The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-02-06


The circumstances OF the tragedy, as related
at the time by members Of the family, and, so
far as physically possible, confirmed by neigh
bors and physicians who We're on the scene
some OF them very few minutes after the fatal
shooting took place, are as follows. II was near
TO midnight when the family went to bed, The
members OF the household with their guest. Miss
Bertha Sheldon, Of Providence, r. l., had been
having a very merry evening together. There
were in the house at the time, besides Miss Shell
don, Mr. and Mrs Fosburgh, sr., Mr.. and Mrs
Robert S. Fosburgh, Miss May Fosburgh and Miss
Beatrice Fosburgh, the latter girl Of about IA
years of age, All were on the second floor of
the house. Miss May Fosburgh and her sister
Beatrice slept together. Miss sheldon and Mr.
and Mrs. Fosburgh, sr., occupied respectively
two front rooms separated by hall. Mr.. and
Mrs. Fosburg, jr, occupied a room adjoining
that oi May and Beatrice, connected Herewith
by door. Across the hall from the room occu-
pied by May and Beatrice was spare room.
This room had lately been occupied by Mr. and
Mrs. Fosburgh, jr., and in it were a number OF
Mr.. FosburGh's things including clothing and
recently purchased 32.calibre revolver, which was
loaded and lying in bureau drawer Mr. Fos'
burgh, sr., says that he awakened by an
! unusual flashing OF light in the hall near his
room door, which was open. 1t was then about
I.30 in the morning, and he thinks the family
had been in bed about an hour and a halt. He
got partly out OF bed and was confronted by
masked man who held pistol to his head which
Mr. Fosburgh struck out OF the intrlder's hand.
II rolled under the bed and was aiterward found
there-a 42.calibre bulldog Colts revolver. Mr..
Fosburgh then had terrible struggle with the
burglar during which one Of his ribs was brok-
en-. He was struck over the head and badly
bruised by a blow from some weapon. presum'
ably sandclub, in the hands of a second masked
| man who had come to the assistance OF the first.
| Mrs. Fosburgh, who had come to her husbands
| aid, was also badly beaten, but beyond severe
| bruises received lasting injury.
| Aroused by the struggle, Miss May Fosburgh
started to go from her room into the hall. As
| she reached the door man standing on the
| threshold OF the spare room opposite fired two
Shots one Of which struck her in the heart kill
| ing her instantly. As she was sinking to the
| floor, her brother Robert, who was rushing
| through her room to reach the scene OF the
| struggle, caught her in his arms Then he, too,
| had a fierce struggle with one OF the burglars
| and was struck on the head by a confederate as
| his father had been. One burglar rushed down
| the back stairs and escaped; two more burglars
| got out Of window TO a yeranda and so to
| the ground. Miss Beatrice Fosburgh sprang from
| her bed at the same time with her sister May,
| but stopped to turn on the electric light. She
| says, ana sIe mas repeateu thc story over dhu
| over again. under all sorts OF crosseNaminations,
| tht she saw her sister lying on the floor and
her brother struggling with a strange man, one
| of the burglars. Miss Sheldon, who Is slightly
deaf, was not quick In getting TO the hall. When
| she reached there the burglars had fed and the
family were gathered around the dead body OF
May, which hy upon the floor Of Mays room
and near the door. Footprints were found on
the ground by the yerands from which the two
burglars jumped Nearly a mile of a pair Of
trousers were found that were the property Of
Robert s. Foeburgh. At less distance a hat
a shoe, and a mask made of pillow case were
found. Young Mr. Fosburgh's S2'calibre revolver
which had been in the spare'room bureau, wa'
missing and has never since been seen. The bu
let which killed Miss Fosburgh was Of 32'calibrt
of the same size and weight as that which
fitted young Fosburgh's revolver. The Eos
burgh's say they never saw the shoe or the hat
found some distance from the house until thes'
articles were shown to them after the tragedy