Evening journal., 1889-04-01
KILLED BY HIS BROTHER.
The Shocking Work Of a Lazy
Young Negro.
ESCAPE OF THE MURDERER

his Victim. After kissing His Child,
Falls Dead at His wife's Feet,
with His Body Covered with stab
Wounds.
New YoRK, April 1-"Crow Flats the
big apartment house at No 12S West Twenty
seventh street, which is populated entirely by
colored people, was the scene Of a shocking
tragedy at an early hour last evening
Shortly after o'clock as Detective James J.
Perkins was passing the corner Of Twenty
seventh street and Sixth avenue he heard
shrek, followed by frenzied calling for the
police in woman's voice. The cries came
from an open window ON the sixth floor Of
the "Flatsn Thestairs Of the building were
blocked by a crowd OF excited negroes, while
a second crowd was rapidly gathered with
out Guided by the excited directions Of the
inmates, Detective Perkins dashed up flight
after flight in the old roolSery until he reached
the top.
There, lying in wrecked and blood be-
spnttered room, he found the dead body Of a
young and brawny negro covered with gashes
and with knife thrust clean through his
heart The murdered man was George
Samms, s2 years Of age, waiter at the
Grand Central depot, and he had met his
death at the hands Of his younger brother
Reuben.
The cause OF the murder is unknown. For
some years Samms who was an industrious
fellow, had lived at the flats with his wife
and child and father-in-law, Emanuel Stroutt.
His brother Reuben lost his place Of employ
ment, and being unable 70 secure another,
came to Georges and asked that he be allowed
10 live with him until something turned up
Finding the berth a comfortable one he
gradually gave up his efforts to secure work
and contented himself with loaang at his
brothers expense.
Shortly after o'clock yesterday, while
Mrs Samms with her four-year-old daughter
were taking nap, the occupants Of the fat
below were aroused by the hurried tramp
ling Of feet on the floor above. The fight was
desperate one. In their struggles the com
batants upset the table and chairs in the
kitchen and the sleeping room adjoining,
while the walls and floors Of both apartments
were covered with CHASTITY blots aud streaks
Of blood Samms had grasped the hand in
which his brother held the knife, and held on
AS Reuben broke loose and thrust the mur.
derous blade deep in his brothers body, Mrs
Samms, with her child in her arms, followed
by her father, rushed into the kitchen Mr..
Stroutt Sc zed chair and held the murderer
at bay, while Samms staggered up 10 his
wife, took the child from her arms, kissed 1t,
and then, reeling into the sleeping room,
gasped and fell dead at the bedside
Reuben stood moment on thelanding out
side, closed his knife, pulled his hat over
his eyes and ran down the stairs.
Milton Smith and Louis Jones, living on the
fifth floor, stopped him and asked him what
he had been doing. Pushing them aside with
his bloody hands, he cried:
I've killed my brother, and II the Job
isn't good one, I'll come back and finish il -
Then he ran on, leaving a trail Of blood
drops behind him until he reached the door.
Once on the street he disappeared Directly
after the detectives arrived an ambulance
was sent for. but Samms was dead.