The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-05-18
APOuCEMAN MURDERED
While Hunting a Fugitive Mary
land Murderer in Washington.
CROWD PREVENTED ALYNoH1Ne.

The Murderer Took Refuge in the Loft
Of House, and Surrendered Only
When Preparations Were Making to
Set Fire to tho Building.
Washington, May 18.-Humphrey
Taylor, negro suspected of the Rosen-
stein murder at Slidell, Nd, yesterday
shot and killed Police Sergeant Fritz
Passau. wounded Policeman Cow and
kept posse Of over dozen officers at
bay from the loft of house for nearly
two hours. Dozens Of shots were ex-
changed between the officers and the
fugitive, who only surrendered when
preparations were made to burn the
premises.
Last Saturday morning Louis Ro-
senstein and his wife. who Kept a
small store at Slidell, were found in
sensible and horribly wounded in their
storeroom. Rosenstein soon died from
his injuries and the woman Is believed
to be near death. Suspicion fell upon
negro named Humphrey Taylor, alias
Brown, who disappeared. The police
Of this city were notified and strict
watch was kept for the man. A negro
answering the description Of Taylor
was seen last Saturday evening and in
formation received by the police led
them to believe their man was living
In small house on Fowler's Hill.
settlement about quarter Of mile
west Of Georgetown.
Yesterday Taylor was seen to enter
%ho p1oco on6 uyord vayoc Cd lot al
sent to the nearest precinct station
and posse Of officers hurried to the
place. The men were posted about
the house, while Passau, Cow and an
other officer attempted to gain en-
trance through the front door. Re-
peated knockings and calls failed to
elicit q response. and finally the door
was forced. The two small rooms Oh
the first floor were empty, and the
officers assembled 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 cock loft, In which he
had taken refuge Sergeant Passau
sank to the floor dead with two bullets
through his chest. His companions
rushed forward. and Policeman Cow
opened fire through the trap door, but
failed to hit the fugitive. Taylor,
however, retreated to corner Of the
loft, and realizing his advantage tho
officers picked up the body of the Ser
geant and retreated. Cow received
a bullet In his right hand, badly shat
tering 1t, and another struck his metal
badge and glanced downward the en-
tire length of his coat.
The reserve Of two precincts were
called out and the house surrounded.
Meantime word of the affair and tho
shooting had attracted several thou
sand persons. Occasionally the negro
would fire a shot at the officers and
volley would answer it,
but no one was hurt. With revolvers
in hand they watched every window
and tried several ruses to draw Tay-
lor's fire. None of these weresuccessful,
for he seemed to have an unlimited
supply of ammunition. Finally, con-
GLIDING that he would not surrender,
Chief of Police Sylvester and District
Commissioner Wright were commune
Gated with, and the latter, after con-
sulting legal advice, directed the po-
lice to fire the premises. At mattress |
was secured, saturated with oil, and
The officers began to remove the fur
aiture. Seeing his game was hopeless
Taylor surrendered.
Surrounded by officers with drawn
'evolvers he was hustled out of the
house to the patrol wagon, when the
crowd surged forward, with shouts
If lynch him." burn him." and made
/ rush for the prisoner. A rope was
occurred and the mob made desperate
,ffort to place 1t around the neck of
he wretch. The GOODNESS of the Of
icers, however, saved Taylor, though
le was rather badly disfigured by
flows from the nearest of the crowd.
All the way to the station house the
mob followed the wagon, shouting for
and fingered about the
'uilding when he was safely in a CELL
When questioned by the police in
egard to the Rosenstein murder the
risoner became much confused in his
eplies and told half dozen different
tories. He said that man namejl
brown had committed the murder and
hat he waited on the outside and kept
watch, receiving from Brown $50.
Ipon searching the premises the po-
Ice found 1892 and gold watch and
hahn where he had secreted them. He
ad diamond ring and small sum
money on his person. His conflict
1g stories as to his movements and
here he obtained the money led the
olice to believe he Is the man the
[aryland authorities are looking for
is probable, however, that he will
Q detained by the district authorities
nd tried for the murder of Sergeant