The daily gazette., 1880-02-17

AND TWO CHILDREN AND THEN KILLS
HIMSELF.
HARRIsBURG, Pa, Feb. 10, 1880.
A short time ago Charles Lane, re-
siding with his family in the suburbs
| of Bainbridge, Lancaster county,
about eighteen miles from this city,
| declared that he would do something
which would caAse a startling sensa-
ton, and on Saturday the community
in which he lived realized the awful
significance of bis remark. On that
day suspicion seized near neighbor
that Lanes house concealed crime,
from the fact that none of tha in
mates had been seen about the
premises for scv veral days, and an in
vestigation was instituted. Through
one of the windows of the only sleep
ing room in the house were seen the
man ami wife, the latter with child
in her arms in one bed, and q little
girl aged five years and boy three
years, in bed made of rough boards.
1t was evident that horrible crime
had been comm tied and one of the
doors, which had been locked, was
burst open.
A SHOCKING SCENE.
An examination showed Lane and his
wife aud the girl We're dead, aud that
the little boy was suffering severely from
cold and lunger. Lane, who was tall.
lay diagonally across the bid his wife
Was lying with her face toward him.
Her skull was crushed and neck broken,
and her body presented a lIvid appear
ance from the forehead 10 below the
breast. In her al ms tightly clasped was
an infant three months old, which had
evidently been sd iiocated. The faces of
both were tlattenRd out by the contact
with each other, and the bodies were in
an advanced stage of decomposition, es.
pecially That OF the mother. The little
girls neck was broken, and she had evi-
IDENTIFY been dead for day or two. The
hoy in the same bed with his dead sister,
was on his knees With his head buried
In the bed clothing. The appearance Of
his feet Indicated that they had been
badly froze-i. " lien be observed those
who had come he to d them to be qnict,
rs the rest were sleeping. There was
nothing to indicate struggle, and no
weapon could be found with which the
skull of the woman could have been
crushed without leaving a mark.
VIOLENCE AND PoIsoN.
DIR. Weseman, of Bainbridge, who
examined the bodies, thinks Lane pro-
duced the injury by forcing his wife
violently against the rail of the bed.
The doctor made a post mortem exam
ination of the body of Lane, and traced
poison III the stomach, to which he as
cribes his death Although he made
no examination of the stomach of the
little girl, he is convinced that poison
had been administered to her. The
only survivor j. cheerful, and DIR.
Weseman entcrthins hope of his recov-
cry, although hip legs may have to be
amputated near the ankle. He con-
siders the lady, who is taking care
him, his mother, and says his sister is
dead, but his lather is not, and that
ms father had given something to her
which he, the boy, did not want to
take. 1t Is supposed this was poison,
but the little te low evidently has not
swallowed any. Lane thought much
OF the boy and probably saved his life
Tor that reason. DIR. Weseman thinks
Mrs. Lane was dead at least four days
before the tragedy was discovered. =
The last seen of her and the children
alive was on Monday last. Lane was
ahve on Thursday, and is supposed to
have aken poisd II that night.
ANTECkDEkfs OF THE FAMILY
A little girl living In a neiphborinp
mouse on the Same afternoon Jaw tht
who'll family III ther beds, and whlle
looking NJ them was frightened away b,
Lane kicking his dead W.te and sticking
her boy. Sht Informed her mother OF
what she had seen In May last Lane
hnd his family took mp their residence H.
Bainhrideer having come from Carrell
county, Md. After living at Blinbridge
tew months. Mrs Lane left tor her old
nome with her children. 10 December
She returned will one added TO the fam.
ny. lie had, mrahwhile, sold all the fur
nlture and made preparations to leave
the community, and re- umed house-
Keeping with great reluctance. Lane
+ wa us Quite In bis habits, and his do
lhtsiic relations We're very unhappy. His
wife was about ten years older Than us
PoVrrty had nNthing 10 do with the
| crime, as there was plenty TO eat in she