The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-05-18
KILLED A POLICE SERGEANT
DESPERATE ATTEMPT OF A NEGRO
no ET4DE ARREST.
Washington, ID. c., Police Officers
Surrendered Only When Preparations
Were Made to Burn Him Out Goodness
of Officers Saved Him from Lynching.

of Officers Saved Him from Lynching.
| Washington, d. c., May 17.--Hum-
phrey Taylor. a negro, suspected Of
| the Rosenstein murder at Slidell, Md.
to-day shot and killed Police Sergeant
Fritz Passau, wounded Policeman Cow,
and kept posse of half dozen officers
at bay from the loft of house for
nearly two hours. Dozens of shots
were exchanged between the officers
and the fugit.ves who only surrender
ed when propositions were made to
burn the premises.
Last Sunday morning Lewis Rosen-
stein and his wife, who kept a small
store at Slidell, were found insensible
and horribly wounded in their store
room. Rosenstein died and the woman
is believed to be naar death. Suspicion
fell upon Humphrey Taylor, alias
Brown, who had disappeared. The po-
lice here We're notified. This morning
Taylor was seen entering a small house
on Fowler's HILL quarter of mile
west of Georgetown. A posse of Off
GERS hurried to the place. The men
We're posted about the house to which
Passau, Cow and another officer tried
to gain an entrance through the front
door Repeated knockings failed to
elicit response, and finally the door
was freed The two small rooms on
the first floor We're empty, and the Off
~, tl,n
front rom was also untenanted. 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 for
ward, and Policeman Cow opened fire
through the trap, but failed to hit the
fugitive. Taylor, however, retreated to
a corner of the loft and realizing his
advantage, the officers picked up the
body of the sergeant and retreated
Cow received a bullet in his right hand,
badly shattering it, and another struck
his metal badge and glanced downward
the entire length of his coat The re-
serves of two precincts We're cel'ed out
diit tIC Ipust SuIl JuldCd. hC Silpol-
ing had attracted several persons. Oc-
casionally the negro would fire a shot
at the officers and Immediately a volley
would answer it, but no one was hurt,
With revolvers in hand the officers |
watched every window and tried sever
al ruses to draw Taylors fire. Nest of |
these We're successful, for he seemed to |
have an unlimited supply of ammuni- |
tiop. While he realized escape was
hopeless. he was evidently determined |
to hold out as long as possible. Finally
that he would not surren-
der, the police PREPARED to fire the
premises. mattress was saturated
with oil and the officers began to re-
move the furniture. Seaing his game
was hopeless, Taylor surrende el. Sur
rounded by officers with revolvers he
was hustled out Of the house to the pa
troll wagon A crowd surged forward
with shouts of lynch him; burn him"
A rope was secured and the mob made
a desperate effort to place it around
the wratchs neck. The GOODNESS of the
officers, however, saved Taylor, though
he was badly disfigured by blows from
the nearest of the crowd. All the way
TO the station house the mob followed
the wagon shouting for vengeance and
fingered about the building when Tay-
or was safely in cell.
When questioned by the nolice in re-
gard to the Rosenstein matter The prs
1ner became much confused and told
lalf a dozen different stories He said
hat a man named Brown had commit
ed the murder and that he waited on
he outside and kept watch, receiving,
rom Brown $50. Upon searching the
premises the police found 1892, a gold
watch and chain and diamond ring.
His conflicting stories as to his move
nents and where he obtained the mon
" led the police to believe that he is
he man the Maryland authorities are
ooking for 1t is probable, however
hat he will be detained by the district
authorities and tried for the murder OF
Sergeant Passau.