Herman Donald Coppes: AKA Albert Walter Huth: Murder/Escape

Herman Donald Coppes was born 27 Feb 1899 Aurora, IL, to William Coppes & Louise Elizabeth Mihm.

Article that goes with above phone is at this link

https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-star-ledger-herman-coppes/205934341/

He was place in St. Charles School for Boys in Elgin, IL for stealing a motorcycle and money from a schoolteacher. His crimes started at age 12.

St. Charles Boys’ School in Illinois

The historic “St. Charles school for boys” refers to the Illinois State Home for Delinquent Boys, later renamed the Illinois Youth Center–St. Charles, a reformatory institution established in 1902 and still active today.

In April of 1913 at age 14, he was sent to Manny Sleep's farm to help while still on probation. While there he fell in love with their 11-year-old daughter Ida. Maude Manny the mother was furious and said no she's too young. This enraged Herman and he grabbed a revolver shot Maude and her two youngest children Orville age 2 and Sarah age 3 he bludgeoned them to death and threw them all down the cistern and emptied the gun into the bodies.

Something like this, just an old dried up well with a cover over it

Herman then wrote a note for Ida to make dinner as she was visiting a neighbor and would be back late. Manny saw the note didn't think anything of it until the next day when he found the bodies in the well. Herman confessed.

Herman's trial was scheduled for May 19th; he was sentenced to life in prison and became prisoner #3008 at Joliet Prison in Joliet, IL.

Rockford Daily Republic

Rockford, Illinois

Thu, Jun 12, 1913 · Page 1

https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-star-herman-coppes/205969519/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-journal-herman-coppes/205969289/

Morris Herald-News

Morris Daily Herald

Morris, Illinois

Tuesday, August 19, 1924, Page 1

He becomes a model prisoner and is moved to an Honor Farm and escaped in 1924, allegedly killing more people.

https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-jamestown-sun-herman-coppes/205969672/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/belvidere-daily-republican-herman-coppes/205969635/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-true-republican-herman-coppes-aka-al/205967323/

Herman was gone, he took an alias Albert Walter Huth and he settles in Denver, Colorado, where he married 14 May 1929 to Mollie Katherine Kell (1911-1973) and they had the follow children.

Clara Katherine Huth

1929–2013

Ruth Louise Huth

1931–2001

William E Huth

1933–1990

Richard L Huth

1933–1974

Edward Max Huth

1938–2013

Raymond Albert Huth

1942–2009

They all had multiple marriages most as a result of divorce.

Herman was caught in 1944 and Mollie divorced him.

He was working for the Gates Rubber Company in Denver, Colorado. HIs WWII Draft Card has his alias on it, but he kept his birthdate and place of birth the same.