Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-19
Attacked in His Office by Busl-
ness Associate.
SELF-DEFENSE is CLAIM
Assailant Declares Man He Wounded
Owed Him Money.
DENIAL BY VICTIMS CLERK
Declares His Employer Called Upon
Him to Save Him, as He Had Been
Threatened With Death.

Special Dispatch TO The Star
NEW YORK December 19.-Harry b.
Suydam a curb broker whose home is iii
Plainteid n. j.. in his Office at - Broad
street. was shot shortly before 10 o'clock
this morning by John c. Lumsden, presi-
dent of the Electric Vibrator Company.
which has had offices at mT Broadway.
Lumsden. who gave his address as 313
West 57th street. was arrested and taken
to the John street police station and later
to the Tombs police court. Suydam was
removed TO the Hudson Street Hospital
He is in Il critical condition.
There is considerable mystery TO
what led up to the shooting. After his
arrest Iumsdeu said at first that he fired
in self-dcfense.
Those who saw the two men immediate
ly before the shooting did not see any Of
fensve movement made on the part of
Suydam. On the contrary, he told his
clerk, a second or before he WIS shot.
that the man with whom lie was talking
was going to shoot him. and asked that
he be stopped.
Lumsden is about thirty-tWo years old.
Says Suydam Owes Money.
At tn John street station Lumsden
said he had known Suydam since last
April and was Interested with him in the
Electric Vibrator Company. He said that
certificates of the company had been de-
posted with Suydam on notes for $500,
which were due today.
He attempted to collect this amount
from Suydam yesterday. He was told to
GAN again. before the opening of the curb
tmdrket this morning.
When he Appeared at the appointed
time. he said he was attacked by three
men in Suydam S office. He snatched up
"A pistol, he asserts. and fired il IN self
defense. Where the pistol came from or
Just how he chanced to secure il he was
una bic to state.
At the hospital il was said that both
bullets which Lumsden fired into Suydam
had made serious wounds. One entered
below the upper lobe of the liver 1t en-
tered the right side of the chest ana
lodged in the muscles of the back. 1t had
not been removed up to this afternoon
The other bullet entered below the heart
on the left side and came out through the
left side of the back.
The offices of Suydam are on the third
floor of tho Bread street building. He
occupies them with w. II. Collins, agent
for the Calvin estate. and w. }. Hunter,
a Stationer and printer.
What Occurred in Office.
1t was shortly before 10 o'clock when
Lumsden entered the Office. He saw Mr..
Collins and asked him where Suydam
was. Mr.. Collins called Suydam- The
broker and Lumsden, after exchanging "a
few words, walked over to the window
which looks out on the curb below.
The conversation was apparently
earnest. although those in the office did
not oVcrhear it. Mr.. Suydam. as he
taiE the r36i3-
tor near the wall. LumSden appeared to
be much agitated.
At this point George Downs, Mr.. Suy-
dams clerk. who looks after some of his
business on the curb. came in. Approach
ing Mr. Suydam. he asked him for in
structions concerning tie days business
AS the clerk came near the broker
Suydam turned to him and said
George, for God : sake. stop that man
He is going to shoot me.
Downs says he looked around for some
thing with which To strike Iumsden, and
TaS he did SO two shots were fired. and
Mr.. Suydam fell.
u1msden Put Under Arrest.
The next instant Downs fell upon
Lumsden. He was joined by Collins who
aided him i'll holding the assailant on the
floor The cry was raised through the
office and building. Policeman John Coch-
rested Lumsden.
An ambulance was called from the
Hudson Street Hospital Dr HELEN
brand responded. Mr. Suydam at
once removed to the hospital and Lums
den was taken to the station house.
Suydam lives in Clinton street. Plain
field. n. J. He has wife. but no
children. Lumsden is about thirty-two
years old. lie came to New York from
Raleigh. n G.
At 907 Broadway it was said that the
Electric Vibrator Company had occupied
offices there until six mon hs ago, when
its office furniture was sold at auction
There vas no one in the building who
could tell anything about the business
the company did.
Struggle Seen From Street
The struggle in the window of Suydan' s
office was witnessed by at least 300 curb
brokers and messengers connected with
that market. As the men swayed about.
the brokers thought it a bit of horseplay
such as is common among the brokers
when not trading.
The sound of the shots gave them their
first warning that a real tragedy was
being enacted. Al the breaking of the
window glass the brokers rushed to Suy-
dams office When Lumsden was led
rom the building there were Loo men
| awaiting him in the street.
The crowd surged about the inventor
and for few minutes the police re-
serves had "A hard task TO protect their
prisoner.
Lumsden's Statement.
When questioned by the police Lumsden
said:
''Suydam owed me $3.50. and has owed it
for d long time, and | needed the money
He gave me notes for money which he
had raised on collateral which | had given
him. | asked for the money frequently
and this morning went down with the eX-
pectation of getting it,
Il was told to wait until after the mar
ket had opened. and | sat down. Then
three men jumped on me and | picked up
a pistol from somewhere and shot
George \. Downs. who denied the priS-
onerS statement declared that Suydaln
owed Lumsden nothing.
Mr.. Suydams recovery is doubtful. He
made a statement TO the coroner. in which
he said that he was a director in an cleo
tric vibrator company in which Lurnsd n
owned stock: that the company was in
financial difficulties. and that Suydam ob.
tanned a lean by placing Lumsdens stock
Hate