The New York herald., 1879-08-05
A BOTTLE OF BRANDY.
HOW OFFICER PEyDERGAsr GOT 1T FOR MRS.
MAHER AND CREATED ROW.

MAHER AND CREATED A ROW.
Mr. John Maher. new sdealer. who keeps stand
at the Stevens House. preferred charges yesterday.
10 Superintendent Walling. against Officer Patrick
Pendergast, of the Twenty seventh precinct. of
serious character. The first specifies that on last
Saturday morning Pendergast guilty Of undue
intimacy with Maher's wife; second that he
procured liquor and urged her to drink it;
third that he drank it himself, and, fourth.
that he neglected his duty in being OF
his post. Maher is young man. and
has been married three years. His wife, who seems
to have only just passed the period of grlhood deli
cate in franz quite intelligent and unattractive.
They have had two children. one of whom o girl
of eighteen months is now living. They reside on
the fourth story OF large brick tenement at the
southwest corner of Liberty and Washington streets.
AIaher has the reputation of being energetic i'm
dustrious man, yet. will appear. his brief married
life has not been strewn with roses. He tells his
story in plain straightforward manner.
SAYS
'l.ast Friday night" said he to HERALD reportcr
last evening" ~ went to bed early usual, having
to rise in time to go for my papers. awoke about
two o'clock in the morning and missed my wife
from the bed. I stole softly down the stairs till
reached the staircase the first landing. Looking
down saw a man sitting the bottom step of the
stairs. My wife standing at the door. and the
man, holding q bottle, in his hand, asked her to
in and take drink, but she refused repeatedly.
At last he said to her. "H you don't come in. you
little thing. I'll 60 out and pull you in" He
went to the door and engaged in conversation with
her. in such low tone of voice that could not
hear what they said distinctly. They were in con-
versaon fully half hour, after which they turned
back into the hallway to the cellar door, which they
opened. heard them go down the steps. and my
blood began to boil. I down. opened the cellar
door. and not knowing who the man was. cried
out, You're a nice fellow. you are" My wife
rushed up past me, and / ran into the street
should up from the cellar and como
to the sidewalk, but Officer Pendergast
was thundcrstruck that all l could say was, Pat
you ought to be the last man to do such thing to
me- you have known myself and my wife long
you He mutrered something in reply and passed
out"
diately he said that he did not want to have his
name get into the papers as It was scandalous
affair on both sides On reflection, however, he
no remedy but the one he had concluded to adopt
and would risk the exposure.
"Have you sought for warrant on acriminal
charger" asked the reporter 'Yes,' was the reply.
"l called on Justice Duffy. and he told me the com.
plant should be lodged by my wife: But she won't
appear, and there is the trouble. She feels the dis
grace that the charge will entail herself we'll
on the officer so the only recourse left me to
appeal to superintendent Walling who readily took
the charges and promised that if they substan-
tiated would receive ample redress"
MAHEn's EMPHATIC DENIAL.
While Maher giving the foregoing statement
he was frequently interrupted by his wife with such
exclamations That is false, and he knows it."
"Oh don't believe HIM, sir; he is je lous me and
he follows me and watches me in the street." ''Ho
told my father stories about me-" AT last she be-
came so excited that Maher laid down the child
which he had seated his knee and left the room,
saying. 81 will go out for peace sake" Mrs.
Maher then became more subdued, yet she
manifested great nervousness and agitation while
giving her version of the affair to the reporter. Ac-
cording her statement the hour of the alleged inn
propriety eleven (not two) Friday night.
"My husband and had not exchanged words" she
said, 'snce the previous Monday on account OF his
treatment OF me at picnic on that day. when he
walked OFF from me to join other company. My
baby and myself were very sick on Friday night.
and about eleven O'Clock went down stairs to
get brandy at the liquor store the first hoor.
The store had just been closed and the proprietor
who standing outside said he sorry he could
not accommodate Officer Pendergast. who hap
pened to come along heard the remark and ho
said:-.Well Mrs. Maher as you say you are SO
sick aud need it SO badly IN 70 and see il the stores
on the corners above are OPEN He went away and
absent some time after which he came back aud
said:--I afraid you can't get any Onght'
Tne roundsnan at this time was standing on
the opposite corner. He gave me no liquor
positively he attempted no liberties with Fault
is found with me because suppose did not rcbuke
him and walk Immediately upstairs after he had
done Kindness Tor me when had no
else to do it. Mr. Pendergast is decent
suit me. The trouble is my husband is so jealous
he is afraid to trust out of his sight moment.
He tells that he won't pay the rent of these
rooms. ana he has been threatening the past two
days to bring these charges against Pendergast.
thinking he thus frighten me-"
'.Then you won't appear q witness against the
oficer?" the reporter asked.
''Why should appear against himY she retorted
OFFICER PENDEnGAsr's STATEMENT.
Officer Pendergast, when appro ached on the sub.
ject by the HERALD reporter, greatly surprised.
and said that that the first intimation he had
that charges presented against him. He could
not for some time recollect who Maher
He denied the allegations OF the latter in toto. and
says he will make short work of them at the
investigation He cannot conceive what motive
prompted the charges, except that Maher is being
made tool of of the political factions in the
First ward Captain Saunders, of the Twenty
seventh precinct gives Pendergast excellent char
acter a vigant, efficient officer. He has been
nine years the force, during which time he has
been repeatedly complimented for meritorious SER
vices. He received life saving medal seven years
ago for plunging into the water at the Cortlandt
street ferry and rescuing mau who had fallen
board. year afterward he rescued man and wo-
at the same ferry i'll a similar manner and later
still man at the Barclay street ferry.