The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1893-03-28
.LATIMER LIT OUT
One OF the Most Notorious Prisoners
In the Michigan Pcnitentiary
Escapes.
~
Evidence That He Had Given Two OF
the Guards POis0n-One Guard
Dead.
The Prisoner Was Sent Up for Life for
Matricide How 1t Hap
pcncd.

JACKSON, MICH, MdTCn So.--Is, IA SinS
Latimer, the famous matricide, has es-
capped from the state prison. Latimer
got out by getting the keys and walk
ing out the front door of the prison.
The keys are missing. Captain Hill, in
charge of the prison at night, is in Jail
now.
1t is supposed that Latimar got pos.
session of some powerful drug and ad-l
ministered it to the guard and night
turnkey. Guard Haight was found
dying about / o'clock q. m, Latimer
having gone an hour before that time.
Haight died at 8 a. m.
r.. Irving Latimer brutally murdered
his own mother at jackson on the night
of Jan "a, 1899. His trial lasted 20
days and was very sensational. He
was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Latirner's father died under suspicious
circumstances .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.
How 1t Happened.
Maurice T. Gill. night keeper at the
prison, was the indirect means OF the
escape of Irving Latimer. About 1850
o'clock he and Latimer took lunch to-
gether in the hall masters Office. 1t
was against the rules for Gill to take
convict out of his cell. Captain Gill
has been clearly bamboozled by Latl-
mer, whit had boen telling Gill that
there was g., 800 buried on an island in
| the state of Rhode Island. where Lati-
mer's father lived when Irving was IL
| years old. Gill was taken with this
| story and had Latimar out every night
| to give him details. Gill expected to
leave the prison in three weeks. Dur
ing the night Latimer was giving Gill
lot of ghost stories about the buried
| fortune.
/ Planned 20 Poison the Guards.
1t transpires that Latimer had been
in the habit of taking up a cupof choco
late nearly every night to Gatekeepel
Haight, passing it through an opening
in the cell, which Haight took with his
midnight lunch. There is no doubt
Latimer had planned to poison botl
| Haight and Gill. and the chocolate al
| night was only to gain confidence unit
he could get some poison. At lunch
Latimer carried up glass OF lemonads
to Haight instead of the chocolate and
Height
Died i'm Twenty Minutes
after drinking it. Gill also drank O
the lemonade and was attacked will
spasms almost instantly. In a few
minutes cry came from the guart
room above, which Haight occupied. /
was evident that Haight was sick ant
needed help. Gill was 50 sick he coult
not 60. Latimer said: Il will go ant
whistle for DIR. Mason"
i ..All right; go ahead" replied Gill.
Latimer then took the keys, but in
stead of going for help he unlocked tn
door Of the guard room, passed through
the gates and was free. He took tn
prison keys with him. The exact tim
he left the prison was l1:55 p. IN. Whel
Latimer escaped he had neither Goa
nor hat, and it is believed impossible
that he can escape. The prison authori
ties have offered reward for Latimer
, dead or alive, and officers are scourin
} the conntry.