The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1901-07-29
FAMOUS MURDER CASE.
fKilling of May L. Fosburg Mys-
tilted All Pittsheld.
STORY OF NEW ENGLAND TRAGEDY

Detailed Account OF How the Pitts
field Contractors Family Contend
That the Young Girl Met Her Death.
what the state Authorities Main
tain.
Here is the story Of the Fosburg
tragedy, for which young Robert S.
Fosburg is charged with the shooting
and killing of his sister i'm their home
at Plttsheld, Mass:
May L. Fosburg. IS years old. the
daughter Of Robert L. Fosburg, a con-
tractor, was shot some time before 80
o'clock on the morning of Aug. 20, 1900,
says the New York Times. At that
hour the fire alarm whistle Of the town
began TO blow, and it was found that
the summons came from box situated
near the FOsburg residence. The po-
lice arrived ar las o'clock and were
told that burglars had broken into the
house Of the Fosburgs and that they
had shot and killed Miss Fosburg. The
body was found lying partly in the bed
room which had been occupied by the
young woman. The first outsider to
see the body was DR.. Scofeld. He
found that a bullet had entered her
body Immediately above the heart.
Powder marks were Oh tine nightdress
The bullet, it was afterward alleged,
fitted into the revolver Of young Fos-
burg as did a second bullet which was
found imbedded in comb box stand
ing on the bureau in n room adjoining.
The family gave out the story that
burglars had entered the house and had
killed the young woman. and on the
strength Of the statement searching
parties scattered in all directions even
before the details Of the crime within
the home We're fully understood. No
burglars or suspects were found in the
neighborhood.
On the night of the shooting young
Fosburg and his wife occupied one Of
the rooms in the house of his parents.
Another room was occupied by the par.
ents themselves. another was used by
May l.. Fosburg and by her 14-year-old
sister Beatrice, and still another was
used by Miss Bertha NJ. Sheldon. a Wis
itor from Providence.
Upon examination it was found that
screen i'm window Of an unoccupied
room had been pushed outward upon
the roof of n balcony Immediately out
side. The screen itself was found in
tact, but one corner of it, where the
two sections We're mitered together,
was broken and split. Under the bal
cony, in a number Of newly dug flower
beds, two footprints were discovered
both pointing toward the house; also a
No. derby hat, light in color, the
sweat band of the hat missing. This
was afterward found in the house by
the police.
In the house many burned matches
were found along the Railways. Under
the bed of young Fosburg was a ~
caliber revolver. a patent leather cloth
top button shoe, size Sla was also
found. Continuing the search for the
burglars, pair of trousers, later iden-
tilted as belonging to young Fosburg,
was found in the garden several rods
from the house. Several pairs of socks
were found near the trousers. and with
in 100 yards of these were found pill
lowcases apparently hastily turned
into masks. On one of the posts sup
porting the balcony the muddy finger
marks OF mans hand were plainly
shown.
The state authorities maintain that
young Fosburg shot his sister during
a family quarrel, the bullet being in
tended not for the sister, but for anoth-
er member of the family. The Fos-
burgs declare that on the night of the
shooting three burglars entered the
house, which is on the outskirts of the
town. and that the men hid i'm the attic.
Later, the family maintains, the men
went down to the spare room. whore
they found young Fosburg's revolver.
This was in bureau in the spare room.
After the revolver had been obtained,
according to the family, the burglars
ripped the pillowcases from the bed
and made masks of them. Mr.. Fos-
burg, Sr., said that he was awakened
by n light in the hall and that as he
opened his eyes he found n man stand
ing over him. He jumped TO his feet
and grappled with the intruder, knock
ing the revolver out of his hand. This
is said TO be the revolver which was
afterv ara found under the bed. Then
another burglar came In ana knocked
Mr.. Fosburg unconscious.
At this time, young Fosburg says, his
sister May ran out of her room and
as she appeared was shot by the sec
ond burglar. Fosburg says he caught
her as she fell and, resting her on the
floor, seized the burglar who had fired
the shot. The man. however, ran away,
and, jumping through Che screen in the
window of the spare room, Lie turned
and fired second shot A second
burglar went tearing by Foshdrg in
the darkness and followed he first
man through the window on to the bal
cony. The third burglar took to the
stairs RV this time Mr. EOSburn had