The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-02-17
THEY WERE TWIN BROTHERS.
One suffered for Crime that the
Other Had Committed.
rloil the Ner 1-ork How'd.

nam the -t&F OfH ~ pFt0'
OMAHA. NEB., Feb 13.--Morrison Will
.,x Deputy Sheriff OF CattaraUEus county,
NV York, pissed through the city this
morning en- route TO Olean, having in Gus
.odv James Gregory Latter, a prominent
s+ock-raiser, whose ranch is located near
Watrous, n. NJ. The prisoner was hand
,,ffed and huge steel shackles were clasped
onout his ankles. The crime for which
Iaeer is now under arrest is robbery and
asssult with intent to kill. The story Of
The terrible affair, as told by the officer, is
strange one.
Mr., and Mrs Mason LATER, parents Of
the prisoner, are respectable people living
near Clean, n. Y. Twin sons were born to
Aem. and when they grew TO manhood
their resemblance was SO great that few
rlonla could tell one from the other. Both
If Them were sent to college, James chOos-
irg Cornell, and his twin brother, William,
Vale. Both, after three years, left college
and returned home. William took the
MANAGEMENT of his fathers farm and James
hecan the study of law i'll the village of
Olean. 1t was the habit of the latter to
snend Sunday at.home, and on the evening
Of that day the brothers invariably spent q
few hours at the house of a neighbor named
Tohn Clifford a rich lumberman, who had
two lovely daughters.
One Sunday night in june 1889, a gentle
man called at Mr.. Cliffords and paid him
nearly IS 900 in cash. This was done in the
presence of both the Latter brothers.
shortly after the twins departed for home.
Betwecn the hours of , and o'clock next
morning Mr.. Clifford was attacked by a
masked man and beaten into insensibility.
The s.. 900 which were hi iden between the
mattresses Of the bed was taken aud the
robber started to make his escape. He was
met in the hall by the youngest Miss Cliff
ford, William Latier's sweetheart, and the
girl, with unusual bravery, snatched the
mask from the robbers face and exclaimed:
NV God! Bill LATER, what have you done"
The would-be murderer struck her and then
fed
The next morning William LATER was
arrested and held without bail, charged
with the burglary and attempted murder
Mr. Clifford finally recovered, and William
was placed on trial. The main witness was
his old sweetheart, who swore positively to
identifying him as the rObber. She was
sure it was William and not James, as the
robber was dressed in the same clothes
William had worn the night preceding the
crime and which in material and style were
radically different from those worn by his
brother. In his own behalf William testi-
fed that he was innocent, and all he knew
was that be had retired an hour after leav-
L..
He had awakened in the morning with a
terrible nausea, and felt queer for two or
three days. The jury brought in a verdict
Ct guilty as charged, and the prisoner was
sentenced to ten years hard labor at Sing
Sing.
While nearly every one believed William
guilty, there was one firm friend who
doubted it and tried to find out the truth
His investigation lasted nearly year. His
in hI.ip of
at Cornell contracted many debts which
were paid shortly after the robbery. He
had sent 1000 to a Mrs. Coates, in Ithaca,
as hush money for an assault on her daugh-
ter On the Sunday night preceding the
robbery James had purchased two ounces of
chloroform at an Olean drug store, with
which he undoubtedly drugged his brother
A hundred minor things were found out that
proved the guilt of James LATER.
Before the investigation was complete
James left for trip to New York. About
two months later report reached Clean
that he had been drowned off Long Branch
while yachting, and that his body could
not he recovered. A week afterward a re-
spectable looking man, giving his name as
Alfred Thomas, appeared at the LATER farm
and confirmed the news. He brought with
him certain papers that bore out his state
ment, and James was given up as dead.
One day, about three years later, Olean and
the surrounding country were electrified
by the action of Gov. Hill, who issued
pardon for William LATER, stating that
he was convinced Of the convict's inno-
cence, and that lie was positive that
the crime was committed by his dead twin
brother. The years passed on and the crime
would doubtless have become only a memory
but for the appearance of a man in Orlean
five weeks ago who had a secret interview
with the District Attorney. He informed
that official that he was the man who had
brought the news of James death to the
family SIX years before, and that he was
paid by Jones to do it, He said that James
was living, and was ranchman located
near Wat: ous, n NJ A warrant was issued
and the fugi lie apprehended last Thursday
he stoutly denies his guilt and says that he
will be able to prove his Innocence