A blaze of gunfire yesterday ended an all-night poker game in the American Legion clubhouse at 2035 N. Highland Ave., Hollywood, resulting in the death of Harry Lucenay, 47, film extra, of 5329 La Mirade St.
George Heffron, an actor, of 1525 N. Van Ness Ave., received a slight flesh wound in the right arm while trying to avert the tragedy.
Held in custody as the admitted slayer, police say, is Charles Z. Bailey, 71, of 2257 Fernleaf St., who calmly told Capt. Dalton Patton that he shot in self-defense.
Escaped Injury
Harry Michael of 6350 Franklin Ave., who sat in on the last hand which ended with the gunplay at 5:20 a.m., escaped uninjured.
The shooting occurred in the buffet room of the Legion cluhouse in the basement. More than 200 servicemen sleeping upstairs did not even hear the shots or know of the tragedy until the investigation was finished.
According to police, the game had been in progress all night for comparatively low stakes, and by 5 a.m. had dwindled to three players, Lucenay, Michael and Bailey.
The last hand had been called as "High-Low," a variation of the regular game and, although he made a mistake at the beginning of the hand, believing that it was called "high" instead of "low," Bailey won the $5 pot through a lucky draw.
Then, Bailey told Capt. Patton and Sgt. J. W. Milton of Hollywood Division, Lucenay became abusive, accused him of cheating and twisted his arm.
Cashed In Chips
"You can't play here any more, this place isn't for guys like you," Lucenay said, according to Bailey.
Bailey said that he then cashed his chips to avoid Lucenay, and went back to the table to rest for a moment before going home. But Lucenay returned, he said, resumed the argument and started around the table toward him.
"I know he was going to beat me up," police quoted Bailey as saying, "so I pulled my gun and shot, trying to wound him in the arm or shoulder. He kept coming at me after the first shot, so I fired again and he dropped to the floor. I didn't intend to kill him."
Examination disclosed that Lucenay received a flesh wound in the right side from the first bullet and that the second penetrated his heart.
Bystander Wounded
Heffron, a bystander, was wounded in the right arm as he moved in when Bailey drew his pistol and tried to prevent the shooting.
"I think he was wounded when he threw up his arm in front of Lucenay as I fired the first shot," Bailey said.
Both Heffron and Michael confirmed most of Bailey's story, asserting that Lucenay started the argument. They also stated that Lucenay had been in a fight earlier in the evening with another man whom he choked and beat about the head.
Lucenay first became prominent in motion pictures with his famous actor dog, "Pete," the dog with a large ring around one eye, which for years acted in "Our Gang" comedies.
Lucenay leaves his widow, Mrs. Harry Lucenay, who is visiting with relatives in Texas, and a son, Corp. Ted Lucenay in the United States Army, who is now home on furlough."
Sidenote: Lucenay was actually 57 in 1944, and his address was on La Mirada Ave.