Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-11-16
LUST OF GOLD.
THE DAUPHIN COUNTY MURDER.

Daniel Troutman, whose murder near
Uniontown, Dauphin county, was reported
by telegraph yesterday, was about 6S
years old and the father Of fourteen chill
dren, the youngest being about nine years
old. He was thin, sparely built man,
and OF quiet and unoffending disposition.
He was considered man Of substance and
it was generally known that he had been
appointed executor Of the Bush estate ( a
farm adjoining his own), and, having had
sale, was known to have considerable
amount Of money about the house-proba.
bly, S1,O50 to 81, 100.
On Saturday night, soon after dusk, Mr..
Troutman and his wife went to bed-the
Oldest children having gone to singing
school held in a school house in the vicin-
ity. Hardly had the old people closed
their eyes, before their slumbers were dis
turbed by the presence oftwo men at their
bedside, armed with loaded revOlvcrs,
which were leveled uncomfOrtably close
to their faces.
Mr.. Troutman, says the wife, partially
raised himself in bed and inquired, 'What
is wanted?''
One of the villains replied coOlly: "Wc
want money!" at the same time placing
the pistol barrel close to Mr.. TrOutman'S
face.
The terrified old farmer replied, s. have
no money" The burglar retOrted sharply,
you have, and if you don't hand it over,
we'H murder you."
Mr.. Troutman denied that he had money
! in his possession, but the bold burglar per-
| sisted that he knew better, and told Mr..
Troutman that he was the administrator
of the Bush estate, and that he (the bur-
giarl knew that he had "got money over
there and that he would have to give it
up
The farmer then said he desired to get
up and go to an Outhouse, but the villains
objected to this move. The old man, how
ever, got out of bed walking towards a
window without being molestcd. Over
the top of this window rested 4 double
barrcled shot gun, which was loaded. He
made a motion as if to raise tho window,
but instead, seized the gun and turned to-
ward the burglars, who fled from the
house. Mr.. Troutman followed them. one
going round the south corner, and the
other al opposite direction. He followed
the villain who turned the left corner, ana
shot at him. When returning to come
back, to enter the house, he met the other
villain, running fairly up against the re-
volvcr's muzzle.
The burglar fired, the ball from his re-
volver striking the breast Of Mr.. Trout
man, and entering a vital part, caused his
death in half an hour afterward.
Mr.. Troutman uttercd-a cry and fell to
the ground. The burglar, like beast at
bay, stood all this time glaring savagely At
his victim. Mrs. Troutman, hearing the
second shot, ran out of tho house scream
ing murder" She ran as fast as possible
to Mr.. George Geise's, a neighbOr, and
gave the alarm. The Geisc family went
back to the Troutman house with Mrs.
rroutman, and found her husband weltcr-
ing in gore, where he fell after having
been shot by the burglar. They questioned
the dying man, who replied: Henry
Rumbcrger shot me-" Troutman repeat
cd these words until death cnsued about
Il half hour after the shot was fired.
Mr.. Geise proceeded to UniontOwn, OH
horseback, as speedily as possible, and
narrated the facts of the murder, which
instantly created the most intense excite
mcnt, and talk of lynching the pcrpetrator,
if found, was indulged in. Squire Loud
enslagcr at once issued warrent for the
arrest Of Henry Rumberger and placed it
in the hands of Officer David Willard, OF
Cniontown. \ party consisting of Messrs
Benjamin Dickey, D. J. Snyder, John
Weiscr, Joseph Troutman, Daniel Sheaffer
and Charles Messner, citizens Of Union
town, accompanied the constable, and
search was made till far into the night
without success. Early yesterday morning
rs the party were returning home to Union
town, and when quite near that place, they
met Rumberger, the alleged murderer, ou
horseback coming down the road apparent
ly quite uDconcerned. He was taken to
Uniontown. He protested that he was in
nocent of the crime, and says that he was
ut Tower City. where his parents reside, at
the time the murder is said to have taken
place, and said he came over from Tower
City to assist a farmer to butcher yesterday
morning. He made made his home on the
Bush farm (of which estate Mr.. Troutman
was the administrator and worked occa-
sionally at Tower City, riding back and
forth OH the horse he owns. Tower City
is about nineteen miles from Uniontown.
On Sunday afternoon, it is alleged,
| Rumberger came to TrOutman's and asked
the young people to attend singing school
in the evening, for the purpose of drawing
them away from home.
David Willard and BENJAMIN Dickey
brought Rumberger to Harrisburg on the
day express train from the north, which
arrived at 4:10 O'Clock p. m. There was
4 crowd at the depot to get a glimpse of
the supposed murderer of farmer Trout
man. Officers West and Johns of the
police force made their appearance, and
joined the escort OH their way up town to
Jail. At the depot Rumberger asked for
drink " to steady his nerves, and he was
taken to the bar of the European hotel
where he WAS given some whisky. The
prisoner being hand-cuffed, the liquor had
| to be placed to his mouth so that he could
drink it. A crowd followed the officers
and their prisoners to the prison gate.
Henry Rumberger is a stout, well-built
man, about five feet, seven inches in
height, and is twenty-five years of age. He
is of a swarrhy complexion, with black
hair and heavy black moustache. He
wore black slouch hat, heavy dark over
coat, blue flannel shirt, dark pantaloOns,
and had new gum shoes over his boots.
He had been in the penitentiary once for
stealing harness and gun, and once in
Jail before for petty larceny.
The escaped burglar is described by
Mrs. Troutman as being tall, spare man,
and officers are now on his track. On his
way to Harrisburg, in an unguarded mo-
mcnt, Rumberger made use of several ex-
pressions, which tend to show that he is
anxious to "squeal," in order to mitigate
the terrible crime of which he stands
charged.
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