Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-03-30

j srN;,oH Mich, March 27.--k. Irving
La IN Z, sent To pri> or three years ago
for indshc-ing his mother, escaped
shortly eIore midnight.
He poisoned George W. Haight, the
night captain Of the prison. secured
the keys and rifle, and left by the
front gates. Night Guard Haight died
at l:50 d. IA.
Latimer, after securing a rife, at
tempted to liberate the prisoners in
the west wing near his own cell but
failed. There is no clue 10 his where
abouts. Every officer in the city and
hundreds of citizens are looking for
him.
Latimer had been in the habit of
taking cup of chocolate to the Cap
tain and last night stirred poison in it.
Night-Keeper Gill has been arrested
Us Latimer's accomplish.
r. Irving Latimer brutally murdered
his mother at Jackson on the night of
Jan. "a, 1889. His trial lasted twenty
days and was very sensational. He was
sentenced to life imprisonment. Lati-
mer's father died under suspicious cir
cumstances d year previous to the
murder. He was heavily insured in
favor of the wife and son, and it Is be-
lieved that the son poisoned him.
Maurice T. Gill, night keeper at the
prison, was the indire It means OF Lati-
mer's escape About 1870 o'clock he
and Latimer took lunch together in
the hall-master's office. 1t was against
the rules for Gill to take a convict out
of his cell Capt. Gill has been COM
pletely bamhoozled by Latimer, who
had been telling Gill that there was
$500 buried on an island in Rhode
Island, where Latimer's father lived
when Irving was Ii years old. Gill was
taken with this story and had Latimer
out at lunch every night to give him
details. Gill expected to leave the
prison in three weeks. 1t tranSpires
that Latimer had been in the habit OF
taking up a cup OF chocolate nearly
every night to Gate-Keeper Haight,
passing it through slide in the graft
ing. There is no doubt Latimer had
planned to poison both Haight and
Gill, and the chocolate at night was
only to gain confidence until he could
get some poison.
At lunch last night Latimer carried
up glass of lemonade to Haight in
stead of the chocolate. and Haight
died in twenty minutes after drinking
it, Hill also drank of the lemonade
and was attacked with spasms almost
instantly. In a few minutes d cry
came from the guara-roorn abeve which
Haight occupied. 1t was evident that
Haight was sick and needed help. Gill
was SO sick he could not go. Latimer
said:
Il will go and whistle fer DR..
Mason"
''All right, so ahead" replied Gill
Latimer then took the keys, but in
steal of going for help he unlocked
the door of the guard room, passed
through the gates and was free. He
took the prison keys with him. He
had neither coat nor hat and it is be-
lieved impossible that he can escape.
The prison authorities have offered a
reward for Latimer, dead or alive, and
officers are securing the country.
Night Guard L. G. Rice was arrested
at / o'clock for completely in the
escape. Rice was directly connected
with Gill on night duty and it trans
pires that he was present when Lati-
mer left the hall masters Office to &C
above and see what allied Ha;ght. The
of what Latimer was to do or that he
Latimer to go through the upper gate
Rice was much confused when question
ed and does not say why he allowed
Latimer to go out. Night Keeper
Gill thinks that Haight died from heart
disease and says he had been suffering
from that trouble for some time. Hs
says it was nearly two hours after hi
had his attack Of cramps, dizziness anG
sickness when he heard Haight fall
He told Latimer to take his keys anC
unlock the small gate, climb the stairs
and see what was the matter with
Hai.r},t
Latimer had no key on Gill's buncl
which would unlock the upper gate, tc
which Haight alone mad the keys. Te
open the big gate Latimer took a cane
from pile lett BY the guards at night
at the foot of the stairs, reached
through the grating and pushed bacl
the lever. Then he took Haight':
keys, unlocked the small gate lead
ing down stairs to the front Office an(
walked out the front door. L
Haight was given poison Gill say
Latimer must have sent it to him al
hour or SO before he took it, as he die
not fall down for nearly two hour,
after Gill did. Gill acknowledges tina
Latimer has been making chocoiat,
for Haight and Gill, and that Latino
had carried Haights cup up to him
He also acl1nowled yes the story of tn,
buried treasure