The New York herald., 1921-03-02
MYSTERY GROWS
OVER ARREST OF
SYRACUSE NURSE
Mrs. Alice T. Lattimer Held
on Blind Warrant Said
to Be Illegal.
CHARGES NOT FILED
Grand Jury Investigation
Sought to Unrayel Fam
lily Squabble..
PROPERTY rs INVOLVED
Allegations of Strapping Pa
tient to Bed Heard in Craw-
ford Charges.
PROPERTY rs INVOLVED

Special Despatch TO THE NEW YORK HERALD.
SYRACUSE, March 1.-The mystery or
the arrest OF Mrs Alice T. Lattimer
a registered nurse, who is being detained
at Police Headquarters here while an
investigation is being made into the al
legged mistreatment of her cousin and
patient, Mrs. Ruth Crawford, deepened
to-day when Detective Thomas J. Lynch
admitted that he took Mrs. Lattimer
into custody in New York Sunday night
on blind warrant" and that at the
time, as now. there was no charge what
ever against her.
Investigation by THE New YORK
HERALD in New York tonight showed
that Mrs. Lattimer was booked at the
Charles street police station as hav-
ing been arrested on a warrant charg-
ing her with grand larceny and
signed by Justice of the Peace Ber-
sons" As a matter OF fact there is no
such justice In this city. and the war;
rant used by Detective Lynch was not
legal in any sense OF the word. District
Attorney Malpass said to-day that there
has been no charge of any sort brought
against Mrs. Lattimer, although she is
still detained at Headquarters. The Dis
trict Attorney would not say when she
would be arraigned or released. He
talked for more than an hour tonight
with Chief Of Police Cadin. but neither
would make any statement regarding
the case.
Exoneration Looked For.
The District Attorney. however, still
intends to bring the matter before the
Grand Jury and will summon as wit
nesses every person who had anything
to do with the original accusations
against Mrs. Lattimer. The consensus
here is that the Grand Jury will ex-
onerate Mrs. Lattimer, largely In view
of the fact that il has developed that
there is no basis for the accusation that
she attempted to poison Mrs. Crawford.
The analysis of the bottle of medicine
left with the assistant nurses by Mrs.
Lattimer when she went to Florida
showed 1t to contain choral hydrate,
common narcotic much used by
physicians as a sedative. but not In suf
ficient quantity to cause permanent in
jury TO Mrs. Crawford.
The authorities admit that the most
damaging bit of evidence they have
against her is letter which she wrote
to Mrs Luella Shoemaker, who was left
in charge OF the patient and which has
been construed as an injunction not to
do anything that might prolong Mrs.
Crawfords life. But the adherents of
Mrs. Lattimer take the position that this
letter was the work or a woman who
was worn out physically and mentally,
from her task of attending the sick
woman for several years almost con-
stanty.
Mrs. Lattlmer's friends also point to
the fact that Mrs. Crawford failed 20
complain that she was being strapped to
her bed and poisoned when Judge Will
lam s. Farmer held court at her bedside
recently in the suit brought by DR.. WILL
lam d. Towsley for his services. They
declare that this was an excellent oppor-
tunity for Mrs. Crawford to make
complaint had there been anything Sc
riously wrong in Mrs. Lattimer's treat
ment Of her. That however together
with the question OF the transfer of cer-
tain property by Mrs. Crawford to Mrs.
Lattimer. probably will be threshed out
at the Grand Jury hearing on Thursday.
Statement by Counsel.
Mrs. Lattimer's attorney. Edwin c.
Nichols. told a NEW YORK HERALD re-
porter to-day that his client Is guilty
OF no wrong, but that She has been the
victim OF designing persons A full in
quiry, he said. would exonerate her com
pletely. SO confident are both he and
Mrs. Lattlmer OF her vindicatlon that
they are making no effort 70 obtain her
release or TO compel her arraignment In
court. as might be done under the statute
which requires the arraignment OF a
prisoner within forty-eight hours after
arrest.
Upon investigation and reflection"
said Mr.. Nichols. 1T IL becoming more
and moro evident 10 everybody that this
Is family squabble. brought about by
meddlesome busybodies who In the past,
have had designs upon Mrs. Crawford's
dwindling estate.
1T is ridiculous to imagine that a
registered nurse, well educated. graclu-
ate Of Cazenovia Seminary and Folts
Institute. who. after three years Of de-
voted service. had been ordered away by
her physician for an extended rcst would
plan violence by proxy in her absence"