The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-10-10
FURLONG'S BLOODY RECORD.
A Few Incidents in the Career of One of
the Most Desperate of Criminals.
A Man Who Committed Murder When Fif-.
teen Years Old, and Whose Crimes Finally
Compelled Him to Take His Own Life.

ALLAPAHA, Ga, Oct 9-Benjamin w. Fur
long, who committed suicide here two weeks
ago, had led a life of singular desperation From
the time when he was boy to the hour of his
death, he was a terror to every neighborhood in
which he lived At the age Of fifteen a response
ole position in saw mill owned by his brother
in-law, at Pile Bloom, was given him. One day
coiored teamster was found In his wagon, dead
with his throat cut It was developed that young
Furiong had had quarrel with the teamster,
which ended in the tragedy. The murderer dis.
appeared, and was gone several years. When he
returned he resumed his desperate career. with
out ever having been called to account. A little
over two years ago Mr.. r. p. Sheppard,
q wealthy gentleman of Savannah fitted
up saw-miil at Vanceville. on the Bruins
wick & Albany road, in which he invested
$4,000. He placed Ben Furiong and his brother
John in charge of it. and having the utmost
confidence in them. left it entirely to their man
agement The charge of such large business
turr I'D Furlong's head completely. He began
drinking heavily, neglected his wife and family,
and took to the companionship of wantons. One
day he rode up to his house with woman from
Savannah, and. taking her in presented her To-
his wife. saying "Pocahontas, how do you like
thisl Amt she a beautyg" The dishonored wife
broke into tears, whereupon her husband seized
her by the hair and dragged her across the floor,
stamping upon her and breaking a chair to pieces
across her body. The pair then reentered the
buggy and drove off, leaving the wife unconscious
upon the floor. There she was found several
hours later by some passing neghbors. When
hAw n4A~ Al
nation prevailed. Parties of men started
out in pursuit of the recreant hus-
band. He was caught up with at country
house. where he sat with Winchester rife
across his knee ''I'l blow the brains outef the
first man who dares to come near me, he said,
determinedly. For several hours the posse stood
at respectful distance, deeming discretion the
better part of valor and then retired and left
Furlong master of the situation.
Mr. Sheppard soon became aware of the state
of affairs, and dispatched trusted agent TO
Vancevle to take charge of the business.
When the agent arrived at the mill he found
that John Furlong had received information of
his coming, and had scraped together $40, 600 Of
the mills money, and skipped out for Texas.
Three months later news was received Of Johns
tragic death in that State He bid in some prop
erty at sheriffs sale, and offered part payment
in notes.
That was not in the bargain said the
Sheriff.
''You are liar" retorted John. The reply
was bullet from the sheriffs revolver, which
pierced Johns heart
In the meantime Ben Furlong threw off all
restraints. Whenever he made his appearance
all the officers seemed to withdraw in his favor.
On one occasion he boarded train bound for
nu,~~ H. ~ u n
took a seat In front of him sat negro.
"Throw that cigar out of the window, ordered
Furlong.
II have paid for my seat. and do not want to
be disturbed" said the negro.
Instantly Furlong caught the negro by the
head, pulled it back over the seat and made sew
eral lunges with his knife into the negro's throat
Furlong jumped off the car and escaped into the
woods
On another occasion Furlong sought out en-
gineer Brock, on the Brunswick e Albany road
and asked him if he wanted the money which
was due him. On Brock making an affirmative
reply. Furlong said: IF you Go, just take that"
firing at the same time and striking the engineer
in the abdomen.
About six months ago Furlong gave some evil
dence of reformation, to encourage which his
friends united and started him once more in
business. with headquarters at Sniff, on the
Brunswick Il Albany road. But his reformation
was of short duration. He always went armed
and would shoot into a crowd of colored people
just for the purpose of seeing them scatter On
Sept ] he started on big debauch, and was so
desperate that even his confederates feared him.
On the night of Thursday, Sept % he called
his wife and children 10 him. asked them to par
don him for his past bad conduct and declared
that the morning light would find him new
man. After kissing them, he retired to his room,
where he was found an hour later in q comatose
condition, and by his side was an empty lauda-
mum vial The end came before morning, and
with the news of Furlong's death went rumors
of a darker crime. No one would speak for over
a week, and then the story came out which es-
tablished the fact that Furlong had been
driven to suicide because of q murder
which he had committed two weeks before and
in the commission of which he had two confed~
crates On the down freight train of Sept
was Jesse Webb, colored, who was in search Of
employment He was put off the train at the
Sniff mill, where Furlong spotted him n man
who had previously entered into contract with
him. Webb refused to 60 with Furlong, where
upon the latter seized him, and. Handwriting him,
put him under guard of j. M. Lotion. a white
man from Atlanta, and Tom Sharon. Webb
made break for liberty, running toward the
swamp, with Furlong in full pursuit A dis
charge from Furlong's rifle brought Webb 10 the
ground in q clnmD of bushes about 400 yards
from the house. When Furlong returned to the
house he put all under notice that ne would kill
the first that 'peached" Furlong, Lof-
ton and Sharon, each carrying a double bar
relied shotgun went down to where the wounded
negro lay. Furlong, in his desperation, cut tho
victims throat For three days and nights they
kept the victim there in sight of help and yet
giving him none. On the third day they
killed him ana dragged the body into the back
yard where it was buried When the body was
exhumed by the coroner it was found that the
skull was crushed in three places. In the mans
mouth was roll of waste, such as is used for
packing boxes on car wheels. The strange part
of the story 10 that for three weeks fully fifty
men knew Of the murder. talked of it among
and yet stood in such mortal dread
of Furlong that they did not dare tell the story
until his suicide removed all danger. The two
in the murder have fed the coun-
try.
Novel Case of Suicide.
SALISBURY, Md Oct 9.-Rev. J. y, Peniie a
member of the Maryland Methodist Protestant Con-
fcre seventysx years of age, yesterday took his
own life in most singular manner. He knelt down