Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-04-16
A MACON MURDER.
Full Details of the Shooting of William
Iandshernc by q Clerk


William Landsberg, junior member of
the firm of NJ. Nussbaum & Company,
wholesale dry goods dealers, Of Macon,
was shot and killed in his store by j. r. b..
Danforth, the entry clerk OF the house, at
Macon Monday night between and 8
o'clock. A self-cOcking 42-calibre Smith
& Wesson revolver was the weapon used
and five shots were fired, four of which
entered the breast and one the left cheek
Death was almost instantaneous, the
victim surviving only long enough to rush
out of the store into the street, and fell
dead before the door. The murder is 81
years of age, and a son of the late Oliver
DanfOrth, of Macon. He was considered
a very quiet young man. After the shoot
ing he voluntarily surrendered himself
and was lodged in jail. The Coroner's
jury returned verdict Of murder. The
cause of the shooting was a dispute about
wages.
NJ. Nussbaum, the senior member Of
the firm, testified that week
ago Landsberg discovered that, by an
oversight, Danforth had been drawing sal
airy for nearly year at the rate of a thousand
dollars year. while he had been engaged at
$500; that he, Nussbaum, called Danforth into
the office and stated the facts to him, and told
him he could pay the oyerdrawn amount back
at the rate of $40 month or quit. Danforth
said nothing, but his associates say he looked
very pale and desperate all day. 1t appears
he entered the Office at I, found Landsberg at
his desk and riddled him with bullets. What
passed between the two men prior to the
shooting is not known, as they were the only
two persons in the store at the time. The fol-
| lowing statement was made by the prisoner
to a Tele0rdph and Messenger reporter:
81 was keeping books for Gus Nussbaum
when he sold out in 1882. | had the
choice of staying with Doody or going with
| Nussbaum. Mr.. Landsberg wanted me as
entry clerk, but did not think could fill the
position, never having done anything but
bookkeeping. and | declined the place. This
was in February. In March / finally accept
ed the place, they, Nussbaum & Co., agreeing
to keep me eighteen months whether pleased
them or not. ] went there and received $50
ed to 500, and when Landsberg found out that
| was getting that much he said it was wrong;
and that must pay back all
over $50 | received. | refused, and this
caused him to dislike me and make it very
disagreeabe. Last summer, when Mr.. NusS-
baum and Mr.. Landsberg were in New York,
l wrote to them asking for an increase of
salary to $1,000 a year, Mr.. Nussbaum sent
Landsberg home to arrange the salaries for
the year. In the wholesale department, July
is the month in which clerks are hired and
salaries fixed. In the retail department
September is the month. Well, Landsberg
came back from New York, and he, with Mr..
Fried of the firm, arranged the salaries.
saw the Slip handed to the bOOkReeper, and so
did Mr.. Tom Rogers In Mr.. Fried's own hand
writing, and written with an indehble pencil,
was my salary fixed at $1,000 and l received
my salary at those figures regularly. Lands
berg made it very disagreeabe for me all
along, but | made up my mind to do every
thing he asked me, no matter how unreasOn-
able it was, and | did so uncOmplainingly.
But at last he became so Overbearing that the
clerks noticed il, and ! became frightened
lest should lose my job, / had a mother and
sister to support, and | was anxious about 1t.
l went TO Mr.. Nussbaum and asked him If
was giving satisfaction. He told me as long
as attended to my business l was all right.
| This satisfied me and ! continued on. Yes
terday morning Mr.. Nussbaum and Lands
berg were in the office and both spoke to
me about the salary. They said had taken
mean advantage of them, and that must re-
celve SG5 and pay back the difference of ST. 600
year. They said great deal to me which
was very harsh and unjust. This worried me
all day and | made up my mind what to do. |
thought this way about it: | could not sup
port my mother and sister on such a salary,
ami II ] quit Landsberg and Nussbaum would
ruin my reputation so / could not get any
other place, so l thought l would kill Lands
berg. After supper went TO the store. He
got there a little ahead of me. | had no kew.
and he let me in There was no one about but
he and myself. After going in | went to the
closet and then returned and fired five
times. All the shots were fired in the
Office. Neither one of us spoke a word,
After ] fired the last shot he walked out
the side door of the Office to the sidewalk and
fell. / came out after him and threw my pis-
tOl on the ground, and going up to two men
told them to take me to the barracks They
were not policemen, but just then a crowd
came running up and with them an officer.
execute me for it do not care. | want the
public to know that l had proVocatiOn for
what did. / was so wrought up that hardly
knew what to do, and what did was forced
to-
Mr. Landsburg was buried yesterday
afternoon.