The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1900-08-16

Columbus. Ohio, tSpeciaD. Charles
X. II. Ferrell, former employee of the
Adams Express Company, was arrest
| I'd in this city and has confessed TO the
killing of Messenger Charles Lane and
the robbery of the way safe OF the
Adams Express Company on the
| Pennsylvania east-bound train which
arrived in this city at midnight Fri
| day. One thousand dollars of the
money which he had stolen was -
covered.
The crime was not discovered ;mtil
the train pulled into Union Station
here Friday night. When Extra Mes.
senger Sheldon, of the Adams trans
fer office at the station, went to the
car he was surprised to find the side
door, which is usually opened ~ the
messenger as the train pulls into the
| station, closed. Pushing the door back
| sheldon was startled by the sight Of
| Lanes body lying in pool of
! blood. The robber had taken the key
Of the local safe from the messengers
! pocket, opened the safe and looted It,
| Great mystery surrounded the crime,
ana II caused a sensation here.
Ferrell was TO have been married
next Thursday to Miss Lillian Cost
low, daughter of Patrick Costlow. an
engineer on the Pennsylvania lines.
He had been discharged from The cm-
| ploy OF the Adams Express Company
about three months ago and had not
! DCen able to secure employment since.
Ferrell confessed that the motive of
the robbery was TO secure money of
which he felt in great need on account
OF his approaching marriage. The
money recovered he had given to Miss
| Costlow to keep for him, saying that
II was money he had saved from his
earnings.
lie was at the home of his fiancee
and in her company when placed un-
der arrest.
| Ferrell is but q years of age and
has a splendid physique, being six
feet in height with dark hair and an
attractive face. When he found that
he could no longer deceive the officers
he made a full confession. After he
was led to a cell he was in a state of
nervous collapse and was closely
watched
The confession disclosed a premedi-
tated and blood-curdling crime that
seemed almost impossible of belief.
Farrell said he had become desperate
because OF his inability to secure en-
| ployment and realization of the fact
that he must have money to defray
the expenses of his approaching mar
riage. The robbery had been careful
ly planned, and it included the murder
Of Express Messenger Lane He and
Lane were friends. He knew that con-
| siderable money was always carried
by the messenger on Pennsylvania
| train No. between st. Louis and CO.
lumbus, and that he was certain to
secure large sum If he robbed the
way safe on that train.
Having provided himself with a
Smith & Wesson siX-shooter, 38 cali
ber, Ferrell went to Urbana Friday
morning and waited for No. 8. When
the train arrived Ferrell went at once
to the express car and told Lane that
he was out of money and asked per-
mission to ride to Columbus with him.
Lane consented. For a short time af-
ter the train left Urbana they chatted
| pleasantly Lane sat in chair in the
end of the car with his back slightly
| turned.
When Ferrell could finally nerve
himself for tho crime he drew his re-
volver and stepped up behind Lane un-
observed and fired three shots in rapid
| succession into the messengers back
Lane rolled off the chair on the floor
on his face and Felrell quickly fired
the remaining shots at the PROSTATE
body. Lane was unconscious, but Fer
rell, fearing that the wounds already
inflicted would not cause death, took
Lanes revolver and fired two more
bupllets from it into the body Fer
rell then took the key to the way safe
from the pocket of the dead messenger,
opened the safe, took out all the sacks
containing the money packages, money
orders and way bills, placed them in a
small satchel and waited until the car
arrived at Plain City, when he slipped
off the train.
Detectives ONeil and Dundon OBJ
| tanned the clue that led to Ferrell's
apprehension at the Plain City Hotel.
AS soon as it was learned that Fer
rell had given the money to his sweet
| heart Inspector Barron went to the
house and secured il. The young lady
was utterly prostrated by the disclo-
sures. She had not suspected Ferrell
of wrongdoing and the news was ter
rible shock to her and her parents,
who had regarded Ferrell as 4 model
young man.