New-York tribune., 1911-12-04
DID NOT CAUSE DEATH
OF SINGER, TOTTEN SAYS
Held in $4,000 Bail for Giving
Mrs. TriStram Poison, He
Asserts Innocence.
OTHERS OUT ON BOND, TOO
officials Say They Have Strong
Case-Confiicting Stories TO
Be Thrashed Out at
the Inquest.

the Inquest.
Thomas 7. Totten. a wealthy real estate
dealer. arrested Saturday night at MS
home in Tyndsle avenue. Riverdale' be-
-aree Of the death OF Mrs. Alice Margaret
Tristram Shanks, who died from drinking
csrboHc acid SUNDAY week, denied last
night that he caused the Irish singer
death
- an, innocent" said Totten. There is
no foundation for the charge. L never
roured ont the carbclc acid that MrS.
shanks drank ] have engaged cophsei
and am sure I'll he cleared Of TINS
charge"
But Captain Price. Of The Bronx detec-
tive bureau. who worked UP the case tnat
resulted IN the arrest of Totten and the
others who sat at the table in the Van
Cortlandt Hotel opposite the golf house
in Van Cortlandt Park, and Coroner Shon-
gut. who refused 10 accept the police
theory OF suicide declared they had sum-
rient evidence TO convict Totten
I'VE have positive proof that Totten
brought the bottle of poison from the base
ment OF the hotel, and filed Mrs. Tristram
glass with it." said Captain Price last
night / am not prepared 10 say now that
all OF Totten's companions knew he poured
nut the acid, but there was no reason why
they shouldn't. II goes without saying
that Totten did not know the bottle con-
tanned poison. 1t bore a vermouth laoel
and Totten never thought 1t contained
aisinfectant made OF almost pure caroohc
acid IL was all intended as Joke
II was learned yesterday that Totten was
arrested chiefly on the evidence Of resi-
dent OF Spuyten Duyvil named Charles
Luce. He sat at the same table with Tot
ten and Mrs. Shanks. and. apart from Ed
ward j. Gallagher, an employe in the Con-
troller's Office, was the only member or
the party who did not drink. His evidence
rorroborated that Of Charles Halle, who
served the party with drinks. and who was
the first 70 be arrested.
Tho police felt they were on the right
track on the receipt of two unsigned letters
from persons who were in the hotel when
Mrs. shanks took the poison. The contents
NJ these letters we're not made public by
Coroner Shongut. who has them And when
Captain Price and the men who were work
ing under hinl--IAeutenant Wines and De
tectives Flynn and O'Meara-found Luce
Saturday morning the warrants for Totten
and his companions were issued. Luce Is
said 10 have been out Of town since the
Heath Of Mrs Shanks.
Totten faces a charge OF manslaughter
The others are accused of being accesso-
ries. They are Lieutenant John ]. Nc
Carthy, Of the West 152d street police sta
tion: Edward J. Gallagher. Of the Con-
froIler's Office Darsey Totten, brother
If the principal Joseph Cribbens, a stenog-
rapher and William Lappe, borist. All
live within q stones throw of the scene OF
the singers death.
From the first efforts were made to con-
ceal the true facts in the case. Police OF
the Kirgsbridge station said the case was
one of suicide They had only three names
of people as witnesses to the suicide
Neither of the Tottens was on ''e list.
and by an equally strange coincidence
Lieutenant McCarthy's name was not
there. Mccarthy was formerly assigned to
the Kingsbridge station.
Reporters, who first revealed the woman
Identity were informed by the Kingshridge
nolice that the witnesses in the case were
natives Of Kingsbridge" and were assured
that they knew nothing about the case.
The proprietor OF the hotel, John T. Con-
neu said at first he believed the party
with Mrs. Shanks had come there in an
automobile. To Coroner Shongut he said
he did not know where the bottle OF acid
came from, though his wife told the coro-
ner II came from the basement
Mrs. Shanks was the wife OF weaithy
mineral water manufacturer Of Dublin, and
,ba daughter of Canon Tristram. of that
c,tv who formerly was private chaplain to
,ba Duke of Connaught She was related
20 Cir Thomas Glenn-Coats, NJ P, or Fer
rusIie Park Paisley. Scotland.
From the arrival Of Mrs. Shanks in this
country, on September 1s last she stayed
,bisnv az the Hotel Carlton. Her bills were
raid regularly by Miss Winifred Glenn
coats believed 10 be a daughter Of Sir
Thomas. who also sent her remittances.
Mrs. Shanks sought 10 get on the vaude-
,1ue stage after vain endeavors TO obtain
work as a concert or choir singer, and had
.uccessfuI tryout on a Broadway roof
sarden the Friday before her death. she
was 10 have started on the road the Mon
dsy following.
An inquest will be held tonight by Cor
omar Shongut. Totten is now our on So,Vuo
hail The others were also released iInneul-
ately after their arrest on bonds or VOW