The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1900-08-16
R0BBER CAUGHT.
lhe Man Who Killed Express Mes
senger Lane Near Colum-
bus In Custody.
De HAS MADE A FULL CONFESSION
His Motive Was Robbery to Obtain
Money to Defray Expenses of
His Approaching Marriage.
The Murder and Robbery Was Delhi
er"teiy Planned. the Victim he
Ing nn Intimntc Friend Of the
Murderer Further Details.

''"'' W. from the We'
, pulled into the Union depot Short
,, after ~ O'Clock Friday night Charls
Lane, the express messenger, wa
found dead in the car riddled wit
bullets. The safe was open and a
the valuables taken. The murdc
ana robbery is supposed to have Id
Ken place between Milford Cente
ana Columbus. as no harm had be
ialien the express messenger whcr
The train stopped there. The mes
Senger was alone. NO one heard tn,
shots 1t is supposed the robbcr,
jumped Oft the train rs it slowed m
coming into the Union depot. The
utmost mystery vests the affair. Lane
was about IS years OF age. The Of
Meals of the Adams Express Co. Civ
no statement as 10 the probable
amount of money secured by the rob
bers, but 1t is reported to be con-
siderable sum.
Columbus. o.. Aug. 13.-Charlcs r
III. Ferrell, a former cmplovc of th,
Adams Express Co., was arrested sun
day afternoon in this city and has
confessed 10 the killing Of Messenger
Charles Lane and the robbery Of the
way safe OF the ADAMS Express Co.
on the Pennsylvania eaStbound train
which arrived in this city at midnight
Friday. One thousand dollars of the
money which he had stolen was recov.
cred. Ferrell was TO have been mar
RED Thursday next to Miss Lillian
tostlow. the beautiful young daugh-
ter Of Patrick COStlOw. an engineer
on the Pennsylvania lines. He had
been discharged from the employ Of
the ADAMS Express Go. about three
months ago and had not since been
able TO secure employment He con
fessed that the motive of the rob I.
berry was TO secure money, of which
he felt in great need on account of
his approaching marriage. The mon
ey recovered he had given TO Miss
Costlow TO keep for him, saying hat
it was money he had saved from hi
earnings. lie was at the home of his
afiianced and in her company when
placed under arrest.
Ferrell is but % years Of age AMI
has a splendid physique, being six
feet in height. He has dark hair
md an attracting face and was finely
dressed. When the officers took him
nto custody he assumed nOnchaent
lemeanor but when he found that
le could no longer dS,eive the oh.
'ers, he made full csh.assion After
lis statement haa .Sv" taken by Chief
II Police Tyler and he was led to
ell in the police station.
The confession of Ferrell disclosed
premeditated and blood-curdlins
rime that seemed almost mpossibl,
4 belief TO those who looked upon
he man of gentlcnanly and refined
ppearance, who reluctantly told the
tory of the murder and the robbery.
Ie said that he had become desperate q
ecanse of his inability to secure en- .
loyment and realization of the
let that he must have mon; V 10 pay
lie expenses of his approaching mar :,
age. The robbery had been care =
lily planned and il included the mu-. .
'r Of Express Messenger Lane. He
ld no accomplices and no confiG- u
ITS. He knew Lane well. In fact.
ey were friends and he relied upon
mes confidence to help him exc u
tie the crime. lie knew that consid. VI
able money was always carried by L
c messenger on Pennsylvania train
}. S between st. Louis and Colum. o'
IS and that he was certain to Sc te
re large sum il he robbed the way p'
fe on that train.
Having provided himself with i W
nth & Wesson six shooter, 3s cali bl
r, he went to Urbana Friday morn. in
: and waited for No. 3. When the
lin arrived there Ferrell went at Pf
ce to the express car and told Lane Su
1t he was out of money and asked pa
to ride TO Columbus with ge
II. Lane consented, never for i ne
ment suspecting the treachery OF
pretended friend. For "A short ci,
lie after the train left Urbana they all
ltted pleasantly. Lane sat in r.
Iir i'm the end. of the ear with his Fa
* slightly turned. When Ferrell no
| finally nervcd himself for the lat
ne, he drew his revolver and step (
up behind Lane unobserved and pa
d three shots in rapid succession ex,
, the messengers back. Lane roll. ON,
off the chair on the floor on his ev;
. and Ferrell quickly fred the re- Ia,
ming shots at the PROSTATE body. lot,
e was unconscious but Ferrell, her
ing that the wounds already in
ed would not cause death, took
e's revolver and fired two more T
cts from il into the body. Fer. Ne,
then took the key to the way r
from the pocket OF the dead the
senger and opened the safe AMI r
Lanes revolver inside where H. h.x
d reach IL easily in ease he was ,ho
eted and needed it TO defend him :,