Sullivan and his friend Williams were having a quiet drink together one evening in the Tennessee Tavern when they got into an argument with four men at the next table, who had obviously had a fair amount to drink and were looking for a fight. There was a brief scuffle when one of the four men attacked Sullivan. Two members of the tavern staff broke up the scuffle. The tavern owner had the four men ejected by the back door of the tavern. He then told Sullivan and Williams to leave by the front door. They did so, only to be confronted by the four, who viciously attacked them, causing serious injury to Sullivan. Sullivan sued the owner of the Tennessee Tavern.