The Portland daily press., 1897-10-08
DRUMMER DISCHARGED.
Not Enough Evidence to Hold Alleged As
sailant of Ida Lathrop.

| Lisbon, N. H., October 1.-THE hear
| ing in the murderous assault case of
| which Miss Ida Lathrop was the alleged
victim and in connection with which a
well known business man of this place
| was arrested, was ended today by tho dis
charge Of Drummer, the judge deciding
| that there was not suficie Mt evidence to
warrant the court holding the defendant
for the grand jury. The case was opened
last Tuesday when, for the first time,
Miss Lathrop, the victim of the assault,
told her story to the public. 1t was to the
effect that Drummer has threatened to
kill her If she disclosed to another young
woman to whom he was paying attention,
the improper relations which Miss La
throp claimed, had for two years existed
ed between her and Drummer. The pros
ecution rested it's case yesterday Hon.
Irving Drew of Lancaster opened for the
defence today. The case possibly has
been the first of its kind ever noted in the
state. He pointed to the fact that Miss
Ida Lathrop had testified to hearing Karl
Drummer laugh just before she went into
the store and thought he was by the wat
erlng trough, some distance from the
| store. He could not have reached the
| back room In time to assault her had she
not occupied more time than she stated
| In her testimony. He called attention
| to the condition of the handkerchief
with which her hands were tied, one cor
| ner OF which was torn in exactly the
| been since when attempts have been made
to tie similar knots, using the teeth in
| lieu of one hand
The evidence regarding the ability of
q person IN an unconscious condition to
| swallow was taken up and it was stated
| that In the opinion of every expert called
| by the state 1t would have been practical
ly impossible to administer dose of
morphine or opium without spiIling some
on the face or clothes and leaving stain.
| There was no severe blow struck and
| the skin was not broken which tended to
show that Miss Lathrop inflicted all the
injuries herself, although she might have
| been in an unconscious condition at the
time from hysteria.
| Moreover, he believed this to be one of
the most extraordinary of its kind. Six
witnesses were then called, all OF whom
| testified to seeing Karl Drummer at vari-
GUS times between and o'clock on the
night of the affair and the state admitted
having no evidence to show that the re-
| spondent returned to the shop after 60
| ing home about 9 o'clock.
| The defence then rested and it was
decided by the county solicitor and coun-
sci for the defense to submit the case to
the magistrate without argument.
Judge Westgate Immediately ordered
the discharge of the defendant, stating
that there was not sufficient evidence on
which to hold him on the charge speoi-
fed. The decision was greeted with a
burst OF applause from the spectators and
Drummer was immediately surrounded
| by NUMBER OF friends to tender their
congratulations. The outcome was not
contrary to general expectations.
The alleged ASSAULT occurred several
months ago. Miss Lethrop was found
lying in a coal bin in tho cellar of Brum-
mer's tailor shop in which she was en-
ployed, with face bruised and hands
tightly bound with a handkerchief. She
had gone into the shop the evening pre-,
vious to get her button-ho cutters and
claimed to remember nothing after en-
tering the place Drummer was arrested
after Miss Lathrop, who was in criti-
| cal condition for several weeks, had re-
covered sufficiently to tell her story to the
district attorney.