The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-09-05
STENSON'S SLAYER
DEFENDED OWN LIFE
Mild hammered Family Man
Killed Longshoreman
in Duel.
NO GANG FEUD BLAMED
Dead Leader Had Threatened
to Get Fellow Worker
Who Got Him.
NO GANG FEUD BLAMED

The SLAYER of Fat" Stenson was not
a gangster nor a rival club member. ac-
cording to Assistant District Attorney
John ]. Joyce, but a mild hammered
family man with six children and cour-
age enough to take his chances with the
heavy handed Stenson.
Fat" was shot and killed in a pis-
toll duel on Wednesday night at Tenth
avenue and Fourteenth street. He was
member Of the late Tanner" Smiths
West Side Marginal Club and. accord
ing to the police, an uncouth person In
fight. Mr.. Joyce says his murderer
has ample justification in the plea OF
self defence; that Fat" had declared
himself out TO get him and that the
man, whose name is withheld, fed be-
cause he was panic stricken.
The police went around to the miss
ing mans home and assured the fright
ened wife and the only slightly compre-
bending youngsters that the best thing
Fats" slayer can do Is to surrender
and tell his story just as it happened
and Just as a numerous crowd Of long
shoremen will testify.
wife Tells of Feud.
The woman told the police that her
man had been very good to her and to
the kids. She said that she did not
know that he had had words with Fat
and that she did not know that he pos
sessed a revolver. All she knew was
that her husband was sturdy long
shoreman who had protected her and
her brood with the same logged courage
that possessed him when he vent out
to meet the formidable Stenson. She
added that he had not told her that he
had quarrelled with Fat" She knew
only that her man had shot quicker and
truer than Stenson and that he had fed
The police say that she was very brave
about It. stoutly defending her husband
and worrying only about the children.
Mr.. Joyce said that his investigations
and that of the homicide squad show
that Fat" started the quarrel. but
made the fatal error Of picking the
wrong sort OF an opponent.
On Tuesday night Fat and the long
shoreman had words. Fats opponent
did not seem impressed Just what It
was all about is not revealed. but Fat"
became exceedingly warm about 1t and
told his antagonist that he'd get him
unless something or other were done
with speed and despatch. II looked as
though the getting was going to be adj
minlstered then and there, the police say,
but boss dockman stepped in and
with the convincing ways of boss dock
man allayed immediate strife and set the
men to work on n few tons of merchan-
disc that needed hustling.
Pair Meet for Action.
According to the Assistant District At
torrey, the. getting of the longshoreman
was to be accomplished by Fat" on
Wednesday night, and that Fat" was
primed for action when he and the
skeptical one met.
Mr.. Joyce says that there is no link
between Fats taking off and Tanner"
Smiths demise. Neither, he says, can
there be established any connection be-
tween this shooting and that of Rub
Der" Shaw and Chicken" Lewis
over on the West Side there is much
shaking of heads and many mysterious
whisperings. But the police say that
the missing man was a member of no
gangs nor clubs nor ever had been; that
he merely shot that he might not be
shot and that they expect to find him
soon and convince him that his straight
forward story will free him.