The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-04-16
SERVANTS AWFUL CRIME
KILLED Mother and One Daughter
and Wounded Little Girl.
eNTiCED ONE VICTIM TO DEATH

After Shooting Family. Negro Butler Lss
Detectives Into the House and Es'
capped, But Confessed when Caught.
Decd Inspired sy the Fear Of Afrsst-
frassdy Occurred IN PhiladsIphia.
Philadelphia. Pa.-Fearing that he
would be arrested for theft. william
q. Lane. q colored butler. shot and
killed his employer. Mrs. Ella J. Fur.
bush. her twelve-year-old daughter
Madeline. and probably mortally
wounded another daughter. Elolse.
aged seven years, at their home In this
city. Lane escaped from the house.
but was captured and confessed his
crime.
Mrs. Furbush lived with her two
daughters In a fne four.story house.
which was we'll furnished. Lane had
been her butler since Christmas. and
she had another col6red servant,
woman.
Recently Mrs. Furbush had been
missing small amounts Of money. She
informed the police, who began an In.
vestigation. which was still In pro.
gress when the tragedy occurred. Sus-
picIon fell on Lane. and warrant was
sworn out for his arrest.
According to Lanes confession, he
saw Mrs. Furbush counting q large
roll Of bills. Knowing where she kept
the money he bided his time. and at
an opportune moment late In the even.
Ing he stole SO.
In the morning Mrs. Furbush missed
the money. and questioned him. but he
denied all knowledge Of having seen
the money. Expecting that the theft
would be traced to him. and that Mrs.
Furbush 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 shot her
twice. once In the lungs. and then
through the heart. She died instantly.
EloIse. who was in another room,
hearing the noise. ran to see what was
the matter, and as she entered Lane
shot her I'm the abdomen. She fell. and
he thought he had also killed her.
without attracting the attention Of
the other servant. who was ironing In
the kitchen. Lane went to the front
door and called.in Madeline. who was
skating on roller skates on the side
walk. He told her that her mother
wanted her. 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 called her
mother, the negro shot her through
the heart, killing her instantly.
Lane. In his confession. says he then
proceeded to rob the house. He quick.
" found $3.50. two watches and
pocketbook. While he was searching
for the jewelry he was interrupted by
the arrival Of two special policemen,
who had a warrant for his arrest on
the charge Of larceny. They asked to
zee Mrs. Furbush.
Lane showed them to the sitting
room on the second door and said Ke
would call his mistress. Recognizing
one Of the men as an officer Lane has
tily donned his overcoat and escaped
by the rear Of the house.
The policemen, hearing a moan,
started an Investigation. and on the
third door hallway found little
Eloise. To the policemen she said:
"William shot my mother and my sis
ter and tried to kill me-" She was I'M
mediately sent to the hospital and
the police drngnet was put In motion.
Lane was traced to the Pennsylva.
MIA Railroad station at Camden. where
he was recognized by one Of the po-
licemen he had admitted to the house.
The officers hustled him on ferryboat
and out Of the Jurisdiction OF New
Jersey.
At the police station Lane said he
was sorry for what he had done.
Later Lane was taken to the hospital,
where EloIse identified him. saying:
He Is William Lane. the man who
killed my mother and sister and tried
to kill me. You know you did. Will
iam." In his presence her statement
was taken. and Lane put the seal OF
accuracy to 1t by saying: Everything
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