New-York tribune., 1902-07-18
BURGLAR YARN HARD HIT
LATI.NEiR SAID He WAS SHOT
IN BED, WITNESSES SAY.
THE MURDERED MAN THOUGHT THAT
HIS WIFE HAD DESERTED HIM
TUTHILL RETURNS.

brought TO light yesterday by the probe of Dis
,yfct Attorney Clarke, of Kings County. who
conducted the examination at the inquest into
.ha murder Of Albert c. Latiner at his home,
No 31S Hancock-st-, Brooklyn on the morning
~ Julv p The theory that burglar in the
house that night WAS badly weakened. if not
actually refuted by statements of Captain
REYNOLDS chief OF the Brooklyn Detective Blu
roam and others Mrs. Latimer admitted that
she had been guilty of indiscretions with several
young men at various times. Brothers of the
dead man. the nurses who attended him, and
some Of the doctors. gave startling testimony
concerning remarks made by the patient while
he was in ST. Mary's Hospital. This testimony
WAS accompanied by the opinion of the wit
nesses that the patient perfectly rational
at the tine he made the remarks. which ind-
Gated that he did not believe in the burglar
,beorv" William H. Tuthill. who is expected to
give much valuable testimony, and who has
been absent since the day of the crime,
,urned 10 his home, No 3SS Vanderbilt-avep
last night
Captains Reynolds and Buchanan and the de-
tectives who have been working on the case
appeared well satisfied with the revelations
brought out 10y the District Attorney as the re-
suit of their work Though it would seem that
the evidence made the case more mysterious
than ever, the police gave the impression that
they were slowly reaching the bottom OF the
affair and had strong hopes of clearing 1t up
Il wish some man would try to run away
Then we would make arrest quickly enough,
was the significant remark made by Captain
Reynolds after the adjournment of the inquest
at o'clock The adjournment was taken until
Monday at o. m
The inquest was held in the large room Of the
Court of Special Sessions in the Borough Hail.
and was opened a few minutes after 10 o'clock
In the morning. The room was crowded with
well dressed men and women. many OF whom
apparently had more than a merely curious in
terest in the case. DR.. w. j. OSulhVan. the
medico-legaI expert was among these. The two
front rows of seats We're almost entirely taken
un by the witnesses Coroner Williams presid-
ed but almost all the questioning was done by
District Attorney Clarke, whose incisiVe, prob
ing questions brought the testimony out in a
rapid series of surprises. Miss Fannie G. Lati-
mer sister of the dead man, dressed in mourn
ing sat inside the railing and took complete
stenographic notes of the testimony, for what
reason she refused 10 say.
Here are some of the important statements
which various witnesses said were made by Mr.
Latinner in the hospital:
SAID HE WAS SHOT IN BED.
DR.. Thomas Meagher. house physician of st.
Mary's Hospital: II heard him say "a coward
shot me in bed There were times when he
impressed being quite rational"
DR.. James NJ. Downing staff of st. Mary's-
He said, II never had a chance; the coward shot
me in bed" think he was not in delirium.
The statement was in reply TO DR.. Meagher's
inquiry as why he didn't keep the man in the
closet.
Josephine Clark, hall nurse-I heard him say
he was shot in bed Two doctors were present
at the time. / thought he was rational
Miss Christina Russell, private nurse, who had
charge Of the patient after the third day-He
said ''The coward shot me in cold blood In
his rawlings he said ne did not think he was
shot by burglar. At another time, when he
spoke coherentIy and nationally. he said, mo
burglar ever shot me" Whenever he heard any
mention Of his being shot by a burglar he
laughed as if he did not believe it,
Mary L. Cushman, a private nurse who at
tended the patient-When 1 asked him if he
kn .w who shot him. he said, Yes. asked
him who it was and he replied. IF he came in
this room now would shake hands with him.
His mind was seemingly clear.
G. Byron Latimer, brother-I visited him on
Thursday and we had some conversation ABOUT
a man bv the name of Tuthil William II.
Tuthill. of No 3sS yanderbilt-ave., who at one
time was forbidden the Latimer houseI. He
asked me If Tuthill was being watched. / said
YES " although didn't know whether he was
or not. I think he was rational at the time
William c. Latimer, brother-On Friday ne
slammed his chest and said, II am going to get
we'll and fool them. Send Engle, the barber
up"
BURGLAR COULD NOT GET IN
Captain Reynolds, late in the afternoon after
he had told OF his work in the case, declared:
"N1o burglar could have forced his way INTO
1hat basement that night. No burglar ever got
into that house and secreted himself all day
and then began work at o'clock in the morn
i,g II is impossible and / have been in the
detective business for thirty years" He SAID
this in a heated manner. which showed MS Ut
Ter contempt for the burglar theory.
One of the most sensational points OF the
,eetiroonv was where G. Byron Latimer oe-
cIa-ed that his brother in irrational moment
had eafd that .sFcggie" Van Buren had had dl-
,.orce napers drawn up for two weeks. and that
he v,as already divorced from his wife Ihat
This was an irrational fancy was shown wheh
Fgbar+ X Van Buren, who for years had peeh
wr Tatirner's legal adviser, declared that not
o,1, bad no divorce papers ever been drawn up
but that Mr. Iatimer had never even hinteo
AZ am, trouble with his wife. Mr.. Van buren,
who was seen bv Tribune reporter al NO ID"
Emerson Place last night. added that ne hau
been on the most intimate terms with MI
Iatifner. but the only time he had referred 10
mis- wife was when his will was drawn up ne
was sure that M. Lati-ner would nave spun"
about his domestic troubles If he had had any
Another interesting point concerned the max
ing Of the so-calIed codcil 10 Mr. LatiIner VIII
Il Was outside the door of his room, SAID Byron
Latinner. when my brother asked somebody for
pen and naner DR. Parker handed him pre-