The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-03-26
FOUGHT A BURGLAR
HARMON CoHEN'S DESPERATE
BATTLE WITH A ROBBER.
SHOT, BEATEN AND BITTEN.
FAILURE OF PISTOL TO FIRE ALL
THAT SAVED HIS LIFE.

On His Way to the city Market CO.
hen Saw Negro Going Through
window of BIenJes Grocery at
West broad and Duffy Streets.
Caught the Burglar by the Legs
and Bloody Fight FOIIowed-Ne-
gro Snapped Revolver i'm Butch
er's Face Repeatedly, but 1t Fail
ed to Explode, Then Dealt Him N
Blow on IN Head and Escaped.
In a desperate encounter with a
burglar yesterday morning Harmon
Cohen of No. 52S Duffy street, west,
a butcher in the city market, was shot,
badly bitten and beaten. His assail-
ant, negro, made an unsuccessful at
tempt to kill Mr.. Cohen by shooting
him. He snapped a revolver in the
face of the butcher five times without
being able to fire it.
MIR. Cohen was on his way to the city
market, where he is employed in the
stall of Hugh Logan, when he encoun-
tered the negro. who had already brok-
en- a window in the grocery of Fred
streets. TIE man was crawling through
the window, and had one leg sticking
out when he was seen by Mr.. Cohen.
Without a thought of the danger the
butcher ran forward and caught hold
of the man. desperate and vicious
fight followed
Fought Desperately.
The negro was pulled to the side
walk where he grappled with his cap
tor. He proved a powerful antagonist
and Mr.. Cohen was unable to reach for
his revolver. 1t required both hands
and all of his strength to hold to the
negro, who was armed with pistol
which he was repeatedly swapping in
the face of the butcher. The fact that
the weapon failed to explode was all
that saved Mr.. Cohen's life. The bur
glar used his teeth with telling effect
on the butchers arm and although
suffering considerable pain Mr.. Cohen
held fast to his man.
Mr. BlenJes was awakened by the
scufflng under his window and
thought that two negroes We're en-
gagged in a fight, until warned by Mr.
gro realized that he would be made
a prisoner, or more likely killed, if the
grocer reached the ground, and with a
superhuman effort turned and dealt
Mr.. Cohen a strong blow on the back
of the head with the pistol. The blow
knocked the chamber from the pistol
and made an ugly wound from which
the blood flowed freely.
Fired at the Burglar.
The blow completely dazed Mr.. Co
hen and he was forced to release his
hold on the burglar Although badly
stunned he managed to draw his own
weapon and fire three shots. The ne
gro did not stop and it is believed that
one of the bullets fired by the butcher
passed through his own arm. Mr.. Co
hen himself thinks that he was struck
from behind by a second negro, but 1t
is blieved that he is mistaken. This
Is shown by the fact that the cham
Der of the revolver with which he was
struck was afterwards found and
turned over to the police. 1t com
tanned five cartridges. all OF which had
been snapped, and is now In the pos
session of Detective Murphy.
The firing of the three shots by Mr.
Cohen aroused Bicycle officer Chris
tie, who lives nearby, and thinly clad,
he searched the neighborhood for the
burglar, but without being able to find
any trace of him. The matter was
promptly reported at police headquar
ters, and Mounted Sergeant Walter
Fleming and Mounted Patrolmen ]. A.
Woods and Eivers were hurried to the
neighborhood. The officers arrested a
negro known to the police as Legs"
but Mr.. Cohen stated that he was not
the burglar and he was released.
While Mr.. Cohen's wounds are not
dangerous, he is suffering consideBa-
BILE pain as a result of his encounter.
1t required seven stitches to close the
wound in the head. He furnished the
detectives with an accurate description
of his assailant and is positive that
he could identify the man. The police
have a slight hope of being able to
locate the negro.