The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1922-02-05

was established that he came from Ire
habit OF spending it freely. IIe caused
some attention in sporting circles,
talked about his yachts abroad. and
eventually. Il was said. became a "a
miliar figure on the float OF the Larcn-
mont Yacht Club. He made friends
easily an9 neld them. Suddenly he be-
gan talking OF previous visits here, and
it was said yesterday. by men who knew
him but do not want their names
coupled with his in the murder nys-
terry. that he let it be known he had
played in roles opposite Fanny Daven-
port
Mrs. Robins would not say where she
and her first hush. md made their home
or whore they were living when he dis
APPEARED, but 1t was established through
friends that he dropped out of sight in
1908 few weeks after the Vanderbilt
cup races.
Between the time of his marriage and
the day ne left home, never to be seen
again as william Cunningham Deane-
Tanner. the interesting Irishman bios
somed out as an expert in antiques. He
knew the real antique from the bogus.
and he found little difficulty in finding
4 business connection 1t happened to
ne with A. J. Crawford. who IL now pro-
prietor of the Little English Antique
shop at SIS Madison avenue. Deane-
Tanner ana Mr. Crawford had n shop
just OFF Fifth avenue IN the lower 40s.
Finally Dtane- Tanner became president
of the company.
Early one day in the fall Of 1908 Mr..
Crawford saw messenger come
brea thlessly into his shop. The boy
said he was from Deane-T Tanner He
delivered message. 1t was brief. and
without explaining the unusuaincss %
the request. asked that Mr.. Crawford
send his associate s60i IN cash. Mr.
Crawford sent the money to Dearlr-
Tanner at the C0ntinentai Hotel lie
never saw DeGnc-Taoner :ge in Tie
money was some OWING to Ia. from,
the business.
And then one Gay word came 20 .ir.
Crawford that Dcane-Tonner had used
the $500 ss stake to back m adven-
ture In Alaska. Other reports tric.<led
back, some of Deane-T Tanners pres per-
ity in the Nome gold strike and others
of his troubles. The last one said he
was stranded without money or cloth
ing and that his venture in the gold
/ fields was failure.
More recently. It was learned, Mr..
Crawford received word from mutual
friends that Deane-Tanner finally wan
dered south along the Alaskan coast
taking passage in everything from canoe
to steamship, and that ne landed some
where Oh the Central American coast,
got SOME money together and was once
more on his way to success.
How great was Tanner sue
Ia y nv N1 "a
may not know yet. for nc is III in
Charleston. S. c. Friends OF both men.
who gave out the story of their business
partnership last nigilt. said they did, not
behave Mr.. Crawford knew his old part
ner had changed his name.
From another source new angle or
the mysterious antique expert movie
director was uncovered. This has 10
do with a Dennis Deane-Tanner who
once was employed as an expert on
antiques by A. S. Verney, dealer. IL
E,ast Forty-fifth street. Dennis Deane-
Tanner, according to this source. dis
APPEARED in September, 1872 leaving a
sick wife and two small children and a
long list of astonished friends. His
disappearance was equally as mysteri-
Gus as that of William Cunningham
Deane-Tanner. so much like 1t in TACT
that many who discussed the two cases
ure in each was not the same man.
Two Different Men.
| II was said. however. that Dennis ana
! William c. had been seen together o1tcn.
and that while their habits and taclai
| resemblances might confuse person
who had seen them apart there couio
be no question of the existence OF two
men. one dealer in antiques said that
Dennis and William c. ignored each
other to some extent: and as for friends,
they had little in common.
To this dealer, william Cunningham
Dcane-Tanncr was known as Pete
He knew him as n friend of many men
prominent in New Yorks club life. and
described him as having charming
personality. The brother Dennis, he
said. was not the same sort. and he
added that he heard Dennis Deane-
Tanner is now riding the Canadian
backlands as a member OF the Royal
Northwest Mounted Police.
The newspaper fles of September,
1912. show a record of the disappear
ance of Dennis Deane-Tanner. me
Papers of September 20. that year car
ried stories of a general alarm sent out
for him at the request OF his employer.
Mr.. Vcrnev. And the newspaper stories
told Of his wife and babies left without
support-of his wfe's illness and the
struggle her monther was having to
support the family that had been thrust
upon her. But there was no answer
from Deane-Tanner
The disappearance of William Cum
ningham Deane-Tanner. so far as could
be learned last night, never was reported
az Police Headquarters. Private detec-
tive agencies. 1t was said. were kept on
his trail, but the agency men found 1t
difficult one to follow. and the assurnp-
ton was that he suffered from aphasia
and probably never would be found.
Aside from the similarity in the cir
cumstances Of their disappearance there
were other details that pointed 10 sim
gle identity for the two names-Den-
mis- and William. Ono was the fact that
Dennis was described NJ Police Head
qua rters rs former British army Of
ficer. It is known that William Des-
mond Taylor whose murder stirred up
enough facts to show an astonishing
history. also was British officer.
On one occasion William Deane-Tan-
ner when pressed for information about
his life i'm ireland before he came TO
America. hesita ted and tried to avoid
answering the question 1t was related
by friends yesterday.
Come on. Pete one said. tell us
about the old country"
After some further hesitation, Deane-
Tanner. IL is said muttercd something
about oxford and Doctor Tanner"
and walked out of the room. Els Sc