New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-09-02
HE KILLED HIS CAPTOR.
A NEGRO CUTS A PoLICEMAN's THROAT.
TILE MURDERER WAS DRUNK AND RESISTED AR
REsr-HE FEIGNED AN ATTEMPT TO
COMMIT SUICIDE.


discharge of his duty in the fat-house No. 14l
West Observation-Disclosures yesterday. His
throat was cut by Noah Richards, a vicious,
drunken negro, who had made disturbance in
the house and he blcd TO death in a few minutes
1t was the opinion of his comrades in the West
One-hundredth- squad that he had shown too
much forbearance In his treatment Of the negro,
who resisted arrest and was known to he dan
gerous when in liquor. Sherman was in many
respects a model policeman. but was no match in
size strength for the coored man, and failed to
draw his revolver in the fight
The negro had been employed several years by
Alexander G. Hyer, dealer in brushes at No. S35
Broadway, who lives on the second floor Of the
hat-house with his wife and daughters. Other
occupants Of the house knew the servant only by
the name Noah. He did the cooking for Hyer's
family, washed the dishes and cleaned the rooms.
There was no other servant in the fat. When he
was sober he suited his employer and was allowed
to do much he pleased in the kitchen, where
he slept on rug. The Hyers came to this city
from the South and brought him with them Here
he learned to drink liquor, and when he was
drunk he was more of nuisance than the family
cared to endure lyer tried to send him away
several times, but Noah refused to 90 and was
allowed to stay on his promise to be good boy
He is an ugly-loolling, coal-black negro, thirty
years old and powerfully built. Several times he
has been arrested for annoying women and chill
dren when he was drunk, but the police have had
to let him 20 again because nobody would press
complaint against him.
Noah was drunk on Monday night and yester-
day morning his behavior in the kitchen so
outrageous that Hyer ordered him to leave the
house Then the negro became impudent and
showed his ugly temper by hurting things about
the kitchen. few minutes after S a. m. Hycr
went out and called in Policeman Sherman, who
was on post in the street BY that time Noah's
bad behavior was being talked of by the families
in the house and in No. 142, The two buildings
are connected by a common hall on the ground
floor and known together as the Orion. Sher-
man followed Hyer up the stairway TO the right
and entered the fat on the second floor. Noah
was in the kitchen and Mrs. IIyer was trying to
scold him into obedience. At the sight Of the
policeman the negro became violent and shouted:
Il won't be arrested. I'll kill myself first"
Look QUIT" said Mrs. Hyer. He's got
knife and razor"
oh I'll manage him." said Sherman. 1--WE
done it before"
He took hold of Noah's arm and said to him,
"Now why don't you behave yourself?" The
negro began to struggle with the officer and IIyer
was frightened. Pushing his wife out Of the
kitchen he went in search Of more help. He
said later that the negro had threatened to kill
him at other times The family had become so
much excited that the account Of what followed
the beginning Of the struggle between the police
man and the negro Is much confused The door
from the kitchen TO the private hall of the Hat
was locked when Hyer ran out of the house again,
and nobody witnessed the deadly encounter. The
Flyers declared afterward that Sherman had asked
to have the door locked until another policeman
was called While Hyer Was running after
another policeman, Mrs. Hycr and her oldest
daughter were in the private hall, cOnvulsed with
fear at the sounds Of the struggle in the kitchen.
The youngest daughter fled to the roof. At
length MrS. Hyer heard the policeman call TO
open the door and she turned the key.
As Sherman staggered ont cf the kitchen,
blood spurted from wounds in his throat Mrs.
Hyer and her daughter screamed and ran out OF
the fat as the wounded officer recled along the
passage toward the front room. His way was
marked by red spashes on the walls and carpet
of the narrow hall, his lifc-bood gushed from
the severed arteries in his neck The women
fed down stairs and out to the street. where
they fell fainting. They were followed by other
frightened tenants of the two houses and a crowd
blocked the sidewalk when Policeman Charles f.
place Leggett had been called from Columbus
ave. by boy. At the foot of the stairs leading
from the main hall of the Orion Leggett met
Noah. The negro was bleeding from gashes in
his own throat and looked as if he raving
mad Leggett seized him, inquiring What's
the matter?"
Take mo and hang me if you want to-" said
the negro.
Just then Roundsman Bach and another police
man arrived with Hyer Turning the negro over
to the roundsman, Leggett ran up stairs to Flyers
fat. In the kitchen blood was spattered al!
about on the walls and floor In the front room'
face downward on the carpet, lay Sherman, rapidly
bleeding to death His club on the hoor
beside him and his pistol in his pocket
Lepcett turned him over and raised his head, put
eiherman's eyes were sightess and his linios
wre motionless Running down stairs agalu,
eggett shouted to the roundSman 10 summon
the nearest doctor while he dashed OIL ID W.
station 70 send call for an ambulance
nbvsician was brought TO the house In lew
minutes but Sherman dead There were
three deep cuts in his throat and one of lnem
Mrs. Uyer's Oldest daughter needed the help
of the physician. She suffered from hystcrI'' lne
result of fright, and she passed from one orriod T3
vusion into another after she had been c2rricu
into "A neiqhbors house II was several nouns
before she was out OF danger. The amouhhnce
carried the negro 10 the Manhattan liOsplaI' WI
three slight wounds in his throat were se"eI
M. It looked as if he had fcigned an attempt
TO commit suicide. When he was taken taken 10 Sr Ine
police station he denied that he had killed . oner
man and tried to lay the blame an innocent
person Two pocket knives were found IN ll&et s
kitchen. but neither Of them wa6 bloody No''ii
said he had cut his own throat with small
penIlnifc, which the police did not find. 49,
Sherman's wife and two children live at NO 81
West Fnd-ave Their grief pitiful when MS
corpse was taken to their home soon after noon
The widow doubtless will receive pension. Sher-
man had served in the police force only nye
wears. but the manner OF his death Will crane
the Commissioners TO grant n pension or 9ouo
to his family lie was born in Newyork m ls9s
md was employed on the elevated railroad nriore
he bccarpe n policeman. The Ancient Order o'
| Irnitcd Workren, OF which he was meWner'
will pay his widow $1,000. the insurance on ms
lifr.
At the Harlem Police Court Yesterday after
noon Noah was committed for examination to-day.
CHINESE HIGHBIyDERS DEFElT The POLICE.
San Francisco. Sept (spccan.-Chlncse lIigpbindcN