The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-05-21
Prisoner Who Escaped From Fort Mad
ison Figured in a Sensational
Hold up in Des
Moines.
KNOWS OF A MURDER
Claimed to Have Possession Of Know
ledge Pertaining TO the Famous I
Peterson Crime, Six
Years Ago, ''s

who escaped from the Fit. Madison
penitentiary may depend the solution
OF Dies Moines' most mysterious muir
der-that of Tommy and Lena Peter
son, near Highland Park, six years ago.
Since he was locked behind the bars
at Ft. Madison, Hatch, whose real
name is shown by the records of the
board of parole to be Jerry Harrison
of southern Missouri, had been trying
for months to secure his parole. He
had promised in return for his liberty
that he would divulge the names of
the two young men whom he says
caused the murder of the children
which shocked all Iowa.
Many times negotiations have been
taken up by the board of parole and
former Governor Cummins had ser
iousIy considered granting Hatch his
liberty. But fears that the convict
might play them false had resulted in
holding UP all negotiations. Now that
Hatch has escaped, his chances for
parole have gone glimmering in case
he is captured.
To w. B. Garrett, secretary Of the
state board of parole, and to others
Hatch has given brief outlines Of his
knowledge of the Peterson murder
He claimed to have overheard two
young men, students at Highland
Park college. telling ofsthe murder;
that he stepped up to one of them and
to him the young man made a con-
fession
! Was Once Prize Fighter.
! Hatch was a former prize fighter.
Hence he is well able to care for him
self. He is dressed in the gray prison
! suit with a gray cap and BILL
1 The tragic murder of the Peterson
/ children is remembered as the most
brutal killing in the history of Des
\ Moines. While returning from church
in Highland park one night six years
ago, two men assaulted Lena, aged 1e.
4 She was struck over the head with a
rock Her little brother, Tommy. aged
j ~. sought to protect her. He was
killed with the same rock that slew
i his sister. All efforts to unravel he
mystery have ended in naught.
Donald Balm. sent I'D with Hatch
from Des MONIES, was paroled some
months ago and is now working on 9
farm in South Dakota.
Sent up for Fifteen Years.
Hatch, who escaped from the TT
Madison penitentiary by sawina
| through some bars, was sentenced t
that institution from Polk county II
February, 1906, for tef 'sftest
years for robbery. With & 4 named
Balm he was convicted of entering III
house. of Mabel Wood, In the "ras
light" district, where he tore the tele
phone from the wall to prevent call
ing the police, struck man lying q
couch a terrific blow on tise hea.
with the butt of a revolver, knockihi
him unconscious. and relieving him
several hundred dollars in money
the meantime his partner neid tn
women of the house at bay while h
| tore rings from their fingers, watcne
from their breasts and even force
them to bring forth money from thei
stockings. 1t was also claimed ths
Hatch poked the muzzle of ss-calibr
revolver down the throat OF a rit
named r. B. Henderson, and too
from him several hundred dollar
Several hours after the robbery tn
men were captured with the booty
Had Bad Record.
Hatch had bad record before b
ing implicated in this deal. He Is sal
to have been connected with a $500
diamond robbery at Glendive. Mont
in 1892. He was arrested for tn
theft. plead guilty and was sentence
to FIVE years in the Deer Lodge per
Tertiary. He was released in 1873
In 1899 he was mixed up in sal
blowing affair in Blue Earth, Min
when arrested he plead guilty ar