The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-05-18
One Infatuated Negro
Fights a Squad
of Police.
SHOOTS DOWN ONE.
Said To Be a Murderer
Wanted in Mary
land.

Washington, May17 Humphrey Tay-
Tor, negro, suspected of the Rosenstein
murder at slidell, Nd, today shot and
killed Police Sergeant Fritz Passau,
wounded Policeman Cow, and kept
posse of half a dozen officers at bay
from the loft Of a house for nearly
two hours. Dozens of shots were ex-
changed between the officers and the
fugitive who only surrendered when
preparations We're made to burn the
premises.
Last Saturday morning Louis Rosen-
stein and his wife. who kept a small
store at Slidell. We're found insensibls
and horribly wounded in their store
room. Rosenstein soon died and the
woman is believed to be near death.
Suspicion fell upon Humphrey Taylor,
alias Brown, who had disappeared.
| The police here were notified.
This morning Taylor was seen entering
a small house on Fowler's Hill, a quar-
ter of a mile west of Georgetown. A
posse of officers hurried to the place.
The men were posted about the house,
while Passau, Cow and another officer
attempted to gain entrance through the
front door. Repeated knockings and
| Calls IdlAGQ " SAlOAl d 4NSPOAASS anu
| finally the door was forced.
The two small rooms on the first
floor were empty and the officers as
| cended to the second story. The front
room 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 forward and
! Policeman Cow opened fire through the
trap, but failed to hit the fugitive.
Taylor however, retreated to cor
ner of the loft and realizing his advan-
tage, the officers picked UP the body
of the sergeant and reiterated Cow re-
ceived a bullet in his right hand, bad
! ly shattersng it, and another struck his
| metal badge and glanced downward the
1 entire length Of his coat. The reserves
OF two precincts were called out and
| the house surrounded. The shooting
had attracted several thousand persons.
| Occasionally the negro would fire shot
at the officers and Immediately volley
would answer it, but no one was hurt.
With revolvers in hand the officers
watched every window and tried several
ruses TO draw Taylor's fire. Most OF
| these were successful for he seemed to
| have an unlimited supply OF ammuni-
ton.
While he realized escape was hope
less, he was evidently determined to
hold out as long as possible. Finally,
concluding that he would not surren-
der, the police prepared to IRE the
premises. A mattress was saturated
with oil, and the officers began 20 re-
move the furniture. Seeing his game
was hopeless, Taylor surrendered. Sur
rounded by officers with revolvers, ne
was hustled out of the house to the
patrol wagon. The crowd surged for
ward with shouts Of Lynch him; burn
him.
A rope was secured, and the mob
made a desperate effort to place it
around the wretchs neck. The GOODNESS
of the officers, however, saved Tav.or.
though he was badly distigured by
blows from the nearest of the crowd.
All the way to the station house the
mob followed the wagon, shouting tor
vengeance, and fingered about the
building when Taylor was safely in a
cell.