The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-09-04
MEMBER OF SMITHS
CLUB SLAIN IN DUEL
Longshoreman's Death An
other in Series Surround
ing Tanners Murder.
NO CLUE TO ASSASSIN
Four Shots Fired in Tenth
Avenue When Two Enemies
Meet Suddenly.

Michael Stenson. %, longshoreman
known as Fat" Stenson. was killed In
revolver duel at Tenth avenue and
Fourteenth street last night. His death
may have added another marker to the
death count in the gang warfare that
began with the killing Of Tanner Smith
five weeks ago or It may have been an
outcome of trouble in the Longshore-
mems Union or a private quarrel.
Stenson had been in 30 many kinds
of trouble in his life that the police were
at loss last night where to start their
search for the murderer. He was
member of the Marginal Club. which
| Tanner Smith formed in his prosperous
days as a boss stevedore long after he
had quit connections with the active
West Side gangs and squared himself
with the police and the people among
whom he lived
Smith was killed during a Saturday
| nights modest play at poker in the
Marginal Club. On the night of his
| funeral Rubber" Shaw and Chicken"
Lewis were shot in Hoboken. Shaw was
killed. An effort at revenge by their
| friends has been expected, but the police
have no reason for believing that the
| duel Of last night was a continuation Of
| the feud except one based on the fact
that Stenson was a mmeber of the Mar
ginal Club.
| Gun Fight in Street.
Stenson was standing on the south
east corner of the two streets at 7
| o'clock. The neighborhood is one of
| factories and warehouses and was free
| M nadaatrianq and yehiClaa
A man walked south along Tenth ave-
| nue.. As he approached Stenson there
was a quick recognition on both sides
and the instantaneous drawing of re-
volvers.
The weapons barked simultaneously.
| Stenson dropped after firing one shot.
A bullet hit him in the left breast. tore
diagonally through the body and passed
out through the right shoulder. His
| own bullet missed.
| Patrolman Boran of the Charles street
station was standing at the entrance to
the Cunard line pier at West and Four
1 teenth streets. A long line of workmen
were passing into the pier after the eve
ming supper hour.
| Boran heard four shots. He looked
across the open space known as "the
farm" which lies between West street
and Tenth avenue. He saw a haze he
volvers and started running toward
Tenth avenue.
stenson Found Dead.
The policeman found Stenson lying on
the sidewalk. a revolver clutched in his
hand. He was dead. Boran did not
catch sight OF the other man.
| Father Philip ]. Macgrath of the Sea-
| mems Mission in West street, who is
known as the fighting priest because of
his two handed ways in dealing with
| waterfront puguglieS who do not respond
to less persuasive admonitions. heard
| the shots and ran to the corner. 1t was
| too late to administer the last sacra-
ment. The priest prayed at the body un-
| Ill the arrival of an ambulance from st.
| Vincent's Hospital.
Stenson's revolver had one exploded
cartridge. The man had three additional
| bullets in a pocket. Because Boran heard
four shots. It is believed. the slayer
fred three shots and missed twice.
Stenson lived at pol West Sixteenth
! street, one block from the building
where the Marginal Club has rooms. He
| left wife and child. A brother, John,
roomed with him.
| He had lived on the West Side all his
| life. He and the young men with whom
| he grew up turned naturally for leader
| ship to Tanner Smith when the former
gangster became sort of kindly god
| father for his own neighborhood. If
! Stenson had no part in the quarrels
that led to the killing of Smith he GER
tainly was deeply affected by the death
| of a man whose funeral drew such a
crowd that the police reserves had to
be called.
The police heard reports that there
| was an upheaval in the longshoremen's
| union last week. Stenson was a men,
Der of the union. An inquiry was started
to learn what part he took, II any, in
/ the controversy.
| Mrs. Stenson told the police that she
knew of no rea ION why any one should
kill her husband. He was a good hus-
band and father" she said. He earned
$50 a week and spent 1t on his family"
John. the brother, was similarly lacking
| in information.
Detectives Reynolds and Kirk of the
Homicide Squad had fingerprints taken
| of Stenson and connected them with a
police record of a minor character. He
had been arrested three times on minor
| charges. He was sentenced to serve
ninety days after conviction on a petit