Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-17
Humphrey Brown Captured Today
Outside of Georgetown.
SHOOTS AND KILLS OFFICER PAOShU
Desperate Resistance Of the SLAYER
of the Rosenstein Family.
EFFORTS TO LYNCH HIM

supposed at the time. and since Identified,
as Humphrey Taylor, alias Brown, the
negro who committed a double murder at
Slidel Md, few days ago as published IN
The Star at the time. The shooting oc-
| CURED in a small two-story double frame
house located in subdivision about a
quarter OF mile west OF Georgetown,
known as Fowler's Hill.
Sergt. Passau and number Of other
policemen visited the house on information
secured. which led to the belief that Taylor
was occupying the premises. The shooting
occurred after an entrance to the house had
Deen effected. The murderer was located in
the cock loft Of the house, the policeman
being on the second floor. The appearance
OF the policemen on the second floor was
marked by a fuslllade of revolver shots.
which came through a small trap door
leading to the cock loft. Sergt. Passau
sank to the ground, while Policeman Cow,
who with him. was shot about the
hand, though not seriously injured
AS soon as possible after the shooting
one of the officers rode fast and called the
patrol wagon. Without loss OF time the
form of The murdered policeman was placed
on stretcher and the wagon driven fast
| to the Georgetown University Hospital.
An examination Of the wounds by DR..
that death must have been almost instan-
taneous.
Since the information has been received
by the local police department to look out
for the supposed murderer Of Mr.. Rusen-
stein, the Georgetown police have had an
idea that the negro would seek refuge
from justice ia this section of the city
The police received special notice and ad-
wee TO look out for the man. and for some
days past the scrutiny of every suspicious
negro had been maintained. No iuforma-
ton was received regarding the missing
man, and for time it WAS thought that il
he ever had been in the West End he had
vacated the place and departed for Sec
tions unknown.
Suspicious Aroused
The first information received which led
to the belief that the missing murderer was
in town was received Saturday evening,
negro answering partly the description
of the fugitive was observed to enter the
jewelry store of c. f. Tribbey Of 3l53 NJ
street Here the negro purchased a new
pistol and box Of cartridges and a dia-
mond ring At the time Of making the
purchase he appeared to have plenty of
money, and was very free in spending 1t.
This fact alone caused some suspicion.
With this clue the police kept more on
the alert than ever, and yesterday morn
ing note was received through Precinct
Detective Frank Burrows that a negro man
about thirty years Of age had rented a
small house in Fowler's Hill. The negro
appeared to have plenty Of money. and
though he only rented the house day be-
fore yesterday he ordered furniture which
came on time. and which was placed in the
residence al
neighbor that he was from Seneca, Nd,
and that he had made a good sum of
money and was going to enjoy IT. He also
stated that while he was without a woman
at present he would shortly have one as he
had sent word for one to come to him.
Outside of this information the police
knew absolutely nothing. The circum-
stances seemed strange, and, as the man
in question answered the descr1pti of
the murderer to a certain degree. it was
thought to be worth while to investigate
the case. a watch was kept on the house
in question, and this morning the negro
was seen to enter. Word OF this fact was
sent to the station, and in a short time
several of the men from the Georgetown
precinct went to the scene. Among the
number were Precinct Detective Burrows,
Sergeant Passau, Policeman Cow. Police
man viii Hess and several others. Arriv-
ing at the house, the officers surrounded
the place. while Sergeant Passau. Detec-
tive Burrows and Policeman Cow sought
to gain entrance through the front door.
They knocked, and, after waiting for
length of time received no reply. A second
and third time they knocked, but with the
same result.
The Fatal Shot.
The front door was finally forced in by
Policeman Cow, and the three men entered
the house. There were Two rooms on the
first floor, but both of these Were empty.
The police escended the stairs and started
to search the two rooms Of the second
floor. The first room contained no one, and
while in the second room the fatal shooting
occurred.
In the second room there was a small
trap door leading to the cockpit, or loft,
separating the ceiling from the roof Of the
house. This loft extended over the entire
width of the two houses, there being no
partition or dividing wall
Just as they had entered the room Sergt.
Passau, in his eagerness to arrest the sup
posed murderer, turned to look behind the
door 1t was fatal move for him. With
his back to the trap door, there came a
volley of shots, and the policeman sank to
the ground without uttering a word. Po-
Aceman Cow drew MS revolver and Shoc up
through the trap, emptying his revolver,
but failed to hit the man screened therein
The shots had the effect of making the hld-
ing man retire to a far corner of the cock
pit, and nothing more was heard of him for
some time afterward.
In the fusillade of shots from the revolver
Of the negro Policeman Cow had very
narrow escape. One of the bullets struck
him almost directly on his badge, the metal
turning the course of the bullet and caus-
ing 1t TO run down the front of his uni
form, running his coat. Another shot did
more damage and struck him in the finger
of one Of the hands, splintering it, but this
wound did not cause the plucky officer to
relinqush his desire TO capture the un-
known man. He remained in the house
until the end and witnessed the capture of
the negro.
The House Surrounded.