The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-12-19
Another New England Fiend.

New England is faithfully sustaining her
reputation fer the horrible. If it is not q
criminal accident, it is q diaIclical murder,
around which turks an awful mystery to
freeze mems blood. Boston has just con-
yicted Pomeroy, the boy fiend, Of one OF the
most atrocious murders On record. And
now Bridgeport, Connecticut, has on docket
q murder case scarcely less revolving. A
young man named james E. Latin is in Jail
awaiting his trial for it, with the whole weight
of popular feeling against him. Ellen Lucas,
a girlof eighteen, who lived with her father
and mother, was engaged to be married to Lat
to marry her. The wedding-day was fixed, and
all the nuptial arrangements were made.
Latin was good-looking, dashing fellow,
but bad character. Some years ago he had
married good woman, and three months
after she separated from him and got q
divorce on the ground Of general brutality
and abuse. Soon afterwards he was engaged
to be married to another girl, but inst before
the wedding day she died. Some thought
she was poisoned, but no investi cation was
made. It was, however, known that she
would soon have required medical attendance
and a nurse. Ellen Lucas had heard all this
but did not believe word OF it. She de-
Tended Lettin with all her womans might and
main whenever his character was discussed in
her presence. Her father knew Lattin's
character perfectly well, and yet he wanted
his daughter to marry the man, and
be quick about it. There were obvious rea-
sons for haste It was choice between two
kinds Of shame. Latin consented to repair
his wrong to the girl, and the day Of repara-
ton was set The evening before her we'd
ding day Ellen Lucas went out aud said she
was going to call on u friend and would not
be gone long She did not return. Her
dead body was found on the morning OF
what was to have been her wedding day, in a
secluded spot, guarded by tall cedars, q little
way out OF town. She was lying face down
in a small brook. The brook was not more
than two feet wide, and had depth OF only
two inches of water at the spot where the
woman body damned it up. 1t was evident
she could not have committed suicide by
drowning. There were, also, footprints Of two
sizes, and marks Of u struggle in the sand on
the brook side. There was an examination
by doctors and coroner's jury. The doctors
could find no external marks Of violence, and
no proofs of poi ,on in the system. There was
Only some brook-sand in the stomach. which
the woman had swallowed in the struggle
for breath They did not know what
caused death, aud ascertained only that in
two months more the girl would have be-
come o mother. Ellen Lucas was buried,
but the public was not satisfied with the
manner OF her death and burial She was
exhumed, and another examination had The
doctors were all ignorant as before They said
it was not death by poison. drowning. or
straneulation., but the coroper's jurySfound
that Ellen Lucas had come to her death by
violence at the hands of James E. Latin.
Latin was arrested. and tried at once to es-
t,bish an alibi by asserting that he was on
board of his cousin vessel at the time whe n
he must have been in the shadow Of cedars
with Ellen Lucas, if he were the murderer.
1t was, however ascertained that he went
en- board of his cousins vessel very late
at night, and aroused said cousin from
his sleep In his room, back Of the butcher
shop where Latin was employed, was
found an old shoe belonging to him, which
contained variety Of poisons in walls and
and papers He explained that the drugs
were for rts--very easily said. His COM
panions of the butcher-shop asserted that
they had often been shocked by Lattin's
cruelty. He used to amuse himself by cut
Ting off dogs paws with cleaver and letting
them run around on the stumps. His former
wife says that when she lived with him his
delight in witnessing the sutferings Of dumb
animals knew no bounds. Latin is only
rs years old; he has served terms of inn
prlsonment Tor theft and forgery, and alto
gether seems to be a rare human fend, with
whom Bridgeport has to deal-N. Louis Re.
publican.
The importations Of dry goods at New York.
lcr the Sakt eleven months amount to $lO2 057 1885,