Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1900-11-08
ATTEMPTED TO
MURDER HIS WIFE
And When He Failed He Fired His House
in Revenge.

A tragedy was narrowly averted Sat
urday night at the home of Harvey Lam
berson, about two miles below town,
along the Penna. canal, when Lamber-
son, while in drunken frenzy attempt
ed to murder his wife.
When this fell design was frustrated by
the timely intervention of a brother, who
lived neighbor to him, he set fire to his
home and then, Nero-like, laughed while
it burned.
The charge of infdelity on the part of
the husband, brought against him by
his wife, is thought to have led to the
quarrel which resulted so disastrously.
For several weeks past Lamberson and
his wife had been at odds over Mrs.
Lamberson's refusal to countenance
some of his friends.
On Saturday he was away from the
house for the greater part of the day
and when he did return home, about 5
o'clock in the evening.he is said to have
been slightly under the influence of
liquor and very much out of sorts.
AS soon as he was in the house the
old quarrel came up again and Lamber-
son, losing all control of himself, sud
denly grabbed his wife and threw her to
the floor and with murderous ferocity
began to beat her about the face.
firing of this he drew clasp knife
from his pocket and, while with his left
hand on her throat, he endeavored to
open the knife with his other hand and
his teeth, he informed her that she was
going to cut her throat and then kill
himself.
At this juncture the terrified woman
called loudly for help. Fortunately
Lloyd Lamberson, Harvey's brother,
who lives just across the canal was work
ing close at hand and he heard the
screams and rushed to the woman's as.
sistance.
The infuriated man had just succeed
ed in unclasping the knife and was
about to plunge it into his wife's throat
when his brother closed in on him and
while these two were engaged in a life
and death struggle for possession of the
knife, the woman escaped and ran out
of the house.
Thus far the scene of action was the
second story of the house and when, af-
ter hard battle, Lloyd secured the knife
he, in his haste to get away, fell and
rolled down the flight of steps leading
to the kitchen below. As he regained
his feet he noticed shot gun in cor
ner and securing this he ran out on the
tow path and catching Mrs. Lamberson
in his arms he sprang into foot boat
and rapidly rowed to the opposite shore.
While Lloyd was thus engaged Harvey
was still in the house looking for the shot
gun and when he was unable to find it,
rushed out and in his impotent fury,
stood on the bank and hurled stones at
his intended victim as she was being
conducted to safety.
Once across the canal Lloyd made for
his own home which was little later
visited by Harvey who broke in the door
panels with stone and then left, being
afraid to proceed further when threaten
ed with the gun.
When he left Lloyd's house he went
directly back to his own and with the
aid of some paper and his wife's clothes
he set fire to the building in four differ |
ent places and as the flames mounted |
upwards he stood near by and loudly
called to his wife to watch the d
place burn"
Police aid was sent for but before Con-
stable Young reached the scene Lamber-
son had disappeared but later on he was
located at the Susquhanna Hotel, South
Danville, and about IL O'Clock was ar
rested by Officers Mincemoyer and Voris
and placed in the county Jail.
The house and all its contents were en-
trely destroyed. When seen Sunday
Mrs. Lamberson had not entirely re-
covered from the nervous shock she had
suffered and her face bore evidence of
her husbands brutality.
About eight years ago Lamberson at
tempted to take the life of the late Jesse
zimmerman and in consequence he had
to spend IS months in the Eastern Pen
itentiary.