New-York tribune., 1919-08-03
Police Fear Feud
Of Cangsters May
Break Out Again
Shooting of ssRubber'' Shaw
Said To Be Merely Link
in Murder Chain; Curry
and Costello Are Sought

Police said yesterday they feared
the gang feud following the murder Of
Thomas "Tanncr') Smith in the Mar
ginal Club, which had tragic after
math in Hobokcn, when Rubber"
Shaw, wanted for the murder, was
shot to death and George Lewis, alias
"Chicky,' a pal of Rubber" was
wounded, had not spent itself.
Further shootings might be expected,
they said, although all possible meas
ures to prevent them we're being taken.
and each member of the "Tanner"
Smith and kindred gangs was being
watched
The police arc looking for Lefty"
Curry, who was in the Marginal Club
at the time OF the Smith shooting and
who was shot in the leg in the exchange
Of bullets which ended in the Tan
ner's" death
Lefty" was with Shaw and Lewis
charged with the murder of Smith-on
the night the "Tanncr" was killed.
Earlier in the day all three who were
posing as the reformed gangsters
friends, were with him in a saloon, ap-
parently on the best Of terms, accord
ing to Assistant District Attorney
Joyce, head of the Homicide Bureau.
"Mikey" Costello Sought
Another man the police want is
"Mikey" Costello, himself powerful
boss beef stevedore, as was the dead
Tanner" whose bosom friend he was.
"Mikey' operated on the Jersey piers,
while his friend ruled the stevedores in
Manhattan piers and depots.
"Mickey's" brothers, Jim and Pete,
are held by the police in Hoboken,
following their arrest there Thursday
night, after the shooting Of Shaw and
Lewis.
All three Costello brothers were
close friends of Smith, to avenge whose
death the police say Shaw was killed
and Lewis wounded. Mr.. Joyce says
the police know that Mickey" Cos
tello visited the temporary residence
Shaw and Lewis established in 333
Hudson Street Hoboken, on Thursday
following the New York murder and
accompanied them to the point in
Washington Street nearby where
group of men, hidden in an alleyway
opened fire on them.
Three guns, besides those found on
Shaw and Lewis, were thrown" fol-
| lowing the shooting and picked up later
by the police, indicating, says Mr.
Joyce, that at least that number of
men went out Thursday night to get"
Shaw and Lewis.
Another clew to the possible motive
for the murder Of Smith, which the
police say was inspired and paid for
by business rivals who were envious Of
his growing power among the beef
stevedores, developed yesterday.
Admired Shaw's Sweetheart
1t was learned that while Rubber"
Shaw was in Jail, Smith was paying at
tention to the then Grace Madden. of
Hoboken, "Rubber's" sweetheart. whom
he married on Monday last, and left a
widow three days later
Mr.. Joyce declared his information
was that when Smiths rivals wanted
man to kill him, they picked Shaw
because they knew that, although on
the inside of the "Tanner's" crowd. he
hated him.
Shaw, according to Mr.. Joyce, was
implicated in the shooting of "Mickish7
keating in March. 1918, in Dalton's
saloon. Sixteenth Street and Ninth
Avenue. Keating had been charged
with killing Mike Sweeney, a pal of
Shaw, although he was never con-
victed of the crime. Mickey" Costello,
according to the police, was friend
Oh vincent CARNEY. the desperate who
recently made a sensational escape
from the Tombs.
The piecing together Of the careers
of the men wanted in connection with
the Smith and Hoboken murders shows
that several gang murders here in the
last few years were merely links in
series of gang feuds, say the police.
Yesterday Lewis's mother and sister
visited Mr.. Joyce. They were unable
to give him any information "Chicky"
had not been at his Manhattan home
since July 13, his mother said
II simply cannot believe that he
really had anything to do with killing
Smith," she told the head of the Homi-
eide Bureau. "Pd rather see him die
in the. hospital than 60 to the electric
chair"