Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1902-04-03
GLOATS OVER HIS CRIME
When Asked Why He Killed Mrs. Far-
bush and Her Daughter, William
Lane Replied That They
Deserved 10 Die.
HE ESCAPED TO CAMDEN, N. ].
But Was Quickly Captured and
Brought Back.
CONDITION OF WOUNDED GIRL CRITICAL

Fearing that he would be arrested for
theft, William II. Lane, cOlored butler,
shot and killed his employer, Mrs. Ella j.
Furbush. her l2-years- daughter Made
line and probably nortnlly wounded another
daughter, Elpise aged years, at their
home, i52 North Fifteenth street, Philadel-
phin, Tuesday. Lime escaped from the
house, but was captured and confessed his
crime.
Mrs. Furbush lived with her two daughters
in fine four-story house Switch was well
furnished. Lane had been her butler since
Christmas. and she had another colored SER
want, IL woman.
Recently, Mrs. Furbush had been missing
small amounts of money. She informed the
police, who began an Investigation, which
was still in progress when Tuesdays
tragedy occurred. Suspicion fell on Lane,
and warrant was sworn uutf or his arrest.
According to Lanes confession, he saw
Mrs. Furbush on Monday night counting
large roll of bills. Knowing where hha Kept
the money, he bided his time, and at I'm
opportune moment late in the evening he
stole so.
Tuesday morning Mrs. Furbush missed
the money, and Questioned him, but he do
MED all tIipwledge of having seen the
money. Expecting that the theft would b
traced TO him, ana that Mrs. Furbush would
have him arrested, Lane Planned TO murder
the mother and her children, rob the house
ind disapps1r,
At II O'Clock he went to tho third floor
and found Mrs. Eprbush in one of the mid
die rooms. H. shot her twice, once in the
langs and then through the heart. She died
Immediately.
tlnise, VIII WI, in another room, hearing
the noise, ran 10 See what was the matter,
aud rs she entered Lame shot her in the alb
d1ihGn. She fell, ana he Thought he had
ni-U Killed her.
Wuhctit attracting the attention Of the
ether servant, who was ilonnl, IN the
kitchen, iAne went 10 the iron; door and
called in Madeline, who WINS Bkiiting on
roller skates on the sidewalk. lie told her
that her mother wanted her. Madeline
climbed the sAirs without removing her
skates. She went into room adjoining that
in which her noiher lay d"ad. Lane fol-
lowed her X! az shs called her luothtr, the
! negro -l!si bar through the heart, killing
her ius-:'tly.
Lane, - his confession, said hc then pro-
ce-.arG to rob the house. He quietly found
Sl;D two watches and pocketbuNk. While
he was snarchlng fer the jewelry he was in
| terrupted by the arrival of two special
policemen, who had II warrant for his unrest
on the charge of larceny. They asked TO zee
| Mrs FurbuRh.
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, Lame hastily donned his oyercoat
and escaped by the rear of the house.
The policemen, hearing II moan, started
| an investigation, and on tn third floor hall
| way found little Eloise. 10 the policemen
she said: ''Willinn shot my mother and
| my sister and tried 10 kill me. She was
| Immediately sent toa hospital and the police
dragnet was put in motion.
Lane was traced to the Pennsylvania rail-
road station At Camden, where he was recog
nized by one OF tn policemen he had adj
mitted to tho hnuS'. The officers hustled
hin on a fcrryhuNt and cut of the inrisdic-
| ton of New JeIsay and took him TO the
Philadelphia City HAIL.
Before going 10 Camden he had purchased
a suit'of clothes, iignt overcoat, a valise
and box of cigurs. He wore the new
clothes and had mis- OH suit sent TO his
sisters home, in Burlington, N. j.. At the
| Camden station hn te".slupned another sister
at Bridgeton lhlt he WAS coming to see her.
| Later Lane wis taken to the hospital,
where Eloisa identified him, saying: He is
| William Lane, the man who killed my
mother and sister and tried to kill me.
| You know you did, William In his pres
| ence her statement was taken, and Lane put
the seal of accuracy 10 II by saying
Everything the child has said is true
Lane is the son of a preacher who lives in
| Bridgeton, and has served term in the
Mount Holly n. j. jail for larceny and
has been confined in the Huntingdon PA. }
| Reformatory.
| Philadelphia, Pa, April 2.-After purely
| informal hearing, today, William Lane, the
colored servant who yesterday murdered
| Mrs. Ella j. Furbush and her daughter
Madeline and fatally shot Eloise Furbush,
another daughter, was held to await the
action of the coroner.
Lane was perfectly cool, and expressed no
regret for his crime. When asked what
caused him to kill the woman and child, he
| said: They deserved TO die" On learning
that Eloise was still living, though sinking
| rapidly, he said: II am sorry she suffers SO
much. | did not intend that she should
| suffer-
Coroner Dugan has not yet completed his
| investigation of the case. He visited the
scene of the murder today, and, 1t is under
stood, questioned Charles A. Furbnsh, the
reputed husband of the murdered women.
Mr.. Furbush spent last night In the house
| where the crime was committed, but the
| police officers who are guarding the prem
| Uses said he was not in IL condition as yet To
make statement Mrs, Furbush's correct
name is Ella Jarden.
Concerning the kidnapping of the muir
derer from Camden by the detectives, Prose
cutor Lloyd of CarldCn county said today
No steps will be taken against the detective
kidnappers. The exigencies Of the occasion
hardly Justify n strict Interpretation uf the
| law. While 1t is true there was a violation
of territorial rights. il is also true that the
condition OF the child lloisu was such ms to
Justify the officers in getting Lane before
her MS quickly as possible, even il this had
TO be done in an irregular hummer.