Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-25
TAYLOR CONVICTED
IN M'BREEN CASE
Faces Maximum Sentence oil
rs Years-Court Guarded
as Threats Rumored.

Convicted yesterday on charges of as
Sault with intent to kill and assault
with O dangerous weapon, Edward M
Taylor, suspended POLICEMAN, faces 9
maximum sentence Of rs years in prison
Two woman and 10 man jurors ir
Criminal Division !, Of the Dis
trict Supreme Court, deliberated two
hours yesterday afternoon before re-
porting their findings to Chief Justice
Walter I. Mccoy. Taylor was accused
OF shooting William s. McBreen, q
Benning road northeast, the night OF
August 80, 1927.
Shortly before the jury returned Its
verdict Of guilty on both counts in the
indictment ruYiorS of q threat on the
life of Assistant United States Attorney
William II. Collins, who prosecuted the
case, resulted in o guard of marshals
being thrown around the courtroom.
Word had reached court attaches that
Collins would pay with his life In open
court II the jury found Taylor guilty.
wife Of Prisoner Searched.
Mrs. Helen Taylor, wife Of the pris-
oner, was searched by matronS, but no
weapon was found on her. As the Jury
retired for elaboration at $40 o'clock
she and her sister were permitted to
leave the courtroom, but after the ru-
mors were spread deputy marshal
ordered her to remain away from win
dow In q corridor from which view of
the courtroom could be obtained.
In summing up the case for the jury
Mr.. Collins branded Taylor as hi
lacking cop" the prosecution contend
ing throughout the trial that the police
man had shot McBreen in mistake for
another employe Of the filing station
who had taken SIS bill from an en-
velope left for Taylor by two colored
bootleggers. The shooting, Collins de-
clared, was deliberate and cold-blooded.
The prosecution relied principally
upon the testimony given by two fire.
arms expertS-Maj. Calvin Goddard,
former Army offlcer, and Sergt. Benja-
min Cornweh Of the Police Department.
They testified the bullet that wounded
McBreen was the same bullet fired from
Tayior's service pistol.
Defense Builds Up Alibi.
Attorney Joseph Salamon, for the de-
Tense, attacked this expert testimony,
declaring that Maj. Goddard was paid
500 q day and cautioned the jury
against placing any faith in the testi-
mony in the face of the alibi built up
Taylor had commended that he was at
q party o mile distant from the filling
station at the hour Of the shooting.
The charge Of attempted murder car
fies q maximum Of Is years In prison
and the second count on which Taylor
was found guilty, assault with danger
Gus weapon, carries 10-year penalty.
Another indictment charging hi-jack-
ing Is pending against the suspended
policeman, the charge being that he
seized q truckload Of liquor at Four
teenth street and Maryland avenue
northeast In December, 1927. It was
thought possible. however, that this in
dictment never WIN be tried.
At the time Of the alleged lli-jacking
Representative Blanton Of Texas exhib-
tied the truck to members of Congress.
He also made much Of the case before
the House Of Representatives.
Shortly after his suspension from the
force Taylor was brought before the
police trial board on charges Of preju-
dicial conduct growing out of the hi
lacking case. His defense was that he
was confined to his home that night
with an injured foot. A sealed verdict
was delivered by the trial board and its
contents never were disclosed.