Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-29
SH0OTSH|S CUSTOMER
Lunchroom Owner MortaI!y
Wounds CoIored Man.
QUARREL OVER NICKEL
Charles Contee Claims His Victim
Had Made Threats.
CALMLY AWAITS ARREST
Robert Chambers, the Wounded
Man, Known to the Police as
"Hardtack."
CALMLY AWAITS AR
ARREST

Shot in the head with a .32-caliber re-
volver and mortally wounded, Robert
Chambers, colored, twenty-five years OF
age. who resides at % Massachusetts ave-
nue. northwest, was removed to the Cas-
ualty Hospital yesterday afternoon to be
given surgical treatment Charles Contee,
colored, thirty-two years of age, who
conducts a lunchroom at 30 Patterson
place northeast. did the shooting, and
was locked up at the sixth precinct police
station by Bicycle Policeman Lauten.
The shooting occurred shortly after 4
o'clock in COntee's place of business.
There were several other persons in the
place at the time, but, so far as the police
were able to learn, none of them made an
effort to prevent the trouble. Witnesses
tell different stories of just what was
said and done about the time the shot
was fired, and a jury will hear the diff
ferent statements before passing upon
the shooting with view to fixing the re-
sponsibilty.
A message received at the sixth precinct
police station told of a row that was in
progress in the lunchroom, but made no
mention of any shooting. 1t was believed,
from the excited condition of the person
who did the telephoning. that there was
serious trouble in progress, and the bicy-
Gle policeman rode to the II street place
as rapidly as possible. Gle found Cham
berS in a dying condition, While Contee
was there waiting to be arrested The
latter had placed the weapon on the cash
register after firing the fatal shot, and
remained there for the arrival of the po-
lice, feeling, he stated, that he had fired
in self-defense.
Quarreled Over Five Cents.
One version of the affair was that
Chambers, who is known to the police
as "Hardtack," entered the lunchroom
with a companion and had a ten-cent
order of pigs feet He and his COM
panion partook of the feet, and the money
was handed over to Contee, who put it
I'm his pocket. Then the customer and
Contee engaged in a dispute about 3
cents, Chambers, it is said claiming he
was entitled to that amount. Contee
claimed to the contrary and words
passed between them. 1t is stated by one
of the witnesses that Chambers made the
remark that he would go to a warmer
he states. retorted. ''All right, you'll go
there them and fired. The bullet en-
tered just over the left eye, and Cham
berS fell to the floor.
a few minutes after the shooting the
ambulance from the Casualty Hospital
made hurried run to the scene and the
physician in charge soon had the wounded
man in the hospital His wound was eX-
amined and it was found that the bullet
had penetrated the brain. making d wound
which was necessarily fatal. Policeman
Lauten escorted Contee to the station and
placed him behind the bars. In CONVEX
sation with the police Contee said he was
attending to his business when Chambers
and friend came in and had something
to eat. Chambers, he said, accused him
of having taken a nickel from him and
used threatening language.
Says Chambers Threatened Him.
"He followed me into the back ROOM
continuing to use his threatening Ian
guage." the prisoner said "and 7 became
frightened. took the pistol OIL the shelf
and shot him.
Contee declared that Chambers put his
hand in his pocket. and he thought he did
so for the purpose of drawing a weapon.
but witnesses say he Slowed no indication
of desiring or intending to use weapon.
After l shot him." Contee added. Il
placed the niStol upon The cash register
and waited for policeman to come for
me-.
Contee is well known in the neigibor-
hood of the government printing office.