The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-18
FIRED TO DEFEND His HOUSE.
CHARLES c. WENTISCH FELT COM
PEELED To KILL A MAN.
sylvester L.. Reeve Had Pounded on His
Door and Tried. He says. To Climb Into
a WindOw-Ftred Twice to Scare Him
and After a Warning Shot and Killed.

near Spring, and living at A5 Elton street
Rrooklvn, WAS shot and moNaly wounded
about midnight Of Friday by Charles c. Wen
tsch. 40 years old, Il meta spinner living
In Lutheran place near Broadway. Wood
haven. According Ia the story told by
Wentisch and members of his household,
Reeve was shot while trying to break
into the Wentisch's house.
Wentisch lives in one-story frame
house which stands on the south side of
Lutheran place and about quarter of
mile east of Broadway. With him live
his wife, seven children and an old man
of the name of Thomas Tillett The fam
iv came from Pennsylvania and have
lived IN the house they now occupy about
four months.
The house stands back IA few feet from
the street.. Entrance to il from Lutheran
place Is gained brough Il single door, which
opens orto a porch, about four feet wide
and 'hree feet deep. Three steps connect
the porch and the sidewalk. On the west
side Of the porch is II trelIis, up which a
honeysr"ko vine climbs
OF the main han of the house, to the west,
Is a small living room and off that still
further est j. the bedroom occupied by
Wenti>ch ana MS wife
Their" is on" window in each of the rooms,
with a northern exposure. The sills of
both windows are not more than three feet
from the ground. The window in Wen
ti~'h', bedroom j. about fifteen feet ives,
Of the porch, Beneath the main floor of
the house is the basement There Tilleth,
who Is deaf, slept.
The WentisCh couple retired a little after
o'clock on Friday night. About fifteen
minutes before midnight, MIR. and Mrs.
Weltsch, according to the story told by
both. We're awakened 10y pounding on
the front door Wentisrh threw open
the shutters and called out
who's there and what's want ed7"
81 want 10 STE Kelly" was the reply of
sman whom Wentsch saw standing on the
porch He says he thinks he saw two others
Standing beside the man who answered his
question: out OF this he is not certain since
The foliage of the honeysucklevine is pretty
thick and there are no street lamps near the
house.
There's nobody named Kelly living here,
and you'd better 20 along about your bust
ness.
IF know better shouted the stranger.
'keilv'e inside, and I'm going to have him.
Ii yol don't open the door III smash it in
III yoI don't get away, replied W entisch,
TIL shoot
A. he said this he told his wife to get
his pistol. The stranger meantime was
attering away at the door with his fists
Bnd feet.
The pistol is big Colts revolver of five
chambers and of As caiibre. Mrs. Wentisch
got the pistol and gave it to her husband.
BY this time the pounding on the front door
had awakened all the children, and they
were screaming in terror, Two dogs,
bull terrier and black -and-tan, in kennels
at the west of the house set up furious
barking This annoyed the stranger and
be ceased kicking at the door for a few
econds to walk around and kick the dogs
Then he returned to the porch and Wen
t,ch, pistol in hand, leaned far out OF the
Window and shouted:
az give you fair warning l have pistol
n my hand and If you don't get ont of here
light away I'll shoot
HShoot and he damned" replied the
Granger cheerfully Il know you and
rou re too big a damned coward to shoot
Wentisch accepted the challenge and
tred twice, he supposed into the air.
Yesterday morning one bullet was found
mbv d led in the pastering in the north wall
ST the room beneath the window, The
Gher was Just outside the window III the
Eooden sill.
Wenrischs aim grew steadier, but il he
expected theEstTanger to be scared away
by a little thing like bullets. he was mis-
aken. No sooner had the second shot
been fired, according TO Wentisch's story,
han the man lrared from the porch and
trisd to climb into the oren window OF
he living room.
He didn't seem o be good al climbing,
" he returned o the door and began to
sici, and pound ii with renewed vigorr.
Nen'isch was very angry by this time and,
planting himself against the west side of
he window. where he could command
view of the porch. he shouted
fire to hit this time
Another kick at the door was the only
answer
Bang, Bang, went the old Colt. and two
N.lets whistled through the honeysuckle
Payes.
Wentisch says he thinks he saw two
nen run away after he fred the first two
horS Nobody else did and, as no trace
If them has been found. it is probable
hat only one man was there. Az least,
hrae men could not find standing room
NJ the porch
Immediately after the last Two shots
lad been fired the stranger, Without say.
ng a word. walked duNn the steps and
west along Lutheran place TO Broadway
Then he came bat X, COoly entered tne
tard and sat down on the Wentisch porch
Nenii~ch'S statement a. TO tins IL verlned
~ hat of Policeman narles Smltn OF me
Richmond Hin station, VINO followed the
course the stranger took TO broadway
Ind la X hv bleed spots on the sidewalk,
M~jy seen early yesterday morning before
h. ran 10 rain.
A. me- man vas walking off the porch,
Till. T. Wun had been aroused by the CRIES
fth" children calling to him, came mp from
he hI," geul to set " a the roN was .ou'.
ie aud W"u'i.ch went out the back door
md reached The street some minutes before
h. Stranger rtN urmtd They went across
he street to the house of q man named
ichre upp au. gc' his n, Valentine
ichpinpp. 10 notify the Richmond Hill
hirr bl Telephone Nentis' h and Ii'lett
we're on he nlpo-itc side of the street when
he stranger returned to the porch They
Watched him sir down ard they saw that,
lfter time. he aprpared to he motto Mess.
Tref ln' lantern and Wentisch had
h. pistol They concluded to go over and
ak n lyuk n he II an on the porch they
plnd pool ~ bleed ON tn" steps and lh"
mar tra' apparently
Not lprg af,srwald Policeman Smith
rrIyed "" said he thought the man was
lead iu ambulance from the Jamaica
Hospital ra~ summoned. That was nearly
oc,0"f yesterday morning, The surgeon
All tn" man had been dead AT least an
LOuT
TIL" body was taken 10 the Richmond
dlli police station in the ambulance smith
h"u arrested Wentsch The man was
H.. - 4 L 4 La In r.