St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-08-08
DEEDS OF DARKNESS.
Sensational Robbery of a Wealthy Farmer
Living Near the Village of Pitts
burg, Ill.
de and His Wife Bound Hand and Foot
While the Villains Secure His
Wealth.
AT Boston Parson Downs Secures the
Indictment of One of His
Deacons.
F1e1den Concludes His Testimony In
His Own Behalf at the Anar-
chists' Trial.
A Sensational Robberv,

most sensational character was committed
last night at village on the Illinois & st.
Louis railroad called Pittsburg, at the foot
OF the Cahokia bluffs, about nine miles
from st. Louis. The victim was Lawrence
Furber, German farmer aged 40 years,
who owns one of the prettiest farms in the
whole county. Furber lives in his home
with his wife and has no children. He ID
an industrious and thrifty farmer and had
managed to save considerable money,
portion OF which he kept in his house. II
was about O'Clock that Furber arose fol
the purpose of taking load of cabbage to
the st. Louis market. His wife had been
apprised by him of his intentions, and
while he went to the stable to hitch up his
team she
in the stove to prepare him cup of coffee
before his departure. Furber, having
! hitched up the team and partaken of the
beverage, started off for ST. Louis. He
had not proceeded more than 800 yards
when four men sprang out of the road from
behind some shrubbery, and two of them
grabbed the horses heads, while the other
two placed revolvers at the frightened
farmers temples and counselled him 10 be
quiet. He obeyed and one of the robbe.s
! then drew rope from his pocket. with
which he proceeded to bind the farmers
arms and feet together. He was also about
| to put gag in Furber's mouth, but changed
his mind and warned Furber, however, that
| il he cried out for help he would
PUT A BULLET IN HIS HEAD.
| One of the men at the horses heads then
came back, aud with his assistance the
other two picked Furber up and carried
him back to the house. The other turned
ftNa nr,I
some shrubbery, which concealed the front
of the house from view, was passed. FurbeI
perceived his wife standing at the door and
called to her in German. She looked, and
seeing the three men with her husband
| between them and another leading the
! team, she ran into the house and taking
wallet containing $500 from bureau
drawer threw it under cupboard in the
kitchen. Furber was brought into the
house by the highwaymen and laid on the
bed, and the villains then seized Mrs. Fur
Der, who is close on to so years of age, and
| by means of a rope
PINIoNED HER ARMS AND LIMBS
and laid her beside her husband. One of
them then brought lamp, and by the light
} Furber and his wife saw there were three
men in the room, two of whom were
masked. The third man, who was the
tallest of the three, was not masked, and
! both Furber and his wife think they could
identify him again. The fourth robber
they did not see, he having re-
manned outside to keep watch.
The two men with masks had
revolyers in their hands, and placing the
muZZleS to the heads of the frightened
farmer and his wife, demanded of them the
hiding place of their wealth. Both refused
to reveal it, and one of the ruffians then
seized Mrs. Furber by the throat and
threatened to choke her to death unless she
Informed him where the money was con-
cealed. Furber tried his best to loosen his
arm and free his wife from the ruffian's
grasp, but
| HIS STRUGGLES WE'RE UNAVAILING.
Although the robber left the imprint of
his fingers on Mrs. Furber's throat, she was
firm and refused to tell where the treasure
was hid. The robbers then held short
conference, the result Of which was that
two of them started to ransack the house
while the third renamed guard over the
farmer and his wife. The search lasted an
hour and they finally drew forth from
underneath the cupboard, where Mrs.
Furber had thrown it, the stocking which
contained a great portion of the farmers
savings. When they had secured the treas
ulO tu0 tWO IOUDeIS JOlucu GilolI COlupdulOu
who was guarding the victims. The three
then made an examination of the manner in
which their victims were bound, and
satisfying themselves that they would
have ample time to escape before the
farmer or his wife would be able to loosen
the bonds, they left the house. On the
road they were joined by the fourth robber,
and they are supposed to have taken
road leading to st. Louis. After the de-
palture of the robbers, Mrs. Furber, after
fully an hours work, succeeded in freeing
one of her hands. She then released her
husband. Furber, on going to the front
door. was surprised to find the robbers had
left his team. and he Immediately drove to
J French Village and sent telephone mes
sage to Sheriff Ropiequer. This afternoon
a man named Conroy, who lives near the
Furber place, was arrested, but there seems
no good grounds for holding him.