Pardonable Matricide

In January 1889, as London constables hunted for Jack the Ripper and theaters around the world presented theatrical renditions of the Jekyll and Hyde story, Jackson, Michigan, Police Captain Jack Boyle searched for the murderer of Mary Latimer. This book follows Captain Boyle to the bordellos of gaslight-era Detroit—populated by madams, pimps, prostitutes and gamblers. It describes the investigation that led him to a pharmacist that prowled the streets, akin to a real-life Jekyll and Hyde. Ultimately, the book delves into the mind of Robert Irving Latimer, known as the most dangerous prisoner in Michigan and the man who inspired talk about resurrecting the state’s long-dead death penalty.

Writer and researcher Tobin T. Buhk lives in Jenison, Michigan.

Tobin T. Buhk
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 222
Bibliographic Info: 35 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2019
pISBN: 978-1-4766-7634-0
eISBN: 978-1-4766-3593-4
Imprint: Exposit

Introduction 1
Prologue: Law and Order in Jackson, c. November 1888 5
Part I: The Perfect Alibi 11
1. A Barking Dog Never Bites: Discovery of the Crime 13
2. An Unusual Suspect: Robert Irving Latimer and the Perfect Alibi 24
3. It’s All a Matter of Timetables: Unraveling Latimer’s Perfect Alibi 39
4. A Good Offense Is the Best Defense 56
5. Rumors and the Smoking Gun 62
6. Hang ’Em High 72
7. Dirty Little Secrets 79
8. Theater of the Absurd 85
9. Trial of the Century: The Case for the Prosecution 88
10. Enter “Trixy”: The Case for the Defense 100
11. Verdict 115
Part II: #4578, the Most Dangerous Inmate in Michigan 125
12. Dynamite! 128
13. Poisoned Lemonade 142
14. Two Days of Liberty 154
15. Poisoned Pen 171
16. Free at Last! 178
Epilogue: Ghosts, Whispers and Shadows 185
Chapter Notes 201
Bibliography 211
Index 213