The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-06-10
Attempted Murder of a
Young Woman atLiSbOn.
Miss LathrOp Found Bound
and SenSeleSS in Cellar.
Had Stated to Erie nds That Her Life
Had Been Threatened.

excitement yesterday morning by the dis
covery Of what now appears I'd have been
premeditated, cold d-blooded attempted
murder The victim is Ida Lathrop, n
garment operative In the employ of j.
Conrad Drummer and Carl Drummer,
merchant talors. She is % years old.
Monde, and rather prepOsSeSsfng In APP
pearance She is highly spoken OF in the
community.
Ii appears that Miss Lathrop left her
boarding house about 3 O'Clock the pre-
vious evening Ii go To the workshop for
pair of button-hole cutters, with which
TO finish a garment She was making for
friend. She was due at the time at tho
Congregational church to attend ro-
bearsal of the choir Telling her room
mate, Miss Woodbury., To get the music
together she snatched up the latter's cape
aud stated that sne would join her soon
at the church. That was the last seen of
her till yesterday, when, search being
made for her, she was1discovered about y
O'Clock by Carl Drummer In tho coal bin
under the front portion of the store. She
was bound hand and foot and was uLcon-
scious
Drummer fastened for physician. BY
good fortune, DIR. Il. W. Shattuck was
close at hand and Miss Lathrop was at
once conveyed TO her boarding house,
and DIR. f. q. Crossman also summoned.
ih NohuitiOb.
Examination revealed that the young
woman was in terrible condition, with
but little hope of recovery. Her face or
dinarily thin, was SO puffed and swollen
ns To be almost unrecoRnizable, and as
soft as jelly, giving rise To the suspicion
that the victim had been choked into un-
consciousness and then pounded with
fist, while the cloak was over her face.
Two small scratches were the only marks
Nlsihla fhp throat HOfl
blacked, and there were several contusions
ON the ears, side of the face and chin.
Strange TO say not drop OF blood had
been started
Rsstoratiyes were applied and every
thing done TO revive the unfortunate
young woman. Toward noon her pulse
improved slightly, and she raised her
hand TO the side of her head, but at once
rolapsed into her former condition. Her
sister, Mrs f. l.. Clough of Lttleton,
and Dr. w. j. Battle, a we'll known ply
sician OF that town, were summoned TO
her bed side and were soon In attendance,
while her brother also watched over her.
In the meanwhile Deputy Sheriff Ash,
Chief of Police Newcomb. and Officer
Hibhard had placed under surveillance
the two Brummers and Joe Catalusce,
Spaniard, and Joe Norton, two of the
Brummers employees. The latter were in
the habit of entering the workshop which
was In the rear of the store by side en-
trance. 10 which each eInploye had "a
key. The lock had been filed and worn
so that almost any key would fit it.
How She Was Found
Miss Lathrop had worked for the
Brummers nearly four years, consequently
when she failed TO put in an appearance
mo the workshop BY $3.50 this morning
Conrad started for her boarding house.
just across the street, TO SEQ If she were
ill.-HeF absence had Doen commented on
there, and a search for her whereabouts
commenced
Conrad visited the cellar where she was
accustomed To 20 for spring water, but
was unsuccessful in his search although
no noted that both doors leading into 1t
were locked on the inside a. usual.
Carl also visited the basement and
found Miss Latbrop as described. Her
head was against the wall, her feet pro-
jecting into The entrance. Her wrists
were bound by Conrad's handkerchief; !;
but its presence is thus explained; Whilo
suffering from a cold some time ago he
placed il in "a pocket Of coat which had
not been used till few days ago, when
the buttonholes were made over and tho
garment pressed. In doing tho latter
work tho contents of the pockets were
removed, and the handkerchief thrown on
bench, where IL is claimed, IL has re-
mained till found on Miss Lathrops
wrists.
i1eT cape WAS fOluBu ChTelU'lY unUor Der
head, the buttonhole cutters lay beside her,
and "a small vial containing traces of tine
ture of ossium was near by. her own
handkerchief, which she invariably carried
in her hand, was used to bind her feet
No attempt Co violate her person had
been made, and another motive had 60 DO
sought. AS far as known, she had not an
enemy in the world.
The Brnmmers Questioned.
Tho txyo Rrup,nors war, clnaa,o1 a.,
their store with drummer tin o clock
at night, when they closed up aud started
for their fathers home, Conrad wife bo-
ing absent in Woodsville, and ha rreforr-
ing to spend the night with his brother.
They talked with Merrill Kolsea on the
street for over half an hour, and were in
bed when their father returned, shortly
before 10.
At first IL would seem strange that no
outcry had been made, but the Salvation
Army were holdings noisy demonstration
in front of the store, and thus all cries
would be unheeded. The two employees
both spent the evening nc Brigham 5
Hotel. where they boarl.
Careful inquiry has revealed as Miss
LlthrOp has often stated TO her friends,
tnat her lif5 has b3cn thrcatene. because
she possessed rportant information in re-
gard TO certain parties, whose names she
refused 10 divulge, which at some time Ii
would be her duty TO tell
County Solicitor Adams of Plymouth
aud Deputy Sheriff Brown arrived during
the afternoon, and are investigating the
case
some light was gained when 10 was dis
covered that Miss Lathrop had been in
correspondence with Mary Carleton, TO
whom Carl Drummer is engaged and
who is employed in the office OF the rogis-
trar OF deeds at Woodsvillo. Not receiving
any reply 60 several letters sont she fenred
that her mail had been tamT cred with /:
but Miss Carleton, when questioned stated
that she had not replied 10 those letters
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