The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-04-02
NEGRO FIEND'S WORK
MURDERED HIS EMPLOYER AND
HER DAUGHTER.
TRIED TO KILL SECOND CHILD.
HORRIBLE CRIME REPORTED
FROM PHILADELPHIA.

Because He Was About to Be De-
tected in Theft william II. Lane
shot and Killed Mrs. Ella J. Fur
bush, Her 12-Year-OId Daughter
Madeline, and MortaIly Wounded
7-Year-O1d ElOise-Received De-
tective ut House, Who Had Come
TO Investigate Theft, and Then
Skipped Out-Was Caught in Cam
den, n. j., and Made Full Confess
sion.
Philadelphia, April Fearing that
he would be arrested for theft, Will
liam H. Lane, negro butler, shot and
killed his employer, Mrs. Ella ]. Fur
bush, her 12-year-old daughter, Made
line, and probably MORALLY wounded
another daughter. Eloise, aged years,
at their home, No. 652 North Fifteenth
street, shortly before noon to-day.
Lane, who is % years old, escaped
from the house and four hours later
was captured by Philadelphia detec-
tives while waiting in Camden, N. j.,
to board a train for Bridgeton, N. j.
He was Immediately brought to this
city, was identified by little Eloise,
and confessed his crime.
The murder was one of the most cold
blooded that has been committed in
this city for some time. Mrs. Furbush
lived with her two daughters in a fine
four-story house. Lane had been her
butler since Christmas, and besides
him she had another colored servant, a
woman named Agnes. Recently Mrs.
Furbush had been missing small
amounts of money and finally she in
formed the police, who began an inves-
tigation which was still in progress
when to-day's tragedy was enacted.
Suspicion fell on Lane and warrant
was sworn out for his arrest
According to Lanes confession, he
saw Mrs. Furbush on Monday night
counting 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. This
morning Mrs. Furbush missed the
money and questioned the negro, but
he denied all knowledge of having seen
1t. Expecting that the theft would be
placed on him, and that Mrs. FNurbush
would have him arrested, Lane planned
to murder the mother and her children,
rob the house and disappear.
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 in
stantly. Eloise. who was in another
room, hearing the noise, entered and
Lane shot her in the abdomen. She
fell and he thought he had also killed
her. Without even attracting the at
tention of the other servant, who was
ironing in the out-kitchen, Lane went
to the front door and called ia Made
line, who was skating on roller skates
on the sidewalk. 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 going to her death,
Madeline climbed the stairs without
removing her skates. She went into
room adjoining that in which her
mother lay dead. Lane followed her
and as she cheerily called her mother,
the negro shot her through the heart,
killing her instantly.
Met officers at the Door.
Lane, in his confession, says he then
proceeded to rob the house. He quick
ly found $50, two watches and a
pocket-book, and while he was search
ing for the jewelry he was interrupted
by the arrival of two special police
men, who had a warrant for his ar
rest on the charge of larceny. They
asked to see Mrs. Furbush and Lane
showed them to the sitting room on
the second floor and said he would call
his mistress. Recognizing one of the
men as an officer, Lane hastily
put his overcoat on and escaped by
the rear of the house. All was quiet
in the house, and the policemen, hear
ing moan, started an investigation
and on the third floor hallway found
little Eloise. To the policemen she
said
William shot my mother and my
sister, and tried to kill me.''
Quick Work by Police.
She was Immediately sent to hos
pital. Lane was traced to the Penn
sylvia lia Railroad station at Camden,
where he was recognized by one of the
policemen he had admitted to the
house. The officers hustled him on
ferryhoat and out of the jurisdiction
OF the state of New Jersey, and took
him to City Hall. He wore new
clothes and had his old suit of clothes
sent to his sisters home in Burling-
ton, N. j. At the Camden station he
telegr aphed another sister at Bridge
ton that he was coming to see her.
At the police station Lane said he
was sorry for what he had done. He
was surprised to hear that Eloise was
alive and said he always liked her and
hesitated to kill her, but it was neces-
sary to do so''
Now that l have been caught" he
added, Il hope she will live. I am also
sorry for Mrs. Furbush and Madeline,
but poverty tempted me to do it,"
Later Lane was taken to the hos
pital, where Eloise identified him. Lane
corroborated everything the child said.
Lane is the son of a preacher who
lives in Bridgeton, and has served a
term in the Mount Holly. N. j., jail for
larceny, and has been confined in the
huntington, Pa. reformatory.