The sun., 1919-07-30
SAYS TANNER SMITH
WAS SHOT BY FRIEND
Brother of Reformed Gangster
Asserts Two Men Under
Arrest Are Innocent.
HUNDREDS VISIT THE BIER
Backer of Marginal Club Said
to Have Spent Thousands
to Aid Ex- Crooks.

| There il mourning in Fourteenth
street for Tanner Smith, the reformed
gang leader who was killed Saturday
night All yesterday and well Into the
night a steady str. am of his friends and
friends Of his fairly passed the white
satin bier In the apartment at 337 West
Fourteenth street paying their last re-
spects. The rooms were Allied with
Movers gates ajar. bleeding hearts. rest
In peace surmounted with white dove
poised upon concealed wires, and other
designs OF his friends choice.
Tanners younger brother Paddy told
the story of his murder.
His best friend killed him; we know
that" Paddy said as he looked down
at the silent figure. He spent $1,000
! to keep him out Of Jail and he gave him
work all the time too. and this Is what
he did for him." The boys voice broke.
''Why7" he was asked.
Hes crazy; that's the only reason"
Just crazy" his sister Mary added.
because Tanner never had anything in
the world but friends; his own best
| friend killed him. Isn't It a shame, )" she
said, rather than asked.
There can be no doubt in the mind Of
Paddy as to who killed his brother.
Paddy is positive.
Paddy talked on about the friendship
between the slayer and the slain. He
| showed the receipt for money paid on a
$4,000 bond that. he said, Tanner had
furnished for the liberty Of the man who
killed him.
Helping Hand Ready.
rs there any reason why he should
kill him. either fancied or real7'
mo. there isn't Tanner never had
| anything but friends. He was this kind
| Of a man. He'd put on his silk shirt and
walk around the corner to the Marginal
Club and play cards with the boys. He
! paid the rent. And he was always will
Ing to lend a helping hand to a crook to
put him right. He was no rough kid |;
he never did harm to anybody. and he
! was always glad to see guy go straight
He was straight himself.
=! mot having anything but friends,
somebody might think he was-was
hurted for money. But ne wasn't. He
had his diamond ring. worth $4,000. and
| his diamond stud. as big as the ball of
your eye, worth that much too, on him
when the cops got there"
Ibid he have any moneyr'
II got thirty-fve dollars from the
COPS" Paddy replied, and drew some
l
were lying on the floor when the cops
got there. See. he was shot before he
pulled his gun. because his gun pulled
these bills out Of his pocket when he
pulled II.
He had a nerve. They never would
have got him II they hadn't been friends
or II he hadn't been a friend He was no
saint; I amt saying he was an angel
he'd shoot IL he had to protect himself
a nd ~ INT n oil 70 do
and he would have done II II anybody
had been after him. II was a friend that
did Il; know him. And / bet right
| now he's sorry.
Does he know that you suspect HIM"
No. 1 bet he'd give a thousand dollars
right now to see Tanner lying there"
Paddy continued, looking again toward
the bier upon which his brothers body
lay.
Helpful to His Family.
do you suppose he'll try to come to
the funeral7"
He may. but doubt It. Yet I know
he wants to see him. He was good to
him he was good to everybody. Why.
coming Monday yesterday, he was going
to buy ma Pierce-Arrow automobile.
She's ~ years old. She's back there
now" indicating the back Of the little
apartment with nod OF his head.
'a-crying for him. And see this mon
ment? He paid a lot OF money to put
that UP in the plot pas buried in."
Paddy said. pointing TO a framed photo
graph Of tall shaft of marble sur
mounted by an angel of white marble.
There wasn't nothing too good for his
family. He gave me a diamond as big
as the end Of your thumb.
And now were going TO give MIN
a funeral like he deserves. His outside
box Is the finest money can buy. The
undertaken told me that It was finer
than Mayor Gaynors--"
at cost $500. didn't II, Paddy?" a
little man with woe stamped on his fea-
lures asked mournruily
Dick. I wished you had all over $500
4 cost. do. Dick: I'm friend of yours
and I'd like to see you do we'll"
The Rev. Joseph Smith chanted the
rosary in the little home last night.
Requiem mass will be celebrated by
Father Smith In st. Demands Church,
where the funeral services will be held
this morning. Interment will be made
in Calvary Cemetery in Greenpoint.
Two men, Thomas Curran aud Benja-
min Benson, are under arrest in connec-
tion with the shooting. but the younger
brother OF Tanner Smith said that
neither was the slayer. There are sew
eral more men reported to the District
Attorney who are wanted as witnesses.
The Smith family secuted the idea OF
their brothers death being accomplished
by a gang or gang member. Tanner
had led the Irish Paddy gang before
his reformation years ago.
Nevertheless. the police tried to estab-
lish a connection yesterday between the
death of Smith and the stabbing early
Yesterday of Thomas Mulcahy a six
teen-year-old boy, at Clarkson and Hud-
son streets The boy was set upon by a
gang. he said. and stabbed under the
shoulder while ten men beat him uncon-
scious. He thinks 1t was a case Of mis-
AL