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\LeroyHarris Shot toDeathInDowntownLawOfficePKINOI'US IN SIKMTl\(i—1 ,rrm V H.lt; ns lt;nch' hx «| attormwwax shot and killed in his offire ?n Mi^ S? »Houi noonShoirlv rbeteaftoi Phillip Johnson, !V2 appear* \ a? the police station.handed o\ a 18 calib# r revolver and said he had just shot HarrisJohnson is bring hold. (Journal Work! Photo Mild Man Calmly DescribesShort, Fatal Visit to Cityby BILL MAvfHAt 12 bn p m tod t\ a small, mild ni tnn* ! cd and polite Nrgio man w.diod into the U\u« nlt; r police station, handed a pistol to thema‘ion on dutv and said Good moi miu' rn \ am I just shot le?o\ Hat t is in lus offu • and I m not sure if h» s d« adAlont at be time, handling the radio and telephone rails over theluneh hour, was Mrs MargaretRober*son. the matron The man gave hi* name as Phillip Johnson, his ice as !S2 and his nresent ad-rita ss ;(v 2211 Oliv» St , Kansas Cit, Mo He formei \\ lived hereJohnson was a Lawrence re*i-dent, he said, up until the time his wile died about two \ears ago A former meat cutter, he has not hern working for some time He claims he ha . been in ill health and has been 1.\ mg off : lt;lief Mrs Robertson took the pistol, a .38 caliber revolv* r, asked the man to wait a minute and then called Cap! William Cox (’ox, who ^adbeen working the radio, was eating luneh in a nearby restaurantand wav easily reached -- miival, Capt Cox tookJohnson into the office of police chief John Ingalls for questioning, Ingalls arrived shortl thereafter.Meanwhile the matron had railed othei officers to go to attorneylianas s of fit e at 713 Mass. St. as, well county coroner L K Zim mer and an ambulance service. Harris had died‘‘Johnson was such * polite hftle man it was hard to understand that he might have shot someone, * Mrs Robertson told a Journal* World reporter ‘There was no disturbance He handed me the gunand just walk'd until Capt. Coxcame in.”Inside th# chief s office. Johnson sat on one side of a desk while Cox sat on the other and took down the statements. Ingalls lt;atbeside the man end questioned him along with OxThe hald Negro with * deeply-lined fare was attired in * dark brown pants held up by suspenders. and wore a black and white checked shirt buttoned at the collar On the desk lay a blue coat and a brown hat while a longblack Chamberlain type umbrellaleaned against the desk.Johnson told the officers he had come to Iviwrenre by bus about 11 20 this morning, had gone to the Sportsman s Shop at 71S Mhw St and purchased a blue steel 38caliber revolver and six bullets.He then went to Harris’s office with the gun wrapped in paper.The man told Ingalls and Cox heentered the seeond-storv office.Kansas City NegroTurns HimselfinAt Police StationBr J A O * VVf OMANr«*n\ V Ham*. LawrenceXV in ’■ '. v\a shot too a•rn*lt;i» .'it t a ■ ut r: *tn in hi!*downtown ofticp, apparentlyhy a man who minutes laterralrnly tum^I himself in to police and handed o\* r t .*• yun.• #P*v.svp A 2lt;»l i »n KansasN» s.gn* \ a «?*!#•m* nt r ’br r -v’11* »n idrrwt*ting thlt;* he had purebred the v*ripon a 18 caliN' pistol justH • *te go :i : !lt;• If , . ■ 'ffice at,13 Mbs St He C*o admittedshooting H \rr «Two IXllIKU In R«tffyThe local aftoraev about n0 wasfound slumped h e kw ard in a chairat hi* desk He had a gunshot wound n h - head and another in hi* right hand I*nuglas Countv Coroner Dr I*. K Zimmer gave nn official statement that the head wound » aused H u ns death which apparently w as instantaneous ,No immediate reason w*at known for the shooting Capt Bill Cox of the police department quoted Johnson as saving he had purchased the pistol because hethought ‘ there might he trouble A* soon as police got Johnson’§ statement he was transferred to th# county jail in custody of Cnder-sheriff Karl McClure Milton P Allen. Douglas Countv attorney said * murder chargewill be filed against Johnson, f'omplaint Hue TodayI II prepare the complaint this afternoon char$;inr him with first-decree murder. and it will be filed just soon as r™«Ne,'' Allensaid.In hi* statement. Johnson saidhe arrived in Lawrence ahout 11:20 a in on a bus Me said he then went to the Sportsman s Shop. 715 Mavs St.. and purchased a 38 caliber revolver and six shells for ahout $4’. Then, he said he went to Harris' office, where he removed Lhc. JSFV'en pd|»er wrappini from the jfunWhen I walked Into Mr Harria'office he was sitting at his desk.the statement continued ‘T stood■K(Continued on Page 2)ahout six or eiijhl feet from Harris and said hello I^-ro\ ’
Newspaper Details
Lawrence Daily Journal World
Lawrence, Kansas, US
Fri, May 28, 1954
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Lawrence P.
KS, USA 17 Aug 2021
Other Publications Near Lawrence, Kansas
Lawrence Journal World
Journal World
Lawrence Daily Gazette
Lawrence Daily Journal World
Lawrence Chieftain
