Los Angeles herald., 1890-08-08
Slaughtered for SIS by a
Malpractitioner.
Leila Latta's want of Faith in
the Opposite Sex.
Justice Savage holds her on the
Charge of Murder,
But Allows her to Seek Bail in the Sum
of $7,5OO, which She is
Unable to Secure.

Leila Latta, the female doctor charged
with the murder on the 29th day of July
by criminal practice of Mrs. Alfretta B.
Swanton of Boyle Heights, was brought
up for examination before Justice Saw
age yesterday. She was accompanied
by four lady friends and was represent
ed by Judge Carpenter. E. E. Swan
ton, husband of the deceased, was the
first witness introduced by the prosecu-
ton. His testimony was not materially
different from that introduced at the
coroners' inquest. 1t included the adj
mission by deceased to the witness
shortly before her death that an opera
tion had been performed on her by de-
fendant for which $15 was to be paid :
and resulted in the death OF Mrs. Swan
ton.
DIR. David G. Barber followed. The most
sensational part of his testimony related
to the admissions made to him by Mrs.
Swanton. In the morning he asked her: :
"What have you done?" She looked in
to his face with smile and said: 81 be-
heve it is the habit of all men to give
women away!" Witness said that it
would be all right. Then the defendant
admitted the use of catheter and en-
menagogues upon Mrs Swanton. Deputy
sheriff j. G. Wray who was the next wit
ness, testified to arresting the lady ply
sician at her office on East First street,
Boyle Heights. The defendent while
changing clothes abstracted two phials
from medicine case. One contained
tincture of opium and the other
sulphate OF morphine. She took out the
cork of the latter which contained
enough of the drug to kill ten or
twelve persons. Mr.. Wray told her that
she must stop this business, whatever
he inferred the business might be, and
relieved her of the deadly medicine. He
saw her throw something out OF the win
dow and taxed her with it. She denied
having done it. The officer left his pris-
Oner in charge of newspaper reporter
for few moments while he made an in
vestigation on the roof of house upon
which the window looked. His search
was rewarded by the finding of a red
rubber catheter. Mrs Latta told the
officer upon his return with his find
was then allowed to take couple of let
ters to a lady friend in the neighborhood
and was removed to the county jail.
VIM. G. Taylor, city editor of the TIMES,
told of Wray's finding of the instrument.
He could not recollect the exact words
of the defendant at that time but he
believed she said that that was the cath
eter.
Ben. T. Grove, chief clerk in the employ
of Orr & Sutch undertakers, testified to
receiving from Mrs Latta the certificate
of death of Mrs Swanton which assigned
her death as the result of puerperal
fever, Defendant ask him if he was
not physician..and put the certificate in
his pocket.
This closed the evidence for the pros
ecution and the defense had none to
offer. The prisoner was held to answer.
The question of bail was then raised.
The Court desired little time to decide
what he would do and adjourned Court
for three-quarters Of an hour.
Then there was fervid leave-taking
between the prisoner and her friends
and kisses were plentiful. 1t cannot be
said that Miss Latta is lacking in female
symphathizers. Ex-mayor Bryson who
has all along expressed his willingness
to 60 on the defendants bond was also
present and followed the proceedings
attentively. Miss Latta is very deaf
and had to use an ear trumpet through
out the proceedings.
Her demeanor was very quiet, but she
evidently realizes the gravity OF her
position.