New-York tribune., 1920-12-17
of
Police Slain
ChasiingThug g
Floyd Horton Shot as He
Boards Taxi Pursuing
Escaping Bandit After
Holo-Up; Panic Ensues

Police Lieutenant Floyd Horton re-
ceived bullet wound that caused his
death last night in an attempt to cap
ture bandit, who had made a drunk
en- or Insane raid on the Aberdeen
apartment house, $40 West 146th
Street, where his only victim was the
negro elevator operator. Witnesses
said that woman rode with the driver
OF the taxcab in which the robber es-
capped and from which the shot was
fired that killed Horton.
1t was about midnight and Tyler
Herrin, the elevator operator. was
scrubbing the hall floor Of the apart
ment house. A taxicab drew up at the
curb and Tyler looked up from his work
expecting to see homecoming tenant
for whom he would have to abandon his
mop and take to his regular job.
Bandit Staggers In
The man who entered was a stranger,
short and stocky. and he staggered as
he walked, leadin.. the negro to suspect
that he was drunk and had blundered
into the wrong house. Tyler's eyes
popped and his jaw sagged as the
stranger thrust hand into his pocket
and drew a revolver which he levelled
at the negro.
"Hands up" said he, curtly, and the
cchoing clatter of the mop testified to
the promptness with which the command
was obeyed
Nudging Tyler in the side all the time
with his revolver, the intruder thrust
his left hand into pocket after pocket
until he was satisfied that he had OBJ
tanned all the valuables the negro pos
sessed. He got watch and chain and
about 81 in change.
He was backing out Of the from,
door, his revolver still covering the
negro, when Edward Miller. superirsen-
dent OF the building, came out of his
office and was confronted by the amaz-
ing scene.
Hands up" said the hold-up man
again, and Millers hands rose auto
matically.
Shoots at Superintendent
He turned, however, with the inten-
ton Of leaping within the still open
door Of his Office. At the movement
the robber fired. Although he was only
few feet from Miller, the bullet
missed its mark and buried itself in
the wall by the superintendent's
shoulder.
Without waiting for a second shot,
the bandit ran to the taxicab and
jumped in. The vehicle started with
& jerk while Miller and Herrin ran
after it shouting. The neighborhood
is busy one, the house being only q
few doors from Broadway, and with
several motion picture houses and
restaurants in the vicinity. A score Of
three policemen, took up the chase.
Lieutenant Horton was on the oppo-
site side of 146th Street, on his way to
the l45th Street subway station. He
intercepted the taxicab and leaped to
the running board, his revolver in his
hand. One of three men who we're in
the cab, thrust a revolver through the
window and fired several shots.
Some of them went wild, but one
penetrated Horizons chest, puncturing
his right lung. He dropped to the
pavement A policeman on the side
walk began to blaze away. The crowd
milled about in panic as the bullets
whined and cracked overhead and bits
OF brick and shattered glass clattered
to the sidewalk.
Bullet Crashes Window
One of the bullets crashed through
the window Of restaurant in which
about fifty persons were eating and
splintered the cashiers desk on which
q departing guest was resting an elbow
while he selected cigar
With the crowd trailing far in the
rear and policemen still firing ineffec-
tual shots, the taxicab turned north
on broadway and vanished. C. NJ JEFF
freys, a fireman employed at the apart
ment house, was one of the pursuers
and was close to the cab when the
police began shooting. He said that
just as bullet whizzed past him he
saw the woman seated beside the driver
collapse as though she was hit.
Horton was taken to Columbus Hos
pital. He died at 2:45 A. NJ He was
sergeant on the vice squad when In
spector Costigan was its head and was
promoted to lieutenant last year. He
lives at 1851 Fifty-ninth street.