New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-05-14
WOULD FOLLOW LATSON
Girl Tries Suicide for Love OF
Physician Who Killed Self.
MISS MARHEVKA A PRISONER
odor of Gas Leads to Rescue by
Member of Family with
Whom She Boarded.

Miss Alta Marhevka. the secretary OF
Or. ". r. c. Latson, who was found oead
NTH a bullet wound in his head in MS
.partment on Riverside Drive on Thurs-
eav. lies seriously III in the Washington
Heights Hospital from an attempt 10 XIII
herself by inhaling gas. She SAID she
Wished 70 die because she loved the physl-
,Ian and wanted 70 follow her "Gourah'
NJ goldman, as she called him, into the
spirit world
Miss Harhevka. who is Russian Theoso-
bhist. acted both as Dr. Latson's secretary
and a student with him in weird form OF
,ccult modified science" She was the last
rerson 10 leave his apartment on THURSDAY
night. When the police learned or the
nhysician's death they sought her at her
home. No 3s1 Brcsd way, and cross-e&-
smined her. but she gave satisfactory PROOF
IN them that she was not responsible for
Or Latson's death.
Speaking Of the shooting Of DR.. Latson-
she would not admit that the physician
was dead-Miss Marhevka said on FRIDAY
that she would make way with herself at
the first opportunity. She came danger
ously close 10 carrying out her promise
yesterday.
No one who heard her talking about
casting off her body believed that she
meant serious harm to herself, but early
yesterday morning. however john WASH
ington, with whose family Miss MarheVka
boarded. smelled gas in the apartment
lie traced il 10 the bathroom door, which
was licked. He forced IT OPEN and there
on the floor he found the young woman
She was fully dressed and her BODY was
stretched at full length but before lying
down she had wrenched off the end or the
Gas let on the wall, and the gas was pour
ing into the room. the window OF which
was tightly closed.
After Washington turned off the gas and
opened the window. he tried 10 get MISS
Marhevka to speak TO him, but found she
was unconscious. He then carried her into
her room and called Patrolman Gray, OF
the West l52d street station. After the
patroman called an ambulance from the
Washington Heights Hospital he applied
hrst aid to the young woman, and by the
time the surgeon arrived she was regaining
consciousness.
After Miss Marhevka was taken TO the
hospital Gray made a search of her rooms
and found many papers scattered about.
on all of them were bits of verse and cpl
grams, written by the young woman An
envelope addressed TO Harry Weinberger.
attorney and counsellor. No. 26l Broadway,
lay on the bureau. on the face Of it was
written: Destroy letters OF Alta Mar
hevka-teu them | loved Or. Latson-tired
-goodby."
on another sheet was written "Remorse.
Darling. love is so sweet a thing. We took
1t too lightly. gazed on it too brightly,
sensed II TOO deep
Some OF the other bits Of rambling verse
bore the date Nay Il. showing that it must
have been written just before she turned
on the gas
Or OHanlon Coroner's physician. who
performed the autopsy on the body of Dr.
. Latson. still insists that the physician was
murdered. Speaking of the case yesterday,
he said: Il think that this case presents
one Of those peculiar conditions of love as
portrayed in the character OF SvenSaii in
'Trilby.' Ny belief is that his influence
over her could have been such that. had
lie cared 70 make some sort Of hynotic sug-
zestion 10 her. calling upon her TO kill
him. that she could have done so IN sub
conscious condition and without realizing
her act
Miss Narhevks is prisoner IN the Wash
trcton Heights Hospital charged with at
tempted suicide.