I’m researching my maternal 3rd great grandfather, Jefferson LATTY. I’m trying to make a timeline for his life so I can figure out what happened to him during large chunks of his life where I can’t locate him. There are a number of reasons why someone might disappear for long periods of time. One of them might be a prison stint.

One of the missing periods of Jefferson LATTY’s life is 1870-1892. He supposedly died in 1892, although I’ve found no proof of this. In re-creating a timeline, I noticed that his wife and two of their daughters were living with another family in 1870. By 1880, his wife was living with an adult daughter and her family and she listed herself as a widow which contradicts his alleged 1892 death date. I did another search for him during that time period (as I’ve done many times before) and all I came up with was a Larceny indictment for a Jeff LATTIA in Fort Smith during Judge Isaac C. PARKER’s term. I decided to check those files again and do a deeper dive.

Sam Sixkiller, Policeman for Missouri & Pacific Railroad Company

On 5 March 1883 Sam SIXKILLER learned one of his trains had been robbed. What unfolded during his investigation exposed a long string of thefts from Missouri & Pacific Railroad Company and Sam would end up testifying in court in front of the hanging judge himself, the Honorable Judge Isaac C. PARKER.

Events Unfold

Addison BECK sent a telegram to Thomas BOLES, the US Marshall in Muskogee, Indian Territory (now Oklahoma). He requested writs for, among others, Jeff LATTA for the reason of “breaking open cars & crating thirty five sacks flour hundred pounds lard with other goods”. We learn in the indictment that “other goods” included “two gallons of either…and one box of tobacco”. I thought perhaps the statement was trying to say that Jeff had stolen liquor but I wasn’t sure. Later in the file there was a witness statement from Sam SIXKILLER. He said in his statement that Jeff stole “a demijohn of ether”. (I’m still not completely clear on what a demijohn of ether is. Feel free to enlighten me if you know.) Sam was investigating and he stopped to talk with Jeff at Jeff’s home. While there, he found the flour, the demijohn, a box of canned lard, plus some other things including a surveyor’s compass. Sam interrogated Jeff about the theft and all the items in Jeff’s home.

Jeff Latta AKA Jeff Lattia – Hungry Boy

Sounds to me like Jeff was hungry. Flour, lard…I’m thinking biscuits. The liquor and tobacco were just bonuses…maybe. In any case, I’m not sure Sam even had to “break” Jeff. The way Sam’s statement read, Jeff pretty much admitted to the robbery plus other robberies and even named names. Jeff admitted to robbing the ether from the train. He said Silas JAMES brought the surveyor’s compass to his home. He said Alex ROBINSON brought the canned lard there but the lard was taken sometime before the flour was taken. The surveyor’s compass was taken on yet a different trip. Jeff admitted they’d been on the train robbing it multiple times. Jeff said Ed BOHANNAN was with him when he took the flour. Other people were involved on other occasions. Jeff was apparently the “wheelman” in the flour theft. It was his wagon onto which the men loaded the flour and transported it home. William FIELDS testified that when the men robbed the train, the evidence showed they had thrown out the bags of flour from the train car while it was still moving. They then loaded the bags of flour onto Jeff’s wagon and took the load back to Jeff’s house. FIELDS testified they were able to follow the wagon tracks from the site of the robbery right to Jeff LATTA’s house. According to fields, they found 2 demijohns of ether rather than 1.

Honorable Judge Isaac C. Parker Hands Down the Sentence

The following men were charged with Larceny:

• Jeff LATTA, aka Jeff LATTIA, aka Jeff LATTY
• One HAYS
• Ed BOHANNAN
• John ROBINSON
• Frank WALKER
• Silas JAMES
• Bud FULSOM
• One ROBINSON

John ROBINSON was discharged. I’m not sure what happened with the other men. Judge PARKER set Jeff’s bail at $1000. Jeff couldn’t make bail. Jeff pled guilty to the Larceny charge. Judge PARKER sentenced him to one year in prison to be served in Detroit, Michigan.

Afterward

I don’t know what happened to Jeff after his indictment but the story was interesting and since it happened on March 5th of 1883, I thought it would be appropriate to do a quick retelling 141 years later. I still don’t know where my Jefferson LATTY was at during this time. I only know that other researchers have connected the criminal files to my Jefferson’s nephew and not to my Jefferson. I’ve found no other information to confirm or refute this. I’m not editing this story before it goes out so I hope it’s readable. It’s after midnight which means it’s now March 5th. I hope you have a wonderful day and enjoy this story.

Until next time,

Lisa @ Days of Our Lives blog