Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-03-28
GRAND RAPIDS MICH TUESDAY MORNING. MARCH IS 1893

left 90 doubt q the sons guilt lead 10
tie conviction tt.st hs We also rrspon
sihle fos bis fathers sioirns death.
/ Ga the morning n January "A young
i.afimer went 10 Detroit 10 10 gone all
night and Mrs. tsflmcr Was Jeff alone
its the house. Tie following morning
workmen employed in the place eoa.d
not gain an ealIance 70 the house The
door VA forced b. neight-ors. who BE-
came alarmed al the failare of Mrs.
la,imer 80 appear N response % fe
peated susnmons<s They entered her
bed roona on the second fioor and found
her l,ing upon the bed. clothed IN her
night roie. She had been dead several
hours Her head face and neck were
covered with hloct. The he'd was
saturated With hloed- Marks II blood
ssere also found IN young Latimors
room
The autopsy showed that two plssol
shots had inflicted the wounds that
taused Mrs. flatimers death. Both
shots entered the face. passing through
the neck. Physiasans said the woman
had died about > O'Clock Ia the morn
ING. That afternoon Latimer. who. by
the way. WAS sole heir 20 the property
his father bad left his mother. returned
Ia the house. he appeared - nnccn.
rerned al the violent death of his
mother that suspicion was immediately
directed against him and he was
promptly subjected Ia a rigid examina-
lion. bur declared he hai been in DE
troit and had no connection with the
murder.
4 careful investigation proved i.ati-
mer's story 10 be false. lie cid 60 10
Detroit and visited many friends IN
order that he might be able to prove
that he had been away from jackson.
But that nigh, he returned TO his home
and the evidence showed be murdered
has mother IN cold blood
All this. however. WIS not discovered
until after the inquest on the body of
Mrs Latimer The verdict was that
the woman had been murdered by some
( person or persons unknown to the Jury.
In the meantime detectives were work,
ing on the case. Everything pointed 10
the guilt ~ the son. Five days after
the death of his mother he was arrested.
! As bluff he asked To be permitted 10
attend the funeral, but when given an
/ opportunity 10 look upon the face OF bis
dead mother be refused to leave the
Jail. Throughout all this time and the
trial that followed he conducted himself
i'm most unconcerned manner. treating
his mothers death and his trial as a
joke.
The case was called before Judge
Peck Of the jackson criminal court
April "A. The trial lasted ten days Ii
was clearly shown that Latifher was
guilty. and upon retiring the jury
brought in verdict az mun4er IN the
first degree. after deliberating less than
a quarter Of an hour. Seventeen min
ufes after leaving the box the fate at the
prisoner was declared in open court.
/ May IL Latimer was sentenced 10 life
Imprisonment and was few days later
/ taken TO the penstentiary.
Robert r. Latimer. the convicte
father. was Jackson druggist His son
succeeded to the business. which was
prosperous. and was conducting il with
profit at the time of the murder OF Mrs
Latimer. He was dissipated. however,
and spent much money on vino and
women in Detroit and other cities he
visited frequently.
The murdered Yoman was 50 years
Of age. kind and beloved by all her
neigibors She v - a prominent member
of the congregational church and
associated her name with many charl-
/ ties.
AT the time of the trial it was stated
in jackson that the murder was not
matricide. A woman living in the town
revealed secret she SAID she had kept
for twenty two years The Latimers.
she said. had but one child They we're
| living in another town when the baby
died. and in their grief they adopted
little one taken from an orphanage. Re
turning again to jackson no one knew
I that the baby boy who grew to manhood
in this home was not their own flesh and
blood. and the secret was carefully kept.
Ii is further stated that all that was
known Of this child's parents was
that the father was murderer. The
adopted child was Latimer-
Latimer was dangerous prisoner.
Several times he caused revolts in the
penitentiary. and on one occasion. Octo-
ber 10. 1880. he concscted a plot 10 blow
up the buildings with dynamite. He
caused the officials no end Of annoyance.
and for two years extraordinary precau-
tions were taken to prevent his escape.
For the past two years. however. he was
treated Just the same ~ the other con
victs. aud had considerable opportunity
for planning a break for liberty.