Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-04-02
A DOUBLE MURDER.
Murder of n Man and His Wife
A Daughter OF the Victims Forced
40 Elope VITA she Murderer.
From, the Fl,nira w W Gazette March q

40 ElOpe VITA ahe Murderer.
From the Elmira IN. " Gazette, March %.
We are in possession of facts connect
ed with the worst murder ever committed
in this section of the State. The circum-
stances are SO horrible that 1t seems almost
impossible to believe such state of de-
praYity could be reached that would lead
to the preparation of crime so daring
and horrible The scene of the unparaH
eled crime lies in the county of Tompkins,
and the immediate location is what is
known as Trumansburg Landing, in the
town of Ulysses. The first intimatiOn of
tragedy was the burning of house oc-
eupied by man named Lunger, on Sun
day night last, and the discovery In the
morning of the charred remains of the
man, together with the half-burned body
of his wife.
The skull of Mr. Lunger exhibited a
fracture as though he had been struck by
heavy weapon. This fact went to show
foul play, and measures were at once
taken to solve the fearful mystery of
which there was evidence. It was soon
afterward discovered that the daughter
of Lunger, young girl of about Is years
of age, was missing, and also young
man by the name of Ferguson, who is
said to be nephew of Lunger, the man
found dead. Circumstances indicated
that they had taken flight together. The
girl was found yesterday morning at
Swartwood's Hotel, at Pony Hollow, in
this county, where she had stayed all
night with the young man Ferguson.
From her lips q terrible story of crime
and villainy was learned. She says
Ferguson came to her fathers
house on Sunday night and killed her
father and mother with an ak. She
states that she was abed at the time, and
was awakened by noise in her fathers
room. Getting up and going to the door,
she saw her father in the act of rising
from the bed, and Ferguson near him with
an uplifted ak. She saw him strike her
father on the head, she says, killing him
with the blow. Ferguson turned to her
and swore he would kill her also If she
did not run away with him. She
could do nothing but comply, as Ferguson
seemed determined to kill her also. Her
mother lay in the bed with her head cut
open and dead, Ferguson first having
killed her with the same ak with which he
dispatched the old man, who was awak-
ened by the noise made in killing his wife,
and met the same terrible fate. Ferguson,
so the girls story goes, set fire to
the house, and, impelled by fear
she went with him. They stopped
Monday night at Swartwood's at Pony
Hollow, both occupying the same room.
The landlord mistrusted that something
was wrong, and detained the girl the next
morning, not letting her go on with the
young man. Last evening two officers
arrived in Households, whittier they had
tracked the murderer from Sullivanville,
where he was seen yesterday morning.
The cause of the reported double murder
is that the young man was in love with
the girl, and that her parents refused to
| countenance his attentions. Out of re-
venge it is supposed he committed the
| horrible deed.
WAvERLY, N. Y, March 24.-Michael
Ferguson, who murdered Lunger and his
| wife at Johannesburg Landing, Temp
kins county, N. Y, on Saturday evening
last, was captured last night about 9
O'Clock, at the residence of his mother, at
Mitchell's Greek, TiOga county, Pa. He
was taken to Ithaca yesterday.