Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-06-12
A Bloody Mystery Up at Little Wash.
ingtOn, Yesterday.
JAMES LANE IS THE VICTIM,
Of What Seems to be a Most Hor-
rible Crime-Intense Excite
ment Throughout the Com
munity-Hundreds Join In the
Search for the Body Lanes
Hat, Containing a Large Guam.
tity Of Blood, Found.

Washington, Pennsylvania, and all 4
the surrounding country wasA "a stats1
Of wild excitement, yesterda
The cause was the sudden and mys-
.erious disappearance OF James Lane,
popular aRd weli-to-do citizen OF tho
county.
The belief that he had been brutaily
murdered was almost universal. last
night, and scores and hundreds OF reo-
pie wero searching everywhere for
some trace OF his bedy.
The belief in foul play was decidedly
strengthened by the discovery OF Lanes
hat, containing quantity ef blood.
Mr.. Lane was huxster, residing
near Washington, and was q young man
widely respected and universally known
throughout the community. The crime
popularity supposed TO have been
committed is supposed 20 have
had robbery as an incentive.
All day yesterday, and until d
very late hour last night, over two
hundred men secured the country sur
rounding the town for a trace CT the
missing man. His hat, having In II n
pint OF elotted blood, was discovered
but up 10 very late hour no additi
tional clue as to his whereabouts orr
fate had come TO light.
Mr.. Lanes residence was Eve miles
out the National pike towards Browns
vile. Last Friday he visited Washing
ton, and shipped considerable amount
OF produce TO the Pittsburg market.
Saturday evening he again went 70
Washington, where be received
the pay for the stuff shipped
by him the day before. He re-
ceived about three hundred dollars,
which he tied up In two handkerchiefs,
and with the cash secured In this man
ner hs le.t town about $3.50 o'cioeR 10.
the evening, beiag on horseback. de-
was last seen alive at Pancake, q su-
burb OF Washington, about 9:l5 o'clock.
A brother and sister Of the missing
man were attending an entertainment
Saturday evening, At school house
near their home. When they returned
they found Mr.. Lanes horse standing
at the stable door, but no signs OF tbs
rider. They Instituted search which
was fruitless, and then informed SOW
eral friends aud neigbbors, and
more extensive quest was commenced.
A short distance from Mr.. Lanes homo
the missing mans hat, partially filed
with blood, a. stated, was discovered,
and short distance away, lying on the
pike, were the handkerchiefs In which
the money had been tied. Several let-
ters addressed TO Mr., Lane were near
by.
knowing OF these discoveries in avery
short time, the whole neighborh0od was
quickly aroused, and parties were scat
tered everywhere locking for some fur
ther trace OF the body or some add
tionaI clue. but up TO eleven o'clock last
night nothing more had been discovered,
although the entire day had been spent
In a faithful and careful search.
The most generally accepted theory
Is that some distance back towards
Washington from where the handker-
chiefs and letters were found, the miss
ing man had been uaylaid and killed
and the body traBsported-most probs-
bly, in buggy-to about the
polnt where the bloody hat
was discovered. Whether II was
taken further along the road or
removed through the country 70 one
side or the other, is the merest guess
work at present. A young lady al "a toll
gate near the Lane residence says she
saw two strange and suspicious persons
passing along the road early saturday
evening, but she seems unable 10 give
any very tangible description OF them.
That Lane is dead. every one In the
vicinity OF Washington. so far as Known,
implicitly believes Who his murderers
are, or what was done with the body.
are matters for hundred conjecture
and much theorizIng, but tangible facts
except what has here been stated, ca
not be had.