The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-04-02
NEGRO BUTLER SHOOTS AND KILLS
MOTHER AND DAUGHTER AND
WOUNDS ANOTHER CHILD
GREED CAUSE OF THE CRIME
After Chase Murderer Is Caught and
COnfesses to Crime, Admitting
Truth of All the Charges
of AtrOcity.
CALLS LITTLE ONE TO DEATH

PHILADELPHIA, April 1-Fearing
that he would be arrested for theft,
William H. Lane, a colored butler, shot
and killed his employer, Mrs. Ella J
Furbush, her twelve-year-old daughter
Madeline, and probably mortally wounded
another daughter, Eloise, aged seven
years, at their home, No 652 North Fif
teenth street. shortly before noon today.
Lane, who is twenty-five years of age,
escaped from the house, and four hours
later was captured by Philadelphia detec-
tives while waiting in Camden, N. j., to
board train for Bridgeton, N. J. He
was Immediately brought to this city,
was identified by little Eloise, and con-
feSsed his crime.
Mrs. Furbush lived with her two
daughters in a fine four-story house, which
was furnished with all the comfort thai
an ample purse could provide. Lane
had been butler since Christmas, and
besides him she had another colored
servant a woman named Agnes. Re
Gently Mrs. Furbush had been missing
small amounts of money, and finally she
Informed the police, who began an nves-
tigation, which was still in progress when
today's tragedy occurred.
Suspicion fell on Lane, and a warrant
was sworn out for his arrest. Accord
ing to Lanes confession he saw Mrs. Fur
bush Monday night counting a large roll
CT bills. Knowing where she kept the
money he at an opportune moment stole
so.
This morning Mrs Furbush missed the
money, and questioned the servant but
he denied all knowledge of having seen
1t. Expecting that the theft would be
placed on him, and that Mrs. Furbush
would have him arrested, Lane planned
to murder the mother and her children
rob the house and disappear.
Calls Girl TO Death.
At II o'clock he went to the third floor
and found Mrs. Furbush in one of the
middle rooms He instantly shot her
twice, once in the breast and then through
the heart. She died instantly. Eloise,
who was in another room, hearing the
noise, ran in to see what was the matter
and as she entered Lane shot her. She
fell and he thought he had also killed
her
Without even attracting the attention
of the other servant who was ironing in
the out-kitchen, Lane went to the front
door and called in Madeline Furbush, who
was skating on roller skates on the side
walk. He told her that her mother wanted
her on the third floor and without the
slightest suspicion of the tragedy that
was being enacted and that she was go
ing to her death, Madeline climbed the
stairs without removing her skates. She
went into a room adjoining that in which
her mother lay dead. Lane followed her
and as she cheeriIy called her mother,
the negro shot her through the heart kill
ing Eer instantly.
Lane in his confession says he then
proceeded to rob the house He found
only $130 two watches and pocketbook
and while he was searching for the
JeWelry he was interrupted by the ar
rival of two special policemen who had q
warrant for his arrest the charge of
larceny. They asked TO see Mrs Furbush
and Lane showed them to the receiving
room on the second floor and said he
would call his mistress. Recognizing one
OF the men as an officer, Lane hastily
donned his Overcoat and escaped by the
rear of the house.
All was quiet in the house and the
policemen, hearing moan, started an in
Vestlgauon and on the third moor hallway
found little Eloise. To the policemen she
said:
William shot my mother and my sister
and tried to kld me-"
Caught in New Jersey,
She was Immediately sent to a hospifal
and the police dragnet was put in motion.
Lane was traced to the Pennsylvania
railroad station at Camden, where he was
recognized by one of the policemen he
had admitted to the house. The officers
hustled him on a ferryboat and out Of
Ahe JuIlSuIcIlon Oh the state of New Jer-
seY and took him to the city hall Before
gong to Camden he purchased a suit OF
clothes. a light Overcoat a valise and a
box of cigars. He wore the new clothes
and mad his old suit of clothes sent to
his sisters home ir Burlington, N. / A.
The Camden station he telegraphed anoth-
er sister at Bridgeton that he was coming
to see her.
At the police station Lane said lie was
sorry for what he had done. He was
surprised to hear that Eloise was alive.
and said he always liked her ami A5
hated to kill her, but that 'it was neces-
sary to do so.''
Now that 1 have been caught he
added, 81 hope she will recover T am
also sorry for Mrs. Furbush and Made
line, but poverty tempted me to do it and
I must now suffer-
Not His First Crime.
Later Lane was taken to the hospital
where ElOise identified him, saying:
He is William Lane, the man who kill
ed my mother and sister and tried to kill
me. You know you did, William
In his presence her statement was taken
and Lane put the seal Of accuracy to II
by saying:
Everything the child has said is true"
Lane is the son of clergyman wao
lives in Bridgeton. He has served q term
In the Mount Holly. N. ]. Jail for larceny,
and has been confined in the Huntingdon,
Pa, reformatory