The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1888-01-06

THE LOCK HAVEN MURDERER TELLS HOW
HE MURDERED THE COLBYs.

Shaffer, the murderer who has been
sentenced to death for the murder of
Mr.. and Mrs. Colby at Lock Haven has
confessed all the facts of the murder
to a Williamsport Grit reporter Fol
lowing is his full confession as given
in Grit:
He says that he came from the West
last Summer on account of the scrape
he got into by passing brass check
on an old farmer and afterward escap-
ing from the officers. He travelled on
freight trains nearly all the way until
he reached Mlesburg, where he left the
railroad and took to the wagon roads.
He went through Bellefonte to Zion,
thence to Hublersburg, and on down
through the Narrows, where he COM
mitted the robberies on Saturday morn.
ing, August 9th, before daylight. On
Saturday morning he went to Colbys
house and got breakfast. To these
people he stated that his name was
Wilcox, and that he was engaged in
hunting stray horses. All day Satur-
day and Saturday night he slept in the
bushes in that locality, and on Sunday
morning went back to Colby's for
breakfast.
Nora Colby recognized him on the
second visit, and asked him if his real
name wasn't Luther Shaffer, and dnd-
ing it was useless to deny it any longer
he admitted that such was his name.
After breakfast he went out and laid
IN the bushes near Dy the house until
Isaiah went out to cut grass to feed the
stock, when he came out of his conceal
ment and went back to the house. He
states that Mrs. Colby mad been very
agreeable to him all alon z, and he i'm
agined that she was "struck on him,
and accordingly he made certain pro-
posals to her which were rejected. He
then took hold Of her to throw her
down, but she struggled and screamed
and her clothing was badly torn. When
she fell she let out frightful scream
which frightened Shaffer and he let her
up, whereupon she ran out of the house
screaming at the top of her voice. He
followed her and told her to stop, but
she refused, so he drew his revolver
and shot at her. when the first shot
struck her she cried out, and turned
half way around and threw up her arm
as she ran, as if to protect her head
from the shots. This fact probably
accounts for the ball lodging in her
back Just as the second shot struck
her she had crossed the stream, where
she fell. He then went over and shot
her in the -"fnished her. as hs
puts it.
Colby, hearing the shots and screams
came in from the meadow with the
basket of grass. Shaffer had concealed
himself in the bushes that grew thick
OH all sides, and as Isaiah came ~
Shaffer shot him aud he fell forward
dead.
He then went back into the houst
and looked about for whatever b,
could find. He took the watch dowI
from the nail, took Colby's pants ant
the gun, and left. He says be took th'
gun for fear some one might discover
the crime at once and start in pursui
OF him, and shoot him with it. Th,
reason he gave for killing these people
was, that as he had been recognized BY
the Colbys and had made the attempt
to outrage Nora when she was alive
he was afraid that the robberies anc
all would come ont lie then started
for Lock Haven, and when be reached
the Pennington bridge he washed him
self and threw away one of the shirt.
be wore. The pants be threw away
after leaving the Edgar house, above
North Bend, while trav ling along the
road toward the lumber camps. lie
says he threw them among the bushes