Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1882-09-25
Protect the Girls.

There Is Il case coming up before Chi
cago court that will be of great interest TO
thousands Of people who have long desired
a decision on some ofthc points that will be
developed. II seems that young man, Il
member Of one Of the Chicago clubs, a gen
tlcman Of wealth and refinement. is to be
sued hv the father OF Il young woman for
S3O,0O0 damages for injuries that his daurh-
ter received while in his society The Young
people had been keeping company for some
years, and the carriage Of the young man
was often seen in front Of the Michigan aven-
lie residence of the lady. Last December he
ceased visiting her, since that time she has
been an invalid. and has been treated for a
spinal difficulty. and the father will 90 into
the courts, it is said. against his daughters
wish, To have the matter Of responsibility
settled. ltSe2mS that thcyoung man is bow
legged, so much so that it has always been
considered dangerous for any one to sit in
his lap, for fear they would fall through on
the floor and break some bones. 1t is said
that the young man knows his falling, and
that he usually holds amy person who may
bcin his lap with hisarmS, so that there is no
danger OF their falling through but that in this
case he forgot his danger and let the girl slip
lhe father claims that the young man.
knowing now Irariully and wonderfully he
Is made, should have adopted precautions
| and III his complaint he will swear that on
| several occasions he has warned the yollur
man that he should place Il board across his
lap, or some day his parcnthcsis lc~ would
would let somebody through. In his ans
wer to the complaint the young man will
say that his legs are Just as nature made
| them, and that anybody who sits III his lap
| takes their chances He adds that if the
girl had used all the precautions that one in
so dangerous position should Use, and
thrown her arms around his neck, as others
have done, there need have been no danger.
and while he sympathizes deeply with her
and her family, owing to the alleged injury.
he cannot consider himself responsible OF
course there are two sides to every question
and both sides will have sympathizers.
While we do not wish to take sides on this
question, there are some things connected
with 1t that it seems II duty of the pious
press to agitatc. The country is full ofbow-
legged young men, going about seeking
whom they may hold in their laps, and the
wonder Is that more such accidents do not
occur. There should be some law to protect
girls from bow-lcgged men. We throw safe
| guards around our trapeZc performers bv
! |o"PNiihS llic HltlliHclS 10 pace nets under
them, and why should wcnol provide by law
that the bow legged Young man should string a
Iainln"rk under his boomerang LEGS. to catch those
VINO may lose their spring balance turn a soucr-
S'lll AMI fall IN the winter of their dscnutcnt >
IL ""hlu not he pleasant 10 the how legged Young
man to he compelled to curry Il hlmmork when he
went To ste his girl but il would he safer for thc
girl. We have known careful young man who
was hnw-le"gcd to lay Il press board or Il chess
board. or sewing machine leaf. across his lap he
fore hi would let ii girl sill down amongst him
| nnt where one young man is thus careful there
are hundreds VIII" never think of the other hearts
| that are liable 10 ache.
| Inventors have studied in vain on Il device for
protecting people from the dangers of bow-lcrs
anu doctors WI Stralghtcn cross eyes have tried
To stralg:itcn how-cgS. but nothing seems to avail
| hundreds OF girls and women as they read this
VIII Shllacr III the narrow escapes they have had
| from falling through man-traps. and they will
unite with us in the hope that the law will pro-
tcct them. O, of course there are some who would
never fall through, though the legs were bowed
twice rs much aS they are, but many are SO care
less they are never Safc-BHriinJfm Hnrtcm.