McManus Stories
H. F. McManus: License Is Suspended (1909)
A Worcester Telegram report on the suspension of Henry F. McManus’s liquor licences in South Fitchburg.
Newspaper: Worcester Telegram, Worcester, Massachusetts
Published: Wednesday, 13 October 1909
Report dateline: Fitchburg, 12 October 1909
Person: Henry F. McManus
Business address: 13 and 15 Market Street, South Fitchburg, Massachusetts
License is suspended
Under the headline “License Is Suspended”, with the subheading “H. F. McManus Must Close Shop 33 Days”, the newspaper reported that Fitchburg’s licence commissioners had suspended Henry F. McManus’s first- and fourth-class liquor licences following a ten-minute hearing.
The dispute concerned a side door leading into the saloon’s basement. Commissioners Frederick A. Currier, John E. Dwyer and Patrick J. Murray said McManus had failed to comply with instructions to stop using it. The report describes beer being carried from a bottling department in the cellar.
McManus disputed his understanding of the instructions. He said he understood that the commissioners would notify him about whether the door could be used. Currier maintained that the prohibition had been made clear. McManus said he had not intended to violate his licence conditions.
The article also records the commissioners’ suspicion that a minor had been served. Currier acknowledged that they could not prove the young man’s age and said they were not bringing that matter as a complaint. McManus denied that his employees had served a minor and said he warned them against doing so.
The commissioners discussed lighting and access to the premises. The report says a separate matter concerning attendance at a cockfight in Leominster was filed and was not taken into consideration when the suspension was ordered.
Connection to the H. F. McManus bottle?
The H. F. McManus soda bottle in the museum bears the address 186 Water Street, Fitchburg. This newspaper report names Henry F. McManus at 13 and 15 Market Street, South Fitchburg, and mentions a bottling department.
The 1898 Fitchburg directory now supplies a matching name and bottle address: Henry F. McManus, cigars and tobacco at 184 Water Street, with his home at 186 Water Street. This supports the bottle’s association with Henry F. McManus. The continuity between that listing and the Market Street business still needs to be traced.
To do: Check city directories and licence records for both addresses. The headline and opening report say 33 days, while the closing passage gives 14 October to 22 November; confirm the suspension dates from the original register.
Newspaper clipping
