Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-14
.JAN|TOR'S DEVICE
CAUSES SHOOTING;
SAILOR WOUNDED
Struck by Two Bullets Fired
From Window as He Helps
Seize Truck.
BELL SIGNALED OWNER
AS MACHINE WAS MOVED
Scamen Had Gone With Friend to
Repossess It-Colored Man
Is Arrested.

An ingenious wire signal system which
caused bell to ring in the apartment
of James Allen Tatum, 26-year -old
colored janitor of 225 Massachusetts
avenue northeast, when his automobile
truck was moved, resulted in two rifle
bullets hitting Edward Bishop, 28-year-
old sailor, attached to the Naval Air
Station, early this morning. The sailor
was assisting Herbert A. Ridgley. agent
for a motor finance corporation in the
seizure of the truck, claimed to have
been forfeited under contract for sale
Of tires.
Tatum was arrested by Headquarters
Detective Oscar w. Mansfield, and the
police say he admits shooting Bishop
with .38 caliber repeating rifle, after
he had received information by means
OF his signal system that the truck was
being tempered with.
According to officials of the motor
company Tatum was warned 10 days
ago that If he did not pay his bill his
machine would be taken and he had
replied that he would shoot any one
who touched it.
Bishop. who is friend of Ridglev.
had gone to the place to drive his
friends car away after they had taken
/ possession OF the truck. AS they were
standing in the alley in the rear of
the apartment house where Tatum
WORKS three shots were fired from
nearby. One struck tire of Ridgley's
machine, another entered Bishops left
hip and the third entered the sailors
back at the lower left side. Tatum is
being held at the ninth precinct
charged with assault with a dangerous
weapon.
With Ridgley's assistance the wound
ed man walked to Casualty Hospital.
where he was treated by DR.. Louis
Jimal, of the staff, and then transferred
to the Naval Hospital Ridgley told
police that he hailed three motorists
on the way to the hospital, but they
refused to stop. An X-ray will be taken
10 determine whether Bishops hip was
shattered by the bullet. Meanwhile
physicians consider his condition serious.
Ridgley was instructed yesterday to
seize the truck. Accordingly, he and
Bishop drove into an alley in rear of
the apartment house where Tatum lives.
intending to remove the machine with
out the owners knowledge. Tatum.
however, had provided against Just such
contingency. He had stretched a
wire between the truck and his apart
ment and so rugged up a signal system
that bell would ring if the truck were
tempered with or an attempt made to
move it. He told Detective Mansfield
he constructed the device after the bat
terry was stolen from the machine a
short time ago.
The alarm was sounded and Tatum
appeared at the window of his apart
ment with the rifle and opened fire at
the two men. Then he went back to
bed
When Mansfield reached the scene
and rang the door bell, no one re-
sponded. He continued to ring, he de-
clared, until the bell was suddenly ST.
fenced as if by pad being placed be-
meath the striker. Such was later
found to have been the case. Mans
field then drove through the alley to
the rear of the building and flashed
powerful spotlight through the WIN
dows of the apartment. He again went
to the front door and this time Tatum's
wife opened the door in response to
his knock.
Tatum readily submitted to arrest.
Mansfield asserted, saying he fired under
the impression that some one was try
ing to steal his truck.
Ridgley is employed by the Auto List
Co., 1910 New York avenue. It was
said there that the seizure of the truck
was supported by legal authority.