The New York herald., 1876-07-06
MURDER IN ROCHESTER.

M URDER IN ROCHESTER,.
A POLICEMAN STRUCK DOWN AT HIS POST on
TIE FOURTH OF JULY-aRRAT EXCITEMENT
IN THE CIrY-sCENKs AT THE VICTIMS HoMx.
From the Rochester IN. W Democrat-Chroncls,
July Al
About midnight, while the noise and tumut In the
streets the height Officer Louis Gommengnger
murdered in the discharge of his duty police
man State street. The sad news spread until the
city was wild with excitement 1t announced d
headquarters that the officer had been shot down
State street by drunken oafer, in cold blood ant
without the slightest provocation. At the time tho
port it raining in torrents, but this did
Keep tho excited people tho from running
through the drenching showers down State street u
the scene Of the murder.
MURDER.
About twelve O'Clock man was seen standing on the
side of State street. between the old No.
engine house and building to the SOUTH No. 200
Some say that friend leading him at the time
but others contradict this statement Whether true
not, in moment flash Lighting tho mid.
night darkness and report reverberaed through the
damp air. The flash from a revolver, seemed to
point in tho direction of crowd Of men and boys who
had congregaed near by and who watching the
actions Of the man who soon after became murderer.
Mr.. Cole. seeing this, up Officer LOUIS Com.
mcnginger short distance down State street, and sad
"There is man drunk over there, who Is firing re.
volver intoa crowd" The officer at toward
the place, but at the time tho
across the street opened the gate to the yard in
dorc Hyatt as boarding house. He ran up the
steps, opened the front door and rushed into the hall
lending through the house to BEDROOM In which the
murderer concealed hImselr and in which he stood
when the fatal shot was fired. 1t is about eighteen
sha ,sa @ n Tac The ceiling low @
ton TO the house proper The walls were bare OF all
paper or ornament There was bed in the room, one
or TWO chairs and an Old stool at the north end There
was also mattress the ioor At the time this man
rushed into the room there old lady IN bee
sleeping soundy. On the mattress two children
also sleeping quietly, little thinking the terrible
scene which was TO take place in thor presence
The olncer ON seeing the man cross the street an(
enter the house. made chase alter him. also did Mr..
Cole. just the door closed and shut the man IRON
ms seas ssp we eneIea m - M .nc nan closely followed ~
placed .ees on Tie threshold aud was about seize
The man when a flash lit up the and the report
awoke The scepers The officer fell forward and cried,
Ton, GOD! TX sHor!'
moment attor he exclaimed, ''Go for Doctor"
He clnchcd the murderer, but instantly loosened his
grasp fell OF to sido At this Mr. Cole pushed
his way into the bedroom and saw the wretch again
cooking his revolver ready for making another SHOT
He grasped his hand holding the revolver and pushed
1t to side. As he did so anothei hash was seen
and
ANOTHER SHOT HEARD
Mr. Cole heard the bullet whw By his and ent.r
with thud pastcring the aouth OF the doorway,
about ten twelve inches IRON the casing and about
five feet the floor Mr. Cole suatched the deadly
him with iron grip. The shots were heard through
the doors in the open Streets and ia very lew mo
large crowd OF persons oil oil ages and sexea
were in the yard at the door, in tho hall and in the
room. Assistance was thus at hand and the murderer
taken out into the hall to the rst room 10 the len
then held by strong until policemen could be
sent for. AS tho report Of the murder came up the
reached Oncer Spears first, aud he up the
with all the speed possible entered the house
and was instantly shown TO the room where the mur
derer sitting with men VINO were determined moi
to let him escape the justice which was due
| man who deliberately dcprves another OF fc. officer
| Spears took out his shackies clapped them on the
hands OF the murderer and proceeded take him to
the police station On reaching the street and assng
along large crowd followed expressing their horror al
! the fearful deed aud mutterng words which showed
the feeling which the outrageous deed had engcn
dercd their breasts that the ordinary oi
reIrbution was too slo~ IN such that. On to
the police the officer and his prisoner On
entering the antcroom OF the station house the
shackles taken of the murderer's hands and his
person searched Nothing Of any importance WI.
iound. He had the appearance OF being considerably
intoxicated. and while he remained in the room he
seemed 10 grow more and more intoxicated. This was
thought INTENTIONAL to make people think that
he did not know what he was dong when he did the
was H. C. Fairbanks, and that he resided woco.t,
Wayne county He said that he had wife and one
child living ut home that he came to this city last
Sunday that he had been stopping the National
Hotel He was not at all talkative aud munibled and
suffered considerably IN telling what little gained
in relation to himself Finally hc refused to talk alto
gethcr. beng drunk, he endeavored to mako the
bystanders think, that he unable articulats He
was then to cell No G. and there left to muse
over the dastardly decd which 1t would must
bring upon him vengeance which falls upon all do
hberats murderers
Fairbanks Is man about thirty-nve years old In
height he is nearly five eet ten inches He has sandy
hair and wears full beard and mustache, whose oDlof
is closely allied to rcd he was quite we'll dressed,
! which showed that he was not one OF the ordinary
corner loalcrs almost impossible to judge Of his
character his appearance. from the fact that he
put on such dropping lstcss manner. II straight
cned up and wide awake he would bo taken for
binary man. having nothing OF tho vicious or OF the
dark and scheming about him.
THE WEAPON
/, may be stated here that when he was locked sp
and the revolver he declared that never
owned one in his ic aud that he never carried such
thing about h,s person iIc denied shooting officer
at ALL and declared that II was put-up job him to
deprive hlm OF his liberty and to bring him inso
trouble.
As the officer shot be fell forward and endeav-
orcd grasp his murderer; but his strength seemed
to fail him and he rolled TO side, where williarc
McNciss. who was upon the scene almost it
happened found him. On being laid down he closed
his eyes, and although ho brcaihed it was seen that
he had not long to live The doctor did probe The
wound ior he knew that the officer would die il he
was not already breathing his last As The moments
passed 1t was that life slowly departing, and
at about one O'Clock the spirit Of Louis GommenRinser
| HEAFrRrspryG srHyx
Before many minutes had elapsed the shooting,
or rather, after the officer had passed out OF the world,
the vile of the unfortunate arrived at the house.
The scene which followed her arrival beggars all de-
scrption She flung herself down by the PROSTATE
body, and kissing the cold iace OF her husband,
shricked in agony, "My Louis ain't dead He can't be
ucuul MY LOUIS ~ not ueau she was airly frantlc
with grief and her chdlikc despair and evident agony
drew tears OF genuine sympathy the eyes Of every
man present. rough and hardened to scenes of
many of them were The officers who had gathcrei
there sobbcd like children IL was with difficulty thai
the poor woman was removed from the corpse and LED
again 10 her home where three fntherless little
were also overwhelmed with sorrow and despair
No happier home than theirs existed in the city and
can athon the agony of grief that usurped
the place where before only peace anc happiness and
love rei2ncd supreme.
Coroner Harder was sent for and shortly after tho
officer died he reached the place In accordance with
the wish OF the murdered rs frienas the body
placed ia the Coroners wagon and conveyed Onicei
Gommengingcr's latc residence Adams street. neal
Reynolds An inquest will be held to-day and the
matter will be as thoroughly investigated as possible
THE REVOLVER.
Before leaving the house where the murder was com