The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1922-05-08
Argument Over Bill for Work
Ends in Shooting-At-
tomey Dying.
REVOLVER DUEL STAGED
ASSailant Hits One Officer,
but Others Trap Him After
Thrilling Chase.

Hugh Chambers, a Negro janitor at
No. 81 Allen Street went to the office
OF Louis A. 1avelle, a Negro lawyer,
at No. 420 Lenox Avenue, near 131st
Street, at o'clock to-day and de-
manded s197 in payment for work he
had done for the lawyer. According
to Lavelle. Chambers had made
similar demand by telephone satur-
day, threatening TO 60. to the office
ltotddy and Kill Lavelle IL the money
were not ready for him.
In the law office when Chambers
arrived were James p. Simpson, a
lawyer, and Misses Lucille Walker
and Olga Perry, all colored. Chambers
went inside with Lavelle. Their voices
were raised in anger and Chambers
drew a revolver and fired a bullet into
the lawyers head.
As the others in the office jumped
from their chairs Chambers fired
another shot which went through a
window.
Policeman Harry Pohndorf of the
East l35th Street Station was in the
street in front OF the building. He
started up the steps at the sound OF
the shots. Chambers. coming through
the door, fired a shot which hit the
policeman, who had not yet drawn his
| revolver, in the side of the neck. The
bullet, taking a downward course, hit
n nerve which paralyzed the police
| mans hand and foot and he fell and
lay rigid i.
Chambers. while the girl steno-
graphers screened from the windows
| OF the law office and a crowd gathered
quickly on the sidewalk, turned south.
A block from 131st Street he ran into
| the street and boarded a southbound
| open street car, crouching in the rear,
| seat.
The crowd. spread out across the
street. followed the car yelling. 81
Policeman ballard OF the West 1880
Street Station caught the meaning OF.
the waving arms Of the persons I'm the
crowd and ran over from 126th Street.
toward the car. From the rear seat
Chambers opened fire on him. Dali
lard emptied his revolver at the Me-
gro. the first bullet splintering the
woodwork at the back of the car.
Chambers jumped out and ran into
| the door OF No. 327 Lenox Avenue
while ballard was firing. Policeman
| Otto J. Westphal. on trafic duty at
l25th Street. reached the door before
ballard. Chambers, who had gone UP.
the stairs to the first landing, had ap-.
| parently reloaded his Lueger automa-.
tic with fresh clip OF nine cartridges
and began firing again. After West
phal's third shot in reply, the Negro
| threw down his gun and raised his
hands In surrender.
ballard, Westphal and other police
men had difficulty in protecting Cham
bers from a crowd OF nearly ., 200 per-
sons, Negroes for the most part, who
we're surging about the door in tense
| excitement az the prisoner was
brought out. The reserves OF the East
| l35th Street Station and the West
| la3d Street Station-the chase had
crossed the line between two precincts
arrived in time to prevent serious
| trouble. The policemen found Cham
bers had been hit with a bullet in the
side. he said one OF Dallard's bullets
| had hit him.
Chambers was hurried to Harlem
Hospital in a taxicab Lavelle and
| Pohndorf had already been taken
| there. According to the detectives.
both identified him.
Chambers. Notwithstanding his
wound. was taken directly 10 the Dis
tricty Attorneys Office under the
new system for sending the cases OF
prisoners caught In the commission OF
crimes directly TO the Grand Jury. He
admitted tho shooting TO Assistant
District Attorney Dtnesa.