The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-08-19
Liquor License For Fen
ner Stand.
Wind Up of the Dive Where
Moan Was Shot.
An Interesting Hearing Before the
Johnston Town Council.

rell liquor case, which was held at tho
Council chamber in Odd Fellows block
last evening. The chamber was packed by
n standing crowd and there were hun
dreds unable to get in and a sort Of an
overflow gathering was perched on the
stairs and in the corridors.
All the members of the Council were
present. Charles Farrell was there with
his counsel, Thomas Il. Cosgrove and
Attorney Frank W. Tillinghast, the
towns counsel, was all ready to proceed
when tho records of tho previous meeting
had been read by the clerk.
Attorney Cosgrove was the first to ad-
dress the oouncilmeD. He'read the charges
of maintaining a disorderly place and OF
permitting a back door TO be used, which
were made against his client and then
requested the board to view the premises
before proceeding. He said such proceed
ing was customary in all courts OF law.
when there was any doubt and he offered
to provide conveyance to and from the
old Fenner stand.
Attorney Tillinghast said this was n
most unusual request to make. He knew
that such q request was often made TO
Jury, but he had never heard OK such a
request being addressed to court, and
tho Council in this case was the court.
Attorney Cosgrove disagreed with Mr..
TillinRhast
Councilman Harlow said IL the nearing
was to be confined to the back door
question he would like to view the
premises before taking action.
President Smith thought the testimony
OF tho witnesses ought TO be sufficient.
Mr.. Harlow said no wished to be ex-
cussed from sitting on the case, II they
were not to view the!premises.
Attorney Cosgrove expressed hope that
there would be no Disagreement in the
board. He wanted the hearing before u
full board he said.
Mr.. Tillinghast said he didn't care
whether he had a full board or half a
board. If the Council did want to Edo
its duty, Ii needn't sit at ALL No one
knows, he said, how many changes may
have been made at the old Fenner stand
since the charges against Farrell were
made.
Councilman Wood thought 1t a pity
to the see board broke up''over this ques-
tion. lie favored viewing tho premises.
Councilman Nugent said after hearing
the testimony, IL they wore not satisfied.
IL would then be time enough to view
the premises.
President Smith said he had no objec-
tion TO viewing the premises, but thought
the witnesses ought TO be heard first.
ON motion OF Mr.. Nugent the hearing
was then begun.
Mr.. Harlow asked to have the Council
agree to view the premises either before or
after the hearing but his request was not
accoded TO and he Withdrew TO ons side
and the hearing was opened.
Officer Hiram kimball was the first
witness He hau been at the old Fenner
stand on q number of occasions, he des-
oribed the exits from the place, back and
front. and told OF complaints be had re-
ceived against the place. Ho was thora
shortly after the shooting of Aug @, when
Va la la
attended dances thero in an official capac-
ity. He said there were six exits alto
gether.
Town Sergeant Holbrook was the next
witness. He described his visit to the
place in company with Detective Parker
and others OH Aug. 0.
On that occasion he found a back exit
from tho barroom and passed. out that
way. Ho had ordered this same door clos
cd when no examined the place ut tho
time the license was applied for. This
door was afterward closed.
lie was asked if he had ever received
any reports against tho place.
Ho said he had but he did not investi-
gate them because the complainant backed
down.
Albert Daboil was the next witness
He resides close TO the Fenncr stand. Had
often been there, but thought the place
disorderly. Saw rows there, entered tie
he had seen things that shocked his sense
Of decenoy, but he refused to specify what
these were. lie seemed To regard them as
things unfit to speak OF in public.
Charles A. Brown, 76 years Of age one
OF the old residents of that part of tho
town said he had often sat on the hill
overlooking the saloon, on Sundays and |
watched the crowds of men go in and out
Of the back door of Farrell's place. He |
had seon as many as 20 pass in there in |
side OF one hour.
This completed the prosecution and tho
defense was begun with the taking OF
Charles Farrell's testimony.
Farroli is lame. partially bald, very
thin face and with promise OF n mus |
tacho on his upper lip One could almost |
SEQ him shedding tears as no related in n |
voice as tender as Sunday school teach |
or's. how he worshipped his brother.
lie had been proprietor of the Fenner |
stand fer two years he said.
Ho described the promises. He said |
thore were l2 rooms and seven entrances
to the building, two mt the rear, two on |
the end and three on the front. The rear
doors. however no claimed, do not open
into the barroom. |
He had never heard n complaint against
his place He worshipped his brother. no |
said, and he never knew anything wrong
about BIN. He didn't know tho charac.
tor OF his associates, MONAGHAN and Car.
ter. They stayed with him n good deal
coming and going when they pleased.
His brother had told him that they
w6rs gamblers.
He told about his brothers return with
the wounded leg. Ho was notified by
Monaghan and he met his brother on
South Water street In Providence. His
brother told him that ho had been fishing
and had got into a little difficulty and
had teen shot.
Attorney Tillinghnst asked why he
didn't find out who 70 was that shot his
brotnor. lie said he didn't think OF IT,
ALI he thought of then was 20 get his
brother relief.
Richard Carpenter, .ir., was tho next
witness Ho formerly worked as bar
tender at the Fenncr stand. lie said tho
bhck door WAS barred but that no ocua.
sionally opened it. lie had sold liquor 10
women and children and he had seon somo
squabhles there but none that amounted
20 anything
John Blaudry. Jason Caiy, Honr,
Brown and benjamin Franklin all testi-
fled that they had seen nothing out OF the
way NJ farrpll's placc. This ooncIuded