Susannah Lattin

Susannah Lattin (1848-1868) died in childbirth at an illegal abortion and adoption clinic in Manhattan run by Henry Dyer Grindle (1826-1902) on August 27, 1868. (b. January 07, 1848, Farmingdale, Nassau County, Long Island, New York, 11735, USA - d. August 27, 1868, 6 Amity Place, New York City, New York, USA)

Birth:

She was the daughter of Henry K. Lattin (1806-1894) and Julia Wood (1813-1873).

Siblings:

She had the following siblings: Mary E. Lattin (1833-1874) who married Charles Powell; George Lattin (1837-?); Juliett Lattin (c1840-?); William H. Lattin (1842-1871) who married Ella; Phoebe Maria Lattin (c1845-?); Smith Lattin (1849-?); Charles G. Lattin (1850-1869); Jarvis Andrew Lattin (1853-1941) who married Mary Jane Puckett (1854-1927); and Deborah Jane Lattin (1858-1861) who died as a child.

Unplanned pregnancy:

Susannah became pregnant and sought out an abortion. She could not tell her parents, so she went to New York City and asked an older cousin who worked at Washington Market to help her.

Illegal adoption:

He arranged for her, as "Mrs. Smith", to see a physician who did abortions, but the doctor felt she was too far along in her pregnancy. The physician ran an unauthorized "lying-in home" so pregnant woman could have their children and have them adopted. Susannah delivered a healthy male baby who was adopted, but she then developed a fatal postpartum infection. The physician who delivered the baby left town, but had a medical student from one of the local medical schools look after his patients. The student realized Susannah was in serious condition and was not likely to survive, and he persuaded her to tell him her real name so he could notify her family. The message got to her parents after she had died.

Media coverage:

"Last Wednesday Mr. Henry Lattin, a resident of Farmingdale, Long Island received a letter of which the following is a copy: From: 6 Amity Place, Manhattan. To: Mr. Henry Lattin. Dear Sir: You daughter is at No. 6 Amity Place, very sick with typhoid fever, and I do not expect her to live twenty-four hours. She inquires about her mother frequently, and wants her to come immediately. Yours truly, E. Daun. P.S. take the Fulton Street cars at the ferry and they will take you to the house. E. Daun. Mr. and Mrs Lattin started at once for New York ... " Source: Brooklyn Eagle, August 29, 1868.

"The Long Island Mystery. Investigation by coroner Rollins of [New] York, The Father, Mother, and Brother of the Deceased Girl on the Stand. Inside View of the Private Lying-in Hospital by a Medical Student. The [Brooklyn] Eagle of Saturday last contained an account of the death of the daughter of Mr. Lattin, of Farmingdale, Long Island, who died a few days previously at the alleged lying-in asylum of Dr. Grindle, No. 6 Amity Street, New York, under alleged suspicious circumstances. An inquiry into the cause, which resulted in the death of Susannah Lattin, was commenced in New York on Saturday afternoon by Coroner Rollins, when the father, mother and brother of the deceased girl were examined and testified in substance that after the disappearance of Susannah, they learned by letter in the early part of June, that she was keeping out of way in consequence of being in a delicate position, that the landlady of the boarding house in New York, where she was stopping, had threatened to turn her out into the street unless she paid two weeks board then owing. They were unable to say by whom her ruin had been effected, but supposed it had been done by a young man employed in a Brooklyn boot and shoe store, with whom she had been keeping company. His name, her brother thought, was George Hotten, clerk in Whitehouse's shoe store in Fulton Street, Brooklyn. The same person had also stated that his sister had refused to return home on account of the condition in which she was in, and also that the author of her ruin had endeavored to persuade her to take unnatural and illegal means to do away with the proofs of their misconduct. Edward Danne, the medical student who had informed Mr. Lattin of his daughter's whereabouts and the precarious condition of her health, after staying ..." Source: Brooklyn Eagle, August 31, 1868.

Inquest:

The inquest was news in the New York papers and resulted in regulation of these types of clinics and decided who has responsibility for patients when they die. The fate of the adopted child is unknown.

People involved:

The cousin who helped Susannah find the abortionist was: George H. Powell (1830-?), a butcher. The medical student who urged Susannah to contact her family while she was dying was: Dr. Finnell. The Doctor that ran the "lying-in" house was: Dr. Grindle. The incident is reported in the Brooklyn Eagle on the following dates: Saturday, August 29, 1868; September 01, 1868; September 02, 1868; September 04, 1868; September 09, 1868. The story also appears in the New York Times on August 30, 1868 on page 08 and on September 04, 1868, on page 02.

Tombstone:

Her tombstone has been toppled and reads: "Susannah, daughter of Henry and Julia Lattin, died August 27, 1868, aged 20 years, 7 months, and 20 days"

Source:

Researched and written by Richard Arthur Norton (1958- ) for Findagrave starting on July 24, 2003, and loaded here at Geni.com on October 6, 2009.