The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-08-10
HIS LONG JUMP.
George Latham Leaps From
Second Story of Court House.
Landed Unhurt and Made Break
for Liberty.
CAUGHT BY A DEPUTY
Long Chase Led Nearly to the
State Asylum.
Great Excitement tCOurtH0uSe
'AUGHT BY A DEPUTY
Great Excitement atCOurtHouse
Following Prisoners Escape.

for assault, made a desperate break
for liberty today. He jumped from
the second story window at the court
house. That he was not killed or
severely injured is remarkable. He
was captured after a long chase by
| Deputy Sheriff SauIs.
Latham was arraigned in the court
| of Topeka which is on the north side
OF the county court house. A hall sep
| arates the court room from the clerk s
| offlce with toilet at the end. Lath-
am entered the toilet. Rad Lee. clerk
| OF the court, saw the action and kent
watch from his window but. his at
tentlon drawn away for moment. he
did not see the body swing past his
view.
Donovan gave the first alarm and
all was excitement. His deputy. Brad
shaw, ran to the sheriffs office for
help, and he followed. Lee shot ont
or the office at full speed and down
the stairs seven steps at time falling
at the second turn and landing at
the bottom with sprained ankle.
Meanwhile Dempsey Parker, a
young negro trusty at the county Jail,
VINO mad been working in WiIkerson's
barn beside the rear door where Iath
am had struck recognized his fellow
prisoner and gave chase.
but Latham used strategy The me-
sIo was the better runner and several
times would have caught the runa-
way hao not Latham yelled to white
people on his way to .'ston that rie
ger or he'll kill me-" Then Parker
would explain and continue his mr.
SUIT until he saw Latham enter tba
woods at the river side. There he
leaFeo treachery or ambush and with
drew for help.
Sauls Aided by a Dream.
A peculiar incident connected with III
break for freedom is the connectio,, ~
deputy Sheriff Saujs. When the mar
Shal OF the court and his deputy. Cbas
BRADSHAW took Lathem over to the court
tOoIH TINS morning. Lon Sauls turned
&c BaylesS, underSheriff and said. s.Ey
George,.I dreamed last night that tbat
IeLoW got away from the officers and
caught hlm He had a torn coat on
ara ran Ike sin but 1 caught him
with my gun point blank on hin,
could see him as plain as dav irving 70
today "ii9 q " hS
Fifteen minutes later Charles Brad
shaw blew his whistle in the co11r+
house as he ran to the sheriffs office
and when he had gotten outside he
saw Lon Sauls standing on the porch
OF the jai. with gun in hand peering
N every direction for the runaway.
what it meant.
Lon was then sent by BayIess to
hunt the fugitive. He got his trail
where he entered the brush at the foot
him. 20
Every move I made" said sauls.
just felt I was right and that 1
was going to catch that man. I chased
was right. I followed on as fast as
could, not knowing why except that
something told me he would be on
ahe&d. Then l came to the Kenwood
sewer under process of construction and
looking down there We're footprints right
in front of me. I followed those steps
across the ridge, then jumped the ditch
and climbing up the other side there
were those footprints again. Then I
saw some WoTkmen busy on the house
at the north end of Greenwood avenue
in Potwin. 1 talked to them and thew
sad a fellow had stopped there just a
minute before and rolled a cigarette.
Il ran across to the residence of
Chas. Gleed and excused myself for
running over the children on my way
in to the telephone. Calling for help
from the sheriff. I hurried on out and
looking up the road saw my man
walking leisurely three blocks west
Hurrying as fast as 1 could lodging
behind distractions to keep from be-
ing seen I saw him again take to the
brush. Later he stepped out into the
road and looked around but 1 was five
blocks away and he did not know
me.
Il tried to get fellow with a
horse to let me have him for ten min
utes for 81. but he did not. ] was
so weary 1 could hardly go airy fur
Their. Then L saw him cross the lit
tie Ward creek and walk west on the
Asylum car line. He walked while
along there and then stepped down
an alley and stopped by a barn six
or eight blocks away. Luckily l saw
delivery boy delivering groceries. l
offered him 81 for few minutes
up beside the barn. 1 did not pay him
but ran around the side of the build
ing and saw where Latham had gone
down the creek bank. Not waiting to
through the water and came up onto
an open space. There stood Latham.
[ yelled and threw my gun on him.
- stop or I'll kill you right
there - I shouted and he
stopped. 1t was more than three
miles we ran"
The prisoner. back in the county
iail. cried before his reaDpearance al
O'Clock in the afternoon and re-
'pented his flight. County Attorney
Schencl6 had changed the charge
from assault to breaking away from
the officers and said. Il am going to
SEND that fellow to the penitentiary.
He is bad man
That another prisoner had not join
ed the flight is wonder. Frank
Graves, a negro, charged with cutting
a friend about the body with pocket
knife was in the court room also.
When Latham made his leap. all at
tention was directed to the windows
and the officers left Graves all to his
owr. reflections. He wandered about
fine court room awhile, thinking what
a lot of fools and old fogies the mar
shaIs were, walked out into the hall
and around the building and then
hunted up some one to talk to. Going |
into the clerk of the courts room he |
sat down in chair.