File:Susannah Lattin (1848-1868) in the New York Times on September 9, 1868.jpg

The Lattin Case. The Alleged Malpractice at No. 6 Amity Place. The Inquest Concluded.
Coroner Rollins concluded the inquest yesterday, at the Mercer-street Police Station, over the remains of Susannah Lattin, the young woman who died at Dr. H. D. Grindle's establishment, No. 6 Amity-place,
oo tbs 37:b alt.. Tbe following eri-dence eri-dence eri-dence was taken: Dr. John C. Harriton, ot No. 177 Bleecker-street, Bleecker-street, Bleecker-street, wxa the Brat witness called to the a and. Be tea rifled; rifled; I am a practicing physician ; 1 have reei'ed in my present paoe allies let ot May, le67. Do you know the decerned, bosannab Limn r A. I don't know bow to anawer that aumtiotu Q. Did a woman bkaifl SmtUi tpoly to jua f Awoil, uiot ot tb women that Apply to me go by ta oxrue of Jonee or ttmitb; ta fact, X never aak their namee, but the namee tbey usual iy give are Acutiona. Q. Do you reoolleot tbia man (M-. (M-. (M-. HongbioB) coming to vod resoecting s ladj I A. Yea, 1 do; abe preceded preceded him in c niing to me; don't rreoUVct what name ahe went nnder; think her was one of the oaae in which I bad no name ; aba first a pplied to tne in April. Q. What aid ahe apply to you for r A. For medical treatment. Q. I a reference to what f A. She waa diseased; aut fir a: came to me with a woman of questionable character; by a woman ot qoeeiiooaoie character I mean a woman of tne town; ahe again applied to me tn the Brat w( ak of May, saying ahe had no money; I ret used to tieat her lurther. and then she mentioned a gentleman who supposed she was getting treated for abortion, and the he would pay sue if I gave her medicine not, bowaver, tor aa abortion. Q What aoout the man r A- A- Sbs mentioned to me titat aus Lad gotten a young man. who had been lirii-g lirii-g lirii-g wtth her, into the impression thai ahe had become tmcitmte by nun. and tbat he (tt;e young man) would pay me for my medicine, under the belief that be was paying tar an boruon, and ah desired at not to mention to the young man wtuu was tha mausr with her, but to leave him under the imteaaion that he waa paying for an abortion; after aba bad two or three Ulrica corns to my cf&ce. thia young gentleman (Mr. Houghton) caUed at my efnee; he asked me u a nuly had ocea there; 1 aaid yea, and told hunweatl woul.1 chxrgs. $30; ha paid me (60. Q. For what ay-"--For ay-"--For ay-"--For ay-"--For ay-"--For ay-"--For medical treatment. Q. Did be aak you what you were treating bar for f A. No, but 1 said to him: -Now. -Now. 1 tell you, empuaucxUy, tuia Is for no abortion; 1 went yoa to understand me," and J even took he la of bun by toe collar ana turned him round. The Juror 1 think It would require one to be turned rouad to understand wby a men paid 5J under sack circumstaucea, Deputy Coroner y. W .ia: tvply did he male io yon when you ad Oie W was for no abortion J A- A- He Bald nothing; he did no reler to her condition; be did not say a word wby be gave me the tt: he paid the $50 and toil; I aaw the woman tor two wee as, and was u eating her ail along for her diaeaee, anj not for abortion ; two men besides Mr. Houghtua oaled to inquire about ner; I aaw one of them ia Itua ofLos a tww days a;o; Mr. Powell, here present, la oo one of them; tbey asked bow aha waa getting along and one ot tbem was vcr anx.ous to have aa aborooa procured; she had aleo led him to ceils ve tbat ahe eras getting trawled for that; she aexed 'me aleo to oaana tbta man te believe that ahe waa batug treated for an abortion ; 1 did not tea 1 dura to aa beueve ; I Aid aot baU airier t tae (wbtietuaai uitm as Uaflulif ,- ,- --I --I --I - :. eiehrr of tber shou'.d tnow it; I ne-l ne-l ne-l a 'I hast o effect a cur; I do not gn'.w whet becanae of b r; th:nk worn ene left me be was tot per ectly cured; I f'r--Pt f'r--Pt f'r--Pt f'r--Pt wbn ber Mr. H-iUfbfon H-iUfbfon H-iUfbfon ra'led alter Cist at my CSoie; I did not tell lionghton I wonld tet ner brtrd n. Wasliirg"a-blnce: Wasliirg"a-blnce: Wasliirg"a-blnce: I hare place to I'ke nale or female board em. Q. -Did -Did abe at sry fim ak ecu to trial hei- hei- for an abortion T A. No. q-a.fe q-a.fe q-a.fe be reTers-.rtemoae reTers-.rtemoae reTers-.rtemoae shs desired tobaTethoch d in order to mske Houghton marry her; ahe said liotigorou Th-urht Th-urht Th-urht be was the pa re tit, and begged of me tor lioC'A sake not to disabuse bis nin I on. the o; J c; I rii not its. and to prctxe iborton: I tm m w ai n .ted ta to follow ttat tueiccgs. To t Juror IruTit came into mv ttm; one came to my bowse addressed to Mrs. Gilbert, but a I knew no person rf the name. I reiuaed to lake it Irom the tx-pre tx-pre tx-pre rota. ilarjartt MeK.nnti, who lieed for iha lit tan non-bt non-bt non-bt as a servant in Dr. Gnndlr's " Institute, was next t xtmined. Her testtmonr waa unimportant. unimportant. 