The New York herald., 1922-02-14
SOLDIER shot DEAD
BY COMRADEN ROW
OVER GIRL RLATDANCE
Walter Valance. Sergeant
Almorer, Killed by Sergt.
NJ. A. Sheehy.
TRAGEDY SEEN BY WIFE
Slayer Flees i'm Taxicab. but
Returns to the 104th
Field Armory.
GIRL HELD AS WITNESS
Dead Man Sought to Stop
Fight After Alleged In7
suit to Woman.
GIRL HELD AS WITNESS

Walter Valance of 1874 West Sixty
seventh street, Regimental Sergeant
Major of the 104th Field Artillery
was shot and killed this morning at 1
o'clock in corridor of the regimental
armory at Broadway and Sixty-eightt
street by Morris A. Sheehy of 81
East Eighty-eigh street, Regimental
Supply Sergeant. Vallance's wife wit
messed the shooting and tried to take
the revolver from Sheehy's hand, but
he brushed past her and fired.
The shooting followed a dance in
one of the mess rooms of the armory
on the third floor where Sergeant
Valance had stopped a fight tina,
started when several men picked ur
Miss Betty Glennon, Sheehy's sweet
heart, after she had fallen off piano
stool.
the revolver away, walked into the
arena of the armory and then into
Sixty-seventh street, where he got
into taXicab and told the chauffeur
to drive north. The machine went as
far as Eighty-sixtk, street and Broad
way, where Sheehy told the driver tc
go back to the armory. as re had for
gotten his sweetheart and wanted tc
take her with him.
When he walked into the arena again
he was arrested by detectives Of the
West sixtry-eighth street station and
locked up. charged with homicide. Miss
Glennon, who refused to give her ad-
dress but said that she lived In New
Girl Fell to Floor.
The dance was given by the service
battery of the regiment. and about nifty
men and women attended II. II began
early. and grew In noise and excitement
as the hours progressed. Soon after mid
night this morning Miss Glennon, who
told the police that she had been drink
ing rather heavily, went to the piano
and started to play but was not able to
keep her balance.
She fell from the stool to the floor
and several men rushed across the room
and picked her UP. She became In
dignant at this and told Sheehy, with
whom she went to the dance, that some
one had insulted her.
The detectives learned Sheehy imme-
diately issued a blanket challenge to
fight any or all Of the men In the house
In behalf of the girl. Several accepte
and within few minutes practically
every man in the room was swinging his
fists and kicking and biting.
Sheehy was badly used. His lip was
cut an eye blackened and he hao big
cut on his check But he was fighting
back two or three men when Valance.
who had been in his office on the first
floor. heard the noise and came up He
pushed his way into the mass of fight
ing men and shouted to them to stop.
After some argument Valance per-
suaded the men to quit fighting. He
asked Sheehy particularly to keep the
peace because he and Sheehy had been
friends for some years and he knew
Sheehy better than he did any of the
others. Valance suggested they have
one more dance and then go home, and
then he went back to his Office.
obtains n Pistol.
Two or three minutes later Shechy
SldEEtttu iiOit tilt ndll re EOt
revolver somewhere. just where the
police have been unable to learn, and
went downstairs. He wandered along
the corridor into which the Offices open,
and had about reached Vallance's office
when the door opened and Valance
stepped into the hail.
So far as tho police have been able
to learn there was no argument and no
of the quarrel. Sheeny just
raised his gun and fired one shot, Tho
bullet entering Vallance's stomach. Val
lance was dead when DR.. BrodsSy OF
Flower Hospital reached him.
When Sheehy was taken to the police
station the surgeon was called there to
attend him for the cuts and bruises he
had received in the fight. The man was
not able to talk because OF his condition.
and Miss Glennon also was not able TO
tell a coherent story Of what had hap
pened. The District Attorneys office
will begin an investigation this morn