Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1899-05-25
A DESPERATE AT BAY.
Negro Kills One Policeman and
Wounds Another While Besteged In
the Loft of a House.

the Lott of House.
Washington, May 1S.-fIumphrey
Taylor, negro suspected of the Low
enstein murder at Slidell, Md, yester-
lay shot and killed Police Sergeant
Fritz Passau, wounded Policeman Cow
and Kept a posse of six officers at bay
'or nearly two hours.
Last Saturday Louis Rosenstein and
his wife, who kept a small store at
Slidell, were found insensible and hor-
rbly wounded in their store. Rosen-
stein died from his injuries and the
woman is believed to be near death.
Suspicion fell upon "A negro named
Humphrey Taylor, alias Brown, who
lad disappeared. The police of this
city were notified and a strict watch
has been kept for the man.
negro answering the description of
Taylor was seen last Saturday evening
and information received by the police
led them to believe their man was liv-
.ng in n small house on Fowler's Hill,
| settlement about quarter of a mile
vest of Georgetown. Yesterday morn
ng Taylor was seen to enter the place
and word was sent to the nearest police
station and posse of officers hurried
TO the place. The men were posted
about the house while Passau, Cow and
another officer attempted to enter
through the front door. Repeated
knocking failed to elicit response and
finally the door was forced.
The two rooms on the first floor were
empty and the officers ascended to the
second story. The front room was also
untenanted, and as the men passed into
the rear apartment Taylor opened fire
from the trap door of a loft in which he
had taken refuge. Sergeant Passau
had turned to look behind the door Just
as the negro fired and he sank to the
floor dead with two bullets through his
chest. His companions rushed forward
and Cow opened fire, but failed to hit.
Taylor retreated to corner of the loft
and, realizing his advantage, the oNi-
GERS picked up The body of the sergeant
and retreated. Cow received d bullet
in his right hand, badly shattering it,
and another struck his metal badge and
glanced downward the entire length of
his coat.
The reserve of two precincts were
called ont and the house surrounded.
Meantime word of the shooting had
attracted several thousand persons. Oc-
casiOnallv the negro would fire n shot
ht the officers and Immediately a volley
would answer it, but no one was hurt
With revolvers in hand they watched
every window and tried several ruses
to draw Taylor's fire. Several of these
were successful. for he seemed to have
Of
Finally, concluding that he would not
surrender. Chief of Police Sylvester
and District Commissioner Wight were
communicated with and the latter di-
rected the police to fire the premises.
a mattress was saturated with oil and
the officers began to remove the fulni-
ture.
Seeing his game was hopeless, Tay-
lor surrendered. Surrounded by officers
with drawn revolvers he was hustled
off to the patrol wagon. when the
crowd surged forward with shouts of
Lynch him." Burn him." and made
rush for the prisoner. A rope was
secured and the mob made a desperate
effort to place it around the negro's
neck. The GOODNESS of the officers
saved Taylor though he was badly dis
figured by blows from the nearest Of
the crowd. All the way to the station
house the mob followed the wagon.
When questioned by the police in
regard to the Rosenstein murder the
prisoner told a half dozen different
stories He said that a man named
Brown had committed the murder and
that he waited on the outside and kept
watch, receiving SEQ from Brown. Upon
searching the premises the police found
1892 and gold watch and chain which
he had Spcrete1.