The Washington times., 1923-12-21
CHAUFFEUR
FIRES BUT
MISSES
TENANT
Drink-Crazed Taxi Driver Ter
rorizes House After Suicide
Attempt.

Waving a A caliber revolver
in the air and threatening to
shoot on sight. Sam Ws-sArntor,
jr., taxicab driver, last night
kept fifty-five families Of the
Dorchester apartment, 400 Twelfth
street southwest, at bay while
he rushed up and down the apart
ment stairs daring the occupants
to emerge from their rooms.
Leaves Sick Bed.
The heroism of George r. Kid
well, who lives in apartment q,
prevented bloodshed, police believe.
Kidwell arose from a sick bed and
with a baseball bat in hand at
tackled Armor. The chauffeur fired
at him and missed. kidwellS bat
came down upon Armor's arm
breaking it and disarming him.
Police then rushed in upon the cap
tured Armor.
Charges of carrying concealed
weapons and drunkenness are lodged
against Armor in the Fourth Police
Precinct.
The trouble in the apartment
started early in the evening. Ar
NOR, who lives at 613 Sixth street
northwest, and who is thirty-nine
years old, was making a visit TO
Mrs. Vera We'll, who lives on the
third floor. According to Mrs. We'll,
Armor became angry when she
demonstrated with him for past
actions.
Shot at Himself.
Armor,, police say, drew from out
his coat revolver and shot at him
self. The bullet, however, only
grazed through his clothes. Mrs.
We'll slammed her apartment door
and fled to the roof. Armor is then
said to have rushed out of the apart
ment house and fled to a nearby
railroad bridge.
The noise of the shot attracted
every family in the apartment house,
and in a few minutes several hun
dred persons were croWding the
halls. Several persons were watch
ing Armors actions on the bridge.
He's coming back!' one man
cried out. and the apartment resi-,
dents scurried for cover. Accord
ing to the story of one woman,
when Armor re-entered the apart
ment. about dozen persons had
not been able to get in their apart
ments quick enough. Several
women tainted when they saw
Armor brandishing his revolver.
Richard Spicer, apartment JAM
tor, emerged from the first floor
apartment just as Armor came
back.
"You called the police, didn't
him, pointing A revolver in his
face.
mo. didn't" Spicer replied.
slamming his apartment door.
Holds Tenants at Bay.
Armor then declared that he
would permit no one to get to the
is then said to have fired in the
direction of Spicer's apartment
Residents say that Armor rushed
upstairs again, calling out on all
three floors:
II am going to shoot at the first
head / see come out of any door"
No one dared leave an apartment.
Armor made another tour of the
house, declaring he was going to
shoot into every apartment door.
And while this was going on, sew
eral men IN the apartment gathered
on the second floor. Kidwell, whose
two children had been frightened in
the hall by Armor, told the other
men that he would tackle Armor.
Kidwell went to his apartment and
secured a baseball bat. He left his
apartment. even though his wife
pleaded with him to remain. She
told him to let the police get him.
Kidwell replied that somebody NIGH.
be shot before the police got the,
and that he would get Armor.
Armed with the bat, kidwell hiu
himself behind the banister on the
second floor. Armor came up and