People's Pilot, Volume 2, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 April 1893 — OFFICIALS BLAMED. [ARTICLE]

OFFICIALS BLAMED.

Censured for Negligence and Carelessness in Management of the Jackson (Mich.) Prison—Verdict in the Haight Case. JACKSON, Mich., April 1.—The inquest on the death of George W. Haight, night gatekeeper at the prison, closed Friday. At 1 o’clock the jury returned a verdict, of which the following is the substance: “We find that George W. Haight came to his death at the Jackson state prison on the night of March 28 from the effects of a dose of prussic acid, which was feloniously, willfully and maliciously administered to him by R. Irving Latimer, a life convict imprisoned in the said state prison; and we also find that there has gross negligence in the prison management in allowing prisoners to have the liberty of the halls after locking hours, and in allowing poisonous drugs to be taken into the prison and to go into the hands of known desperate convicts therein imprisoned. And we find by reason of such gross negligence on the part of G. Major Taber, clerk of the state prison, the prussic acid so administered came into the hands of R.Irving Latimer, and by reason of gross negligence and carelessness on the part of Maurice P. Gill, captain of the guard of the prison, R. Irving Latimer was given the opportunity to so administer the prussic acid to George W. Haight, and that G. Major Taber and Maurice P. Gill are censured for such gross carelessness and negligence so committed in their official capacity.” When arrigned for examination Friday afternoon Maurice P. Gill, captain of the prison guard, was discharged. The charge against him was aiding Latimer to escape. He was immediately rearrested on a charge of negligence and placed under bonds of $500 for hearing next Wednesday, when the examination will be conducted by Attorney General Ellis. The complaint on which he was rearrested was sworn out by Warden Davis. The complaint is made under section 9,288, Howell’s annotated statutes, which reads: “If any jailer or other officer shall, through negligence, suffer any prisoner in his custody upon conviction, or upon any criminal charge, to escape he shall be punished by imprisonment in the county jail not more than two years or by fine not exceeding $1,000.”