Evening star., 1933-12-17
death TAKES TWO
FAMOUS, WRITERS
Burns Fatal to Vance
Chambers suceumbs
After Operation. :
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, December 16.-Death
closed the books today for Louis Joseph
Vance and Robert W. Chambers.
Vance-He wove words into romance
along the strange trails of stranger
places-was burned to death at his
apartment here.
Chambers-He Clipped his words from
the rainbow and changed prosiac Incl
died at Doctors Hospital after an
operation.
Vance was 81.
Chambers was 68.
An employe of Vance's apartment
house found his body burned badly,
in a smouldering chair. Police sug-
gested he fell asleep and his cigarette
set the upholstery afire. He wore only
his trousers.
Authorities began investigation. One
theory was that he suffered heart at
tack and collapsed as he attempted to
rise from the chair
Chambers underwent an operation
for an intestinal ailnent three days ago
and never rallied.
Both Were Artists.
The two authors had much in COM
mon, including a fascinating cadence
in their works. Both began their ca
reers as artists.
Vance was an artist for a New York
newspaper after he completed his stud
les at Polytechnic Institute in Brook
lyn. Chambers studied art in Paris
and was an illustrator for magazines
Chambers was born in Brooklyn,
where Vance went to school. Vance was
born in Washington, where his father
was a newspaper man.
Vance turned to writing in 1900 and
wrote short stories for magazines, using
many pseudonyms. Once he had seven
stories appearing simultaneously under
as many different names.
In 1906, he brought out "The Brass
Bowl" and his fame was assured.
Later came THE Lone Wolf" and
such glamorous things as Terrence
O'Rourke, Gentleman Adventurer" and
THE Road to En-Dor," as well as such
creeping mysteries as The Destroying
Angel"
Prolific and tireless, he wrote rap
idly and frequently. Many Of his books
were best sellers.
Chambers, temperamental and retir-
ing, wrote his first novel, In the
Quarter" in 1893.
He wrote anything-verse, sociological
novels. childrens stories and plays. But
his historical romances made him
famous.
Pirates, Gold and Love.
His style was virile and he wrote
about things which fascinated men
wars and adventures on the gristly-mid-
die passage of the slave trade, pirates
and gold and love
There are his Ashes of the Empire"
| and The Man They Hanged" and the
Drums of Aulone" Recently he did
magazine stories about pirates adven-
lures of the Georgian Spanish Main,
| Gypsy love on the Rio Grande and
| tales of woman federal spy who loved
rebel.
Chambers married Miss Elsa Waugh
Moller in 1898, and they had man
sion in Broadalbin, N. Y. They also
maintained a home here. His widow
and son, Robert Edward Stuart Cham
bers, survive him.
He was member of the National In
stitute of Arts and Letters and many
exclusive clubs. Friends remember him
as retiring sort, bit shy but devoted
to his small circle of close friends. His
hobbies were guns and rods, rare fur
I niture, books and paintings. ~
Vance is survived by his son, Will
! son Vance, who edits a newspaper in
| Vienna.
Recently Vance returned from voy-
| age to the West Indies, and friends
said he apparently was in good health.
He was a well-known contract bridge
| player, and frequently clashed with Ely
| Culbertson over the game He re-
signed from one club in protest at Cul-
| bertsons election.
In his apartment today police found
medal of valor which belonged to
his father. On it was this:
Second Lieut.. Wilson Vance. Com
pany D, 21st Ohio Infantry Volunteers,
December 81. 1862"