8he teei Ced tbat on Ibe night Susannah L-it- L-it- L-it- L-it- tia ksronnred another I'tly scrnCne, and snot ner on the evening following; these and all otier children were born a1. fr as she knew. Dr. If rury D. Orrodjt, of No. Amity-place, Amity-place, Amity-place, wss tb-n tb-n tb-n called to the s and. and tesnD-d: tesnD-d: tesnD-d: I tm a phyi-cian; phyi-cian; phyi-cian; have graduated in New-Tork New-Tork New-Tork Unireraity; don t rmember the j ear. about twelve resrs ago; bave Irved ia No. 6 Amiry-olace Amiry-olace Amiry-olace nine years last June. Q. What ia the nature of Ibe practice yoa carry on t ere T A. Obstetrics, and diseases of women and children, for wta ch rarpoee I sppropriate part ot my boue as lodgings. Q. What is the class nf your ratienta T A. Some are yonug, so tee are old, some are married rnd some ainirle: some get marrioJ when they aro a lew months r.ttnrtt't, and coroe to ma to get conQoed and bare the child adopted out. so as to bridge over Ibe Irregularity in tiaie. Q Do some women come to you to aek to have abortions procured t A. I don't thing I oni,'ht to tnwer tbat question; I suppose there is not a physician in New-York New-York New-York to whom aoL.ltca.nn to procure procure an abortion arc not from time to time made; ldo n: w.ah to answer tbat question. Q. Well, thia one yoa esn answer. Doctor; sre abortions procured in vcur bone with your knowledge T A. No, 8'r. Q Yiu dan'i laks in ladies for tbst purpose t A. No. Kir. Q. How manv ch-ldren ch-ldren ch-ldren have "been born in yonr bouse since JanunryT A. We'.l. I cannot sav.exact'T: I make returna regularly to the Board of Hca tb ; I suppose there were'twenty or thirty b'rths since JannnrT.ali born alivs. Q. Yen heve never Jod auv patient in your house? A Yee, Sir; this tufk-'A. tufk-'A. tufk-'A. I think, the Seconal deatn. Q. Yon know (tumnnnh Latuu A. Yes, Sir; s is csmo on the 5th of Augnat 10 me, along with Mr. Powell; ahe said be wans hi -nil -nil ef hers, and that was all the connection be had wuh her; I told Powell my terms varied accord. ui" to the length ot lime a patient cam- cam- before bcr coc-nnetnent; coc-nnetnent; coc-nnetnent; on making an examination. I cot clutlod abe was within a day or two of ber confinement, ind then said I wonld tase ber In tor $150. as I bad bat one bed vacant in the bouse: tbey left. Powell remarking remarking that be scarcely tbot pht she wonld come; she returned nxt day with f 100. aaying fiat waa all she bad: abe besran crying and imploring me, so I took her in for the $100; all Ibe children born in toe bouse are not adop ed out about two-thir two-thir two-thir la are; Ine way business is transacted is. If a laay wants to adopt a cbiid, she la permitted to see the child, and 11 abe likes It, tben sbe goes to the mother's bedside and procures her assent ; if ber assent is given the child is taken away; I do not know who adopted Susannah Susannah Lattin'a child; norneiitnea we keep a record ot the name of the adopter; it ia generally fictitious; if they wish to give the nsme 1 mako a record ot it; I have no meaca to procure the child of the deceased; I make no iirqturiea aa to the character of the applicants lor children: I judge by their api earar.ee; sometimes we advertise, but frequently we nave enough of applicanta tor children to dispones with advertising: a certificate of birth waa given to the Board of Health in the case ot this child, and of every other child born in the house; think no name wss givcu; the Board or Healta accept my cer incates without any demur; no compensation is r quired of the applicant applicant for a child, nor any conditions respecting the child's treatment; omeiinies the mother