The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-05-19
UP AGAINST MARS.
Tanner Tells How He
Met the God
Of War.
DOWNE LICENSE.
It Was Granted After a
Sensational Hearing
Yesterday.

The license board has voted to re-
new thetlicense of Patrick ]. Downey,
who has been brought into consider
able publicity of late on account of the
protest entered by Mrs. Ada =. Tan
ner against his being granted a license.
The board had a hearing yesterday
afternoon, at which Mr.. and Mrs. Ed
ward c. S. Tanner, Downey and George
A. Kendrick testified. The evidence for
and against varied to considerable
extent, but at the meeting subsequent
to the hearing Downey's license was
granted.
John B. Ratigan appeared for the
Tanners and called Mrs. Tanner as his
first witness. She testified in substance
that she spent the summer at Old Or
chard Beach two years ago, and that
during the month Of August her hus-
band came down to spend day or two
with his family. 1t was at this time
that she noticed that his eye was
blackened and that his arms and BODY
were badly bruised.
Afterward she saw stories in the
newspapers about Mr.. Tanner having
trouble with Downey, and on being
questioned her husband told a story of
being taken to the Pond Lily House,
where he was beaten and robbed. II
was on the strength Of this story that
she entered a protest against license
being granted the hackman.
Mr.. Tanner said that he is manu-
facturer of perfumes, and lives in this
city. On the night Of Aug. or 3, 1897,
he came across Downey near the cor
ner of Main and Mechanic streets, he
claimed, and after passing the time of
day asked him what he would charge
to drive him into the suburbs, where
they could get the air and cool off.
Downey replied 81 an hour. They
started off both men sitting on the
box of the hack. After driving for
some time they came to a house where
a light was hung out in front.
He asked what sort of place 1t was,
and DoWney replied: I'VE can get a
drink Of beer here" Tanner said all
right, and the hack was driven into the
yard They went into the house, Tan
ner going into the parlor and Downey
remaining in the kitchen. Tanner had
been in the room but few minutes
when four or Eve girls came in. He
asked them to have a glass Of beer, and
obey accepted. The treat cost him 81.
The drinks were repeated several
times.
When he was ready to leave, Downey
told him that Mars, the proprietor Of
the house, wanted IS. Tanner refused
to pay and was pushed back into the
house, knocked down and beaten. One
of the women took hand in this and
struck him several times with a shell,
which caused the marks on his arms
and chest. He had IS bill in his vest
pocket, but when he got up the bill was
missing, as was his diamond stud,
which had been torn from his shirt
front.
Downey made no effort to help, al
though asked to do so. Finding that
the S. had been taken from him, Tan
ner offered Mars SO, which he had in
another pocket, or said he would send
him a check for S. They were finally
allowed to leave the house, after which
mond, saying that he had to give Mars
81 for the stone. Tanner remarked to
the driver that it was nice trap, but
that he should push the case, but he
was given to understand that this would
do no good as the house was protected
by the selectmen of Shrewsbury. He
arrived home about o'clock in the
morning.
In answer to questions, Mr.. Tanner
SalQ lIlhL II W DIS dbOuL IL v OAOSh hAAtAA
they started out on the drive. He did
not ask Downey to take him to Mars
house, nod did he know where they
were going. He was not intoxicated
He had seen Downey number of
times, and told him that he thought
that he stood in with the proprietor of
the house, and that he would not pay
him the 81 asked. He also stated that
Downey had brought suit against him
and received Judgment for the amount
Of his bill
Chief Vaughn wanted to know If it
took Tanner an hour and a half to find
out what sort of a place he was in.
Chief brennan asked why Tanner had
not made complaint to the police Of the
manner in which he had been used. He
replied that he had been advised to
keep the matter quiet, and wanted to do
so until it came out in the papers.
Downey said that he knew Mr. Tam
ner WELL and had driven him several
times previous to the night In August,
when the affair in question took place.
It was O'clock in the evening Of Aug.
2 1897, when Tanner came to him and
wanted to be driven to Mars place at
the, lake. he said. They drove to the
house, arriving about $50 o'clock and
stayed until IL o'clock. Downey went
to the door of the house and got ci-
gar and went back to his carriage. He
heard no racket in the house until a
short time before they started for home,
when Tanner came to the door and
asked him for the loan Of IS, saying
that Mars had the diamond and would
not give 1t up unless the money was
paid. He gave him the money On
the way home Tanner told him that he
had been beaten and robbed, and want
ed to know why he had not come in to
help him. They arrived in the city
about Las O'Clock
On discrimination, Downey said
that Tanner was apparently sober. and
that he had asked to be driven to Mars
house. He had seen Tanner several
times since the suit, and Tanner offered
to settle for SO.
Mr.. Ratigan introduced a copy Of the
testimony given by Downey, in court,
and compared that with the evidence
submitted yesterdayto prove that Dow
ney was not telling the truth on one
occasion or the other. Downey
claimed that he was mixed up by the
questions put to him by Ratigan. He
stuck to the statement, however that
he had been TO the Pond Lily house
but twice during the time he has been
a haclxman. He visited the place once
previous to that time, when 1t was
Mr.. Kendriek said he attended the
hearing for the purpose of saying a
word as to Downey's character. He
spoke of him as one Of the most relia-
bic men he had ever employed, and
that he never had a complaint against
him previous to this time.