The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1904-09-14
AN OFFICER KILLS
MAN IN SELF-DEFENSE
Robert S. Cayou Attempts to Arrest
George Reed, Who Shoots and is in
Turn Killed.

y good deal of excitement was caused
on south First street last Monday night
about 1920 o'clock when police officer
Robert S. Cayou shot and killed in
stantly Il man by the name of George
Reed. who. in resisting arrest attempted
TO take the life of the officer An in
quest was held yesterday afternoon
at the undertaking parors of +. l.. SEES
sions which resulted in the jury declar-
ing the act of the policeman to be in
self defense and the shooting 'justifable
homocide"
George Reed was well known char
acter among the tough element of the
town. He was u sheep herder, cattle
lrover and general roustabout When
well loaded with whisky he had the rep
utation for always appearing in the
guise of desperate or at least tried to
impress his comrades as such.
Monday night about 10 a young
man by the name of Harry Hamlin was
coming up the middle of the street in
front of little & Smiths feed yard on
south First street when he noticed
man coming towards him. Hamlin
walked straight ahead apparently pay
ing no attention to the approaching
stranger when he suddenly ran into tine
muzzle of pistol The man with the
gun made no demands. but succeeded in
bringing forth loud yell from young
Hamlin who at the same time broke and
ran in the direction of the Olympia sa-
loon. He there met Patrolman Cayou,
who had been attracted by the yell. and
told him of the man with the gun whom
ne thought was a desperate. The pa
trolman started after the man and dis
covered him rctreating in the darkness
going south. Halt" demanded the off
Ger, throw down your gun and
stop" The man wheeled in his tracks
and fired point blank at mis- pursuer.
Halt" the officer again called out and
this time fired his gun in the air as he
commanded the man to stop. A second
time the gun was raised to fire at the
officer, but the patrolman was too quick
for his as>ailant and let fly i'll quick sue
cession two shots both of which took
effect One bullet imbedded itself in
the forearm while the other one struck
just above the right lung and glanced
across his breast entering the neart
causing death almost instantly. Patrol
man Merryfield heard the shooting and
hurried across from Chinatown with Il
dark lantern. He was told the man was
in the center of the street Going over
he found the body with life almost ex-
tinct and Just as he had rolled him over
and flashed the light in his face Police
man Cayou came up and exclaimed, I've
killed George Reed"
The coroner and Sheriff Grant were at
once notified. The sheriff took Hamlin
in charge to hold him as Il witness at the
coroners inquest as he was the man
whom Reed had attempted to hold up.
At the inquest held yesterday after
noon all the above facts came out and
showed plainly that the officer was JUS
titiibale in killing Reed. He did not
know, of course, who the man was but
supposed him to be some nighwayman
looking for trouble.
Reed was n middle aged man. probably
so or over. He has been employed lately
by the Mckee company looking after
their cattle He has given the officers
here Il great deal of trouble on previous
occasions when drunk and always re-
sisted arrest. His resistance to the law
on this occasion was Just one time too