Deter Latoni, also spelled Dittar Latoni, (PROSE: Black Orchid) was a Brazilian, and the leader of a friendly Amazonian tribe.
Biography
Latoni and his tribe rescued George Cranleigh from the Kojabe tribe, who considered the black orchid sacred and themselves its guardians; they had tortured and mutilated George for attempting to steal the flower.
He returned George home, and kept him hidden in a secret area of Cranleigh Hall at Lady Cranleigh's request to prevent the world from learning of George's condition. As a family friend, Latoni stayed on as George's guardian and Lady Cranleigh's informant on what George needed or wanted.
On 11 June 1925, Latoni was violently attacked when George's insanity drove him to wanting to escape and elope with Ann. He was left for dead but, in his last conscious moments, managed to slip the key to George's room through a crack in the floorboards. (TV: Black Orchid)
Behind the scenes
- It is unclear on-screen as to whether George does actually kill Latoni, or if Latoni is merely rendered unconscious by the attack — as stated in Terence Dudley's novelisation of the story. Whatever the case, Latoni is not seen on-screen again after George's escape.