The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-02-26
REHEARsED FALSE
STORY To TELL
DETECTIVES
WOMAN SAYS "FRAME-uP" ON
DAUGHTERS DEATH WAS "DR.~
LANoAU's WoRk-TEsTIMoNY
AGAINST ACCUSED IS STRONG.

This is a terrible affair. Now we
will have 10 save our own skins u
We can"
There words were credited to DR."
Eliza Landau by Mrs. Mary Durance
OF London. Ont. when she gave hel
testimony as the states first and most
important witness in the doctors
trial on charge OF manslaughter be.
fore Judge Phelan and a jury, Friday
morning. DR." Landau Is charged
with having caused the death Of Et
tie Sauler. the 17-year-old daughter Of
Mrs. Durance, by means OF a criminal
operation about q month ago.
Mrs. DURANGO, In her testimony FRI
day, went more into detail In telling
OF Mrs. Landau's alleged attempt I'd
frame up a story about the girls death
than In her police court examination
and her recital was highly interesting,
With blunt frankness she told how
she and the Landau woman had ~
hearsed over and over the story they
were to tell the authorities. and OF
the difficulty she experienced In COM
hitting IL TO memory.
Il told the doctor 1t would be better
to tell the TRUTH" she continued.
They'll find II out anyway. I says.
No, they WON'T says she. IL you
keep TO your story and keep to mine
they will never suspect anything
But still had my doubts about 1t.
There were the railroad tickets /
bought for myself and the girl. and
the kilograms that had passed between
us, and told her those things would
give us away. No. she says. you
must burn everything Instead sew
ed the tickets in my dress and later
gave them to the detectives, after
decided to tell the truth"
The tickets and kilograms were In
troduced In evidence by Prosecutor
Van Zile and were identified by the
witness.
81 told Mrs. Landau I didn't think II
was right to deceive the authorities
that way, and l didn't think l could
tell the story over just as we had nx-
ed II up. but she said to me. we've
got to save our own skins, SO !
finally agreed to tell Ii. They may iet
you take the body home. and you may
have to go in the sweat-box, the ooc-
tor said. didn't know Just VIVA. sne
meant by the 'sweat-box' then, but !
found out later"
The story they had agreed TO te'i.
effect that she and the girl had come
to Detroit on Monday, Jan. 70. anu
had engaged room with MRS. Lanua"
at No. 124 Howard-st.. for week. Inc
girl was supposed to have peen sei.eu
with a violent attack or vomiting inc
same afternoon, dying before the ar
rival OF a physician. Mrs. Duranco
was to say that she had asked LII.
Landau to come to the room 10 look
at the girl but the latter was not sup
posed to have given her any treat
ment.
81 started to tell that story" testi-
fed Mrs. DURANGO. "but when l saw
that the detectives didn't believe IL
I decided to tell the whole truth ana
| did, just as | am doing now
AS a matter OF fact, 1t appeared
! from the womans testimony. tnat
Mrs. Durance and her daughter came
to Detroit on Saturday, Jan. %. In
response to letter from DR." Lam
dau. OF whom they learned through an
advertisement in the Detroit Free
Press. The operation, Mrs. DURANGO
said. was performed by Mrs. Landau
soon after their arrival and she was
present In the room at the beginning
OF It, Her testimony on this point was
considerably stronger than the police
court examination and was most dam
aging To the defendant.
The price agreed upon for the oper-
alton was $50. she said. Mrs. Dur
ance did not have that much money
with her and Or" Landau hesitated
about treating the girl until she was
sure of the price. witness averred.
She said she didn't like to trust me,
because she had been fooled so many
times the witness went on. Il told
her | would send her the balance IS
soon as | got home. and finally she
said. Well, give me what money you
have got and I'll treat the girl
then paid her S27, keeping only some
small change for myself. Then we
went upstairs. the girl and | and the
doctor I saw her mix something up
I'm a glass. Then LETT tho ssczL q
Before that | asked the doctor IL
there was any danger. and IL she ever
lost any cases. She told me there was
no danger whatever and that she had
never lost any cases.
Afterwards | helped put my girl to
bed and the doctor warmed a stove
lid and put IL on Elite. When | LETT
to 90 back home she told me she
thought Elite would get along we'll
L don't worry much about my patients
Il am Doctor she said"
When Mrs. Durance came back TO
Detroit three days later she found her
daughter dead.
Mrs. Durance was still on direct ex-
animation when court adjourned AZ
noon.