Milford chronicle., 1902-04-04
.FAMILYKILLED BY NEGRO
Mrs. Furbush and Two Daughters
Shot IN Their Home,
CALLED CHILD TO HER DEATH

CALLED CHILD TO HER DEATH |
William Lane Planned to Murder
Mother and Children, Rob the House
and Disappear-confecsed Crime
When Arrested.
Philadelphia, April Fearing that
he would be arrested for theft, Will
liam H. Lane, a colored butler. shot
and killed his employer, Mrs. Ella ].
Furbush; her 12-year-old daughter.
Madeline. and probably mortally
wounded another daughter, Eioise.
aged Z years. at their home, 652 North
Fifteenth street, shortly before noon
yesterday.
The murder was one of the most
cold-blooded that has been committed
in this city for some time. Lane had
been her 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 investigation, which was still in
progress when yesterdays tragedy
was enacted. Suspicion fell on Lane,
and a warrant was sworn out for his
arrest According to Lanes confes-
sion, he saw Mrs Furbush on Monday
night counting a large roll of bills
Knowing where she kept the money,
he bided his time, and at an opportune
moment late in the evening. he stole
$40 Expecting that the theft would
be placed on him and that Mrs. Fur
bush would have him arrested, Lane
planned to murder the mother and
her children, rob the house and dis
appear.
At II o'clock he went to the third
floor and found Mrs. Furbush in one
of the middle rooms. He instantly
! shot her, once in the breast and theI
I through the heart. She died instantly
Eloise, who was in another room, OF
hearing the noise, ran in to see wha
was the matter, and as she enterel
Lane shot her in the obdomen. Shi
fell, and he thought he had also kille'
her. Without even attracting the at
tention of the other servant, who wa
=. ironing in the outlkitchen, Lane wen
to the front door and called in Made
! line, who was skating on roller skate
: on the sidewalk He told her tina
: her mother wanted her on the thir
: floor. and without the slightest susp
= cion of the tragedy that was bein
enacted, and that she was going to he
: death, Madeline climbed the stair
: without first removing her skates. Sh
- went into a room adjoining that
y :, which her mother lay dead. Lane 70
= lowed her, and as she cheerily calie
: her mother, the negro shot her throug
- the heart. killing her instantly.
Lane in his confession says that
=. then proceeded to rob the house. =
!. quickly found $3.50, two watches an
- a pocket book, and while he W;
- searching for the jewelry he was i
~ terrupted by the arrival of two sp
~ cial policemen, who had a warra
~ for his arrest on the charge Of Ia
= ceny. They asked to see Mrs. FL
~ bush, and Lane showed them to Il
~ sitting room on the second floor al
= said he would call his mistre.
an Recognizing one of the men as an
- ficer, Lane hastily donned his ov'
coat and escaped by the rear of t
. house. All was quiet in the house. a.
- the policemen hearing a moan start
H. an investigation, and on the thi
floor of the hallway found little Eloi
NJ To the policeman she said: ''Willis
an shot my mother and my sister, a
up tried to kill me"
Lane was traced to the Penns
S. vania Railroad station at Camd'
no where he was recognized by one
rst the policemen he had admitted to
est house. The officer hustled him OF
my a ferryboat and out Of the iurisdicti
the of the state of New Jersey and to
UNI him to the City Hall.
no Later Lane was taken to the hos
tile tai, where Eioise identified him, s
18th ing: "He is William Lane, the n
sto- who killed my mother and sister, g
aid tried to kill me. You know you
for william" In his presence her sta
aid ment was taken, and Lane put
seal of accuracy to it by sayil
Everything the child has said
oct. true
49, Lane is the son of a preacher. v
~ lives in Bridgeton, and has served
~ term in the Mount Holly, n J.,
Sad and has been confined in the Hunt
~ don (Pa) Reformatory.
~ There seems to be a mystery
-ht garding the domestic life Of Mrs T
go bush. In the neighborhood where
ove lived she was variously known
Mrs. Furbush and Mrs. Fisher
woman, who was AZ years of age,
ard. we'll supplied with money, owned
ella fine house she lived in, had her {
ban horses and carriages. and lived
Ri of ease. AS a result of an invest
an ton, Coroner Dugan is endeavol
The to secure the attendance at the
ap- quest of Charles A. Furbush, wea
neir manufacturer of milling machinery
this city.