The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-08-06
THE LA1|MER MURDER CASE
Coroner's Jurv Says Victim Was Shot
by an Unknown Person.
BURGLAR THEORY UNSHAKEN

Sensational Testimony OF an Cniicenset'
Private Detscsivs Discrotsised - Jury
Thinks That m Ante II ortem state
meps Should Have Been Taken - Dis
tries Attorney Approvss the FindinE.
New York City.-The Coroner's Jury
In the case OF Albert C. Latimer. VINO
was shot by a burglar In his house.
3lS Hancock street. Brooklyn. on the
morning of July 2. returned a verdict
in which the efforts to make sensa-
tional mystery of the case were ig-
nored and the plain fact found that Mr..
Latimer came to his death from q
pistol shot wound In the chest inflicted
by some person unknown. Following
q very strong suggestion made by Cor
oner williams In his charge. the Jury
expressed the belief that an ante.
nortem statement from Mr.. Latimer
should have been obtained. This Is the
exact text Of the verdict as rendered:
I'VE, the Jury. find that the SAID
Albert G. Latimer came to his death
ON the ninth day Of July Mt 81. Mary's
Hospital by shock and internal hem'
orrhage and pneumonia. following q
penetrating pistol shot wound OF the
chest inflicted by sorie person un'
known to the Jury.
I'VE also believe that an ante-mor-
TEN statement should have been OBJ
tained- but the nature Of the evidence
makes It impossible to determine who
was at fault"
william II. Tuthill. whose name has
been frequently mentioned by wit
nesses during the examination. broke
into tears when the verdict was an
nounced. He was srasped BY the hand
by G. Byron Latimer. who said con.
solingiy, I'm sorry for you, old man.
The last session Of the inquest was
the most sensational Harry ]. Parker.
who claims to have been employed by
Latimer to make q study Of W. II.
Tuthil's attentions to Mrs. Latimer.
was the principal witness. and testi-
fied to the frequency Of Tuthill's visits.
and to the suspicious which his re-
ports Of them aroused In Latlmer's
mind. Parker admitted that he had
not received q detectives license. and
his testimony was discredited.
Police Captain Buchanan, Chief De-
tective Reynolds. of the Brooklyn Cen.
tral Once, and Detective Sergeant
Harrington said after the inquest that
the police would continue to investi-
gate.
After hearing the verdict Of the Jury.
District Attorney Clarke declared that
Il was Just what he expected.
Mrs. Latimer's story Of the burglar"
he said, was the only substantial tes-
timony given at the inquest as to the
identity Of the man who shot her hus.
band, and. Of course, such testimony
must prevail In the jurors minds.
Grand Jury. So far as the present
proceeding Is concerned, am through
with the case. 1t remains police
case. or. rather, I should say. 1t re.
verts to the police. 1t Is now entirely
In their hands.
In the confused mass of testimony
taken before the Coroner's Jury there
was not one single piece Of evidence
which would consider competent to
place before a Grand Jury except the
testimony Of Mrs. Latimer.
The burglar theory has not In any
way been eliminated by the inquest.
II is now. as 1t was at first. the only
substantial theory. The testimony Of
Mrs. Latimer supports 1t, and her testi.
moDy has not been shaken. think
the verdict Is the only one that &C uld
have been reached after n fair consid-
eration of the evidence"