of tba child requires nomo papers, and in that case the papers are given lo ber and not to me; Miss Law tin's child wss adopted three or lour days after being born; cannot recollect wnetber it was a boy or a girl; deceased expressed a desire to have her cbnd adopted one; a lady and gentleman, aged about 40 year, adop'ed Mia Lattin's child ; tbey came to ibe doer in a carriage aud teked for a beollby child ; am not in the habit ot giving two or more children at different intervale to the aame person; Mrs. Qrindle ia uoi at home; deceased cauie to her full titue belore belore confinement; sbe and the other two ladies confined confined at the same time were debvered bv my wife. Dr. John II. Don. of corner of Bleocker and Liw-reuce Liw-reuce Liw-reuce streets, was next exam-ned. exam-ned. exam-ned. H- H- testified lis was first cal ed to see Miss Lattin on Sunday, the 16th ot Auguit: found her In a high levor. with bowels bowels very loose; continued to visit ber every day until abe d ltd, on Thursday, treating her for typhoid fevei ; thinks tbat was the illness which caus.d her dev.o; did not notice any symptoms of inflammation of the womb. Q. Wby did you not give the ceruttcaie of cau-io cau-io cau-io of death T A. Bt-ciuee Bt-ciuee Bt-ciuee Dr. Finncll. whom I called in, aaagreed with ine in the diagnosis; the nurse told witness in presence ot deceased tnat she (Ceceast-d) (Ceceast-d) (Ceceast-d) hid been confined ot a natural child. - Dr. Tkomat C. finnell was next examined. He testified testified thai be lived in No. 133 West Houston-street, Houston-street, Houston-street, and wss called by Dr. Dorn to visit deceased at half-past half-past half-past ten o'clock the evening preceding her death; found the patient Buffering irjtn peritouitis and in a dying condition ; witness uiged ber to send for hor mother; deciaaed asked witness bow long abe might live, sr d be replied that she was in a dying condition, condition, and might not last very Ion);; witness asked if ber child bad been pnt to her breast, and sbe said "No;" asked ber if she hsd seen ner child, and ber tuner was "No;" sbe seemed re.uctant ta answer any:hlng; her mind was wandering, but by an effort sbe could collect berselt; witness asked ber it she was baptized, and her answer was no ;" witness tben, wi h the permission of the dece.aed, lptized ber, and subsequently called npon a clergyman and asked him io go and aee ber, and he proni-sed proni-sed proni-sed to do so. Dr. Fihnku added that he formed the opinion that deceased bad given birth to a tail term chimin chimin all other matters be agreed wi b the autopsy nil1 by Dra. Beach, Tixki and Uoutom. Dm. Job" liEACB. (Deputy Coroner.) C. C. Tbrkt and J. C MohTon gave very elaborale evidence, d"pctbiiie the state of the body, and concluded by saying tbat the cause of deata was In their opinion mctro-perilcntfiM. mctro-perilcntfiM. mctro-perilcntfiM. The Coroner then charged the jury, complaining tbat the Hoard of Health authorities had broken faith wiib him, in not sending one of their clerks io be a w itnss. From the lnqu.rit a tho Coroner made be had strong suspicions i bet all the children bom in tinndle'a Atisti ute were not registered. He tol l Dr. Harris, and Dr. Uaatsis promised to send a clerk to te tit, out no clerk cam". The Jury, after an boor's deliberation, rendered the f llowing verd.ct: "That 1-uiaskah 1-uiaskah 1-uiaskah Lattin came to ber d-ath d-ath d-ath by et rtro-prr rtro-prr rtro-prr xUm U i , the result ot child-birth, child-birth, child-birth, at Dr. H. D. t.RIUDLK's establishment. No. 6 Amity-place, Amity-place, Amity-place, on the 27. hoi August, lfCH. We further censure Dr. Grind La for the irre. uar ntetbod ot conducting his bUMuars relative to tcking in women to connne, and also the method of adopting the children of women so Qfcl.ve-ed. Qfcl.ve-ed. Qfcl.ve-ed. We lurtber recommend the Legislature Legislature to enact a law, when by ail euch estabiisbuicuts shall be nnder the supervision snd cont'ol tf the boara of Health or ctuor recogn.zcd au horny. We fun her cobdibiti the practice of eny reguinr meoicii college rcogti z txg stuuentai
connected with any establishment." One of the jurors, Mr. H. A. Westcott, protested against the verdict.

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