Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-01-11
Desperate Of Rochester, N. Y.
Holds His Besiegcrs at Bay
for Six Hours
ULHIMATUM FINALLY SERVED
Posse Ready to Shoot House x
Pieces after Negro Kills Two
and Seriously Wounds
Three,

Rochester ". Y, Jan. l0--Willism
rwiman q negro. considered insane, muir
dered his .A her. Turner TWimar, at their
home In Sco.tsv!le. Il little village IL miles
southwest Of Rochester this morning and
shot dead a deputy sheriff, seriously
wounded three other deputies and slight
! ~ crazed arm Of Sheriff Harley Hamil.
| the leaders in a posse of more than
| hundred persons who endeavored to effect
| an entrance into the 'rwiman house. In
which he mad black had barricaded him
| self.
| TWiman held the constantly growing
force Of besiegers at bay for six hours.
| from 1000 a. IN. until 400 p. m, when Il
ne-pounder. hurried to the from
the local armory with a squad Of naval
militia and natioNal guardsmen. arrived
on the scene. Sheriff Hamil then sent
ultimatum in to the negro's fort by John
A. Alexander. negro farmer Of SCOTS
Vile with whom Twiman has always bee,
| friendly. that If the desperate would sur
| render he would be protected from.
violence but that If he persisted in defy
ing the officers. the house would be shot
to pieces at once
The message decided the negro
promptly. and he walked out Of the
house holding his hands over his head.
Officers placed him in an automobile
and hurried him to the county jail in
this city.
TWIMAN EXCELLENT SHOT.
Twiman has been feared by the
Scottsville folk for sorJetime, 1t Is
said because he has shown himself
irresponsible at times, especially when
indulging in liquors. He Is not strong
physically, but is an excellent shot.
having developed the skill hunter.
He has been in the habit of handling
firearms carelessly and 1t was due to
this that goodsized posse of Scots
: willie people feared 10 approach thu
barricaded house after they discovers.
that he had killed his father
He went down town on Tuesday
evening. and his father told a neigh
bor that he had gone trouble hunting
and he wanted the authorities to ar
rest him. This morning young Twi-
man went across the street to the
house Of neighbor James L. Cox
aged Co. and told them they could
come now and take the old man awey"
. Cox decided he had killed his father.
and noticing gun in his pocket. he
attempted to get possession of II, tell
ing him he would keep it and give ii
to him later. The negro fought for Il
and got 1t back.
Then Cox leaned inside Of his door and
closed 1t. Twiman sent a shot through
it and started off on a run to his house
Cox telephoned to Deputy Sheriff Ed
| vi 4 J.,, cf
e latter sent to the office of Sheriff Hanil
5 in this city for help. At 1000 a. m. the
It sheriff and several deputies arrived at
e the Twiman house and. with a band Of
townsmen, surrounded the place
4 FIRED AT HOUSE AN HOUR
l. After firing into the house for an
1t hour and drawing replies from the
: negro who was armed with a rifle
d revolver and shotgun. they tele
r. phoned 10 Rochester for Il squad of Ma
tional Guardsmen. Commissioner OF
'e Public Safety Chas. owen, Chief OF
! Police Joseph Quigley. Director of De
s. tectives William Whaley and several de-
II tectives answered the call, as well as
suardsmen and naval militiamen.
'e Before the arrival OF the reinforce
" ments. however the deputy sherilfs made
ID sally on the house. Deputy Sheriff
'd simon Bermingham and Deputy Sheriff
E. Herbert +. Abbott tried to burst in n
n rear door with telephone pole as e.
l. battering ram but Twiman drove them
away As Re, nngham was approaching
:, the house again. he was shot In the fore
he head. and fell dead in the snow. The
er crazed black shot Abbott in the back the
H. next minute with bird shot Then ir
- quick succes sion. ne pinked ar arm Of
re Deputy sheriff Walter Vost of 9enfeld
In and Deputy Sheriff jenkins OF Scottsviiie
was shot In the head Sheriff Hnnail re-
~ ceived a revolver shot through his over
III coat just grazing an arm. Every time u
At human target appeared within range, tho
At negro fred from the window and held
Al them all at a safe distance until the
Up m litiamen ana detectives arrived
VICTIMS. DEAD AND WOUNDED.
,s Upon the appearance OF the militia
A. mon they lined up in front Of tho
10 house and Sheriff Hamil sent In his
Of message to Twman Cowed by the
!, formidable looking besiegers, the ns-
IN gro hastily surrendered. Twi1nan's
10 victims are as follows
10 Killed-Deputy Sheriff Simon F. Ber-
I mingham OF Rochester; Turner. Twi-
man. father of VIM Twiman.
25 Woundcd--Chef Deputy Sheriff Her.
Il bert n. Abbott OF Rochester, shot IN
~ the back, may recover: Deputy Edward
~ A. Jenkins Of Scottsvilis. shot In back
"a of neck and head: Deputy Walter
T. Vogt OF i'enheld, shot in arm: Sheriff
no Harley Hamil OF Rochester. arm
m grased.