The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-03-26
Brennan'S Permit to Insult
City Officials.
Investigation Has Become
Personal Persecution.
Produced a Queer Telegram But 1t
Was Not Questioned.

tigation committee was held last evening
and was characterized by impudence and
absurdity. The affair has now dwindled
down to personal persecution OF Com
missioner Paine by John w. Brennan,
and Chairman Fuller is doing his best to
help the latter.
General Brennan put up about as big
bluff as man ever perpetrated in the Com
mon Council chamber, and that is saying
a good deal.
AS an opener he read a fake telegram
to show why important witnesses were
not present from Boston, but this "tele-
gram" was written on what is known as
q sending blank. That Is, the dispatch
was lead pencil scrawl on yellow tele-
gram blank, such as anyone may get at
the public desk in the lobby OF the "Wes-
tern Union Telegraph office, and not a
dispatch on the receiving blank" which
cannot be secured except in case Of
bona fde message. And bona fide mes
sages are never written in the Others.
Still 1t was little pleasantly and no
more of bluff than the subsequent ora
tory.
A synopsis Of the evenings disclosures
as made by General Brennan in part and
as unwillingiy admitted, In the other
part, by his own witnesses on cross ex-
animation, is:
First, Doherty and Ryan were refused
a renewal of license-tbat was the gen.
erals charge 1.-The testimony showed that
Doherty and Ryan had back room with
a concealed door for serving liquor in
contrary to law.
Second, n man named Beckett was re-
fused the renewal of a license on Foun-
tam street, as charged by the general,
but there was remonstrance against
the place as shown by the testimony.
Third, the general charged that John
III. Larvin was refused the renewal of a
license at 311 Atwells avenue and Larvin
himself testified that Commissioner Burn
ham had explained to him that the
license would not be granted because of
complaints OF selling liquor on Sunday.
That was the sum and substance of the
proceedings at the ninth session of the
investigating committee. But there were
lot OF IRE works, some insults and sew
eral wrangles, although the absurdity of
the whole affair was so obvious that even
the contestants were in the best of
humor most OF the time.
Very few of General Brennan's long list
OF witnesses put in an appearance and for
the sake OF appearances he had relay of
messenger boys and policemen stationed
just outside in the corridor and at given
intervals one would rush in with mes
sick and another that he had important
religious duties to attend TO.
As the result OF these absences General
Brennan admitted that he would have to
be most illogical in his conduct OF the
case and this statement was not chal-
ienged.
END OF sAMAsKY CASE.
As a curtain-raiser Attorney Dennis ex-
amined Attoney Mckinney, his last wit
ness in the Samasky case. This was very
stupid, as both Mr.. Dennis and Mr.. Nc
Kinney are the most prosaic OF men and
neither of them have been able to see the
humor OF the affair.
1t wss wonderful transaction when
this case was finished without argument
and General Brennan began to abuse
and insult the members of the license
commission. General Wilson offered en-
phatic objection to these uncalled-for per-
sopalities, but Chairamn Fuller would
not entertain the objection and the prose-
cutting attorney was given permission to
be abusive to his hearts content through
out the session and he was allowed TO
ask all sorts of irrelevant questions regard
less Of the fact that they were objected to
by several members of the Investigating
committee.
Colonel Studley was the first witness in
the Doherty and Regan case, and played
his usual role OF the man who never made
a m istake.
He told of the refusal of .Doherty and
Rysn and OF Peter Lannon for. a license
at 8 Weybosset street in 1894, and rehearsed
all of the ancient history relating thereto
in way that pleased Chairman Fuller
and Attorneys brennan and Mccarthy.
He was the only member OF the license
board who testified during the evening.
Michael X. Downey was called by the
general but did not respond and then 1t
al hat ha oh xxh h.
instructed with the summons had not
done his whole duty.
However, Attorney Brennan said that
he could prove by Mr.. Tobias Burke the
point which he had hoped to make out
of Downey's testimony. Mr. Burke was
sworn and 1t wss case OF "Greek meets
Greek" Whatever the general had hoped
for in Mr.. Brennan's testimony he did not
make anything out of MIR. Burke, ana as
that witness returned he remarked in a
stage whisper that caught the gallery,
"'twas dead easy"
At this point the prosecuting attorney
made his coup d'etat. He invited the
the stand. In 1894 when the troubles
originated Messrs. Wilson, Page and Bren-
nan were all retained by Doherty and
Ryan. Both Mr.. Page and Mr.. Wilson
testified to thet fact last night in their
burlesque examinations by Mr.. Brennan,
and both admitted that they did their
best TO secure license for their clients
but failed. General Wilson, however. was
rad witness for the prosecution, be-
cause he went on and explained that the
license could not be obtained on account
OF the back room and concealed door.
Ex-Mayor Olpey was called and he tes-
titled that Frank Donahue had asked him
to speak TO. the license commissioners in
his behalf and see " he could obtain IL
cenae nj 4 WevhOeqff afreqt md TINT futpr
on DoDahue had withdrawn because he
could not afford TO pay the price asked
for the stock.a and fixtures slready there.
Mr.. Albert Sanford testified that Com
missioner StudIey told him at one time
that he.should vote TO grant a renewal TO
Doherty and Ryan and that II majority
OF the. .bosrd didn't do the same he would