The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-07-23
IRISH POLITICS.
A Dramatic Scene Recalled By the
 Death of Major Tanner.

Death of Major Tanner.
 One of the remaining figures of the Parnell Commission has just disappear ed in the person of Major Tanner, writes T. P. O'Connor in M. A. P. It is the third brother of that somewhat un- lucky family that has died within the last ten years and all more or less prematurely Lombard committed sui eide; Charley-the well known poli tician-died when he had just turned fifty, and was the architect of his own ruin and early death, and now Major Tanner, the eldest of the three, has just died at sixty years of age.
 The father of the family was an emi- nent surgeon in the city of Cork. He was known all over the Province of Munster for his remarkable skill as a surgeon, was professor at the Queens College, and was in addition. I believe, man of considerable private means. His sons began life, therefore, under very favorable conditions. They were all sent to the best schools in England, and afterward to the Continent; they all had great ability and they all had a splendid phyhique and handsome faces. Their features were almost clas- sically regular, while their noses were aquiline, their mouths small and well chiseled, and they had fine, well-chisel- ed chins, too, and amid all their differ ences they had strong family re- semblance to each other And they were all whatever their faults, manly and brave men to their innermost nerves.
 | It was part of their peculiar strongly marked characteristics of mind and body that whatever opinion they held they held strongly, and even violently; were ready to fight and die for it; and good humoredly, with a certain mixture of genialty and ferocity, fought everybody who was opposed to them. When poor Dr. Tanner was young in political life he was a dandy among dandies; brought a dozen different suits of clothes and a dozen hats with him even when he was going into the turmoil of a bye election. But this did not prevent i him from carrying a thick blackthorn, nor from rushing into the very thick of any scrimmage that might be going on.
 One of the many painful and tragic scenes of the Parnell Commission was i that which occurred when Major Tan ner, who has just died, was being ex- amined. The Major was a Unionist i landlord and al and agent; was one of the props and. if I mistake not. officials of one of the big landlord combinations which had hean formed to fight inc | Land League; had risked his life and was ready to risk it again in fighting for all the causes which brother hated and battled against. He was one of the men whose character was written Tn very legible letters on his face. The thin. high, aquiline nose; the long, shay en cheeks; the small. dark mustache over the small, thin Tipped, fine mouth, and the dark. deep set eyes-as well as the trim, sodierly and fit figure-all gave the impression of a strong, nar- row, brave. uncompromisng character.
 His evidence bore this out. He spoke very quietly and calmly, but gave al ways the impression of strong and even bitter feeling, we'll restrained. He be- gan to show some slight sign of the fierce inner spirit when he came to be cross-examined by Sir Charles Russell. There was something certainly to in- crease his irritation in the fact that his brother and political opponent. Dr. 1 Tanner, was seated at the side of Sir 1 Charles Russell, and was openly prompting the questions, narrowing and almost terrible, which the great