will, which he had made on 8 November 1910 in which he had appointed Ethel Le Neve as Executrix and Universal Legatee.
Cora's estate had amounted to £175 consisting of jewellery and furs and, in addition, she also had deposits at the Charing Cross Bank (which was then in liquidation) and the Birkbeck Bank (which despite experiencing some difficulties was eventually able to pay a substantial dividend to its depositors).
Cora had died intestate and, normally, her estate would have passed to Crippen as her husband but, because criminals cannot benefit from their crimes, the Court could exercise judgment which (as reported in The Times on 14 February 1911) it did in favour of Theresa Hunn, her brothers and sisters.