Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-07-24
FAMOUS MURDER CASE.
Killing of May L. Fosburg Mys-
titled All Pittsheld.
STORY OF NEW ENGLAND TRAGEDY

| 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
at Pittsfeld, Mass:
May l.. Fosburg. Is years old, the
daughter of Robert L. FoSburg, a con-
tractor was shot some time before l 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 10 blow, and it was found that
| the summons came from a box situated
near the Fosburg residence. The po-
| flee arrived at 1:4S o'clock and We're
| 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 i'm the bed
room which had been occupied by the
young woman. The first outsider 10
see the body was DR.. Scofeld. He
found that a bullet had entered her
body Immediately above the heart.
Powder marks were on the niShtdress.
The bullet, ii was afterward alleged,
fitted into the revolve4. of young Eos
burg, as did n second bullet which was
found imbedded in a comb box stand
ing on the bureau in a 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 were 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
n screen in n 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 were inferred together,
was broken and split. Under the bal
cony, in n number of newly dug flower
beds. two footprints were discovered,
both pointing toward the house; also a
No. Z derby hat, Fight 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 A
caliber revolver A patent leather cloth
top button shoe, size SI2. 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 n mans hand were plainly
shown.
The state authorities maintain that
a family quarrel, the bullet being in
tended not for the sister, but for anoth-
er member of the family. The Eos
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 in the attic.
Later, the family maintains. the men
went down to the spare room, where
they found young Fosburg's revolver
This was in a 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.. Eos
burg. Sr., said that he was awakened |
by light in the hall and that as he |
opened his eyes he found a 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 |
afterward found under the bed. Then |
another burglar came in and 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 bad fired |
the shot. The man. however, ran away, |
and. jumping through the screen in the |
window of the spare room, he turned |
and fired a second shot A second
burglar went tearing by Fosburg in
the darkness and followed the first
man through the window on to the bal
cony. The third burglar took TO the
stairs. BY this time Mr.. Fosburg had
consciousness and came TO the
assistance OF his son, who collapsed.
Then Mr.. FosburS. Sr., opened win
dow and cried, giving the alarm.
The search commenced that night for
the burglars. continued all night and
for many days afterward. Mr.. Fosburg
offered large rewards for the capture