St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-07-05
The Way Some of them Abuse Their Priv
ilege by Insulting Ladies and Rails
ing Sheol Generally.
Merited Chastisements Which Have
Followed and at Which the
Law Has Winked.
How Washington Society Has Spent
the Past week--Popularity of
TrIcYcling--Notes.
Social Amenities.
,rrespondence of tn e Globe.

NuA-S IA oohiC A0AAiC4 hluoh0A
activities. Dinner parties are rather an I'M
usual thing at this season of the year, but
they have been quite numerous during the
past few days for the weather has been so
comfortable as TO make this sort of pastime
quite enjoyable. And society welcomes
everything to kill time, now that it is in
bondage here. The mania for staying at
home this summer continues, though of
course it does not extend to all of Washing
ton, and the result is that society welcomes
anything that helps to kill time. The Chi
nese minister, who seems TO have recovered
from his paralytic stroke, gave recently a
handsome dinner party TO a number of peo-
pie of prominence at the legation building.
and his example has proven contagious, the
number of dinner parties given in the past
few days being quite large.
The excellent weather encourages society
in its outdoor enjoyment Driving, horse
back riding and tricycling are
THE GREAT ADJUSTMENTS.
The tricycle. is steadily growing in favor,
and the little club of a dozen that was or
ganiZed a year or so ago with Assistant Sec
rotary of State Adee as its president has
grown to a membership of fifty. 1t is no
uncommon thing now to see party of
ladies and gentlemen Swimming over the
smooth streets or roads surrounding the city
( on their ''Silent Steeds, some of the gentle
men on tTicycleS and some on bicycles.
| Often'you see ladies riding out in pairs or in
| groups of three of four, unaccompanied by
gentlemen. OF course, this is the finest
city in the country for tTicycling, but Ii is
gradually dawning on the popular intellect
that the tricycle. may be used with grace
and ease wherever there is a paSSably good
road, and the result is that it is becoming
quite popular in other Eastern cities as well
as Washington. Bicycle riders, who visit
Europe, say that the tricycle. is now used
in England, where the wheel has been in
use much longer than here, much more
than the bicycle. An active member
of the Washington Bicycle club said on re-
turning from there that eleven ont of every
twelve vehicles of this sort which he met
on the roads of England were tricycleS. Al
of this of course adds popularity to the tri-
cycle here, and it is now becoming
VERY MUCH THE THING.
There are some, however, who insist that
they prefer horse that is alive, aud during
the past year there has been growing in
tereSt manifested by young folks in fashion
able circles of this city in becoming grace
full and skillful riders. Nearly every clear
morning scores of young women may be
seen riding out in couples or groups of three
or four or more, laughing and chatting mer-
rily as they go gathering along the road.
Some of the prettiest bellies think nothing
of an eight-mile ride early in the morning.
! EqueStrianism is fast becoming as great an
accomplishment as dancing. and American
girls are following the example of their
ruddy, hearty English sisters in eultivating
a taste for outdoor exercises. Many are
daring and skillful riders, and some of
them can clear fence or a stream on the
backs of their spirited steeds and never
think of slipping in the saddle.
| The incident of last week. in which a
member of one of the legations got thor
ough pummeling for Offering an insult 10 a
lady in one of the stores on Pennsylvania
avenue, calls attention 20 this feature of
| Washington life. 1t is a curious fact that
these
LEGATION HANGERS on
have almost perfect immunity from punish
ment for this or any other Offense of this
character. The police are constantly ham
pered in the discharge of their duties by
pleas, true or false, of the diplomatic priv
leges on the part of the violators of the law.
In regulating the traffic on the streets neal
the entrances of public halls or theaterS
they are openly deiied by owners of vehi.
cles-whO claim to be in the employ OF
members of the corpS-having TO take nj
manner of abuse and profanity from negro
divers in silence. At the marshal's Office
is posted a list containing nearly three hun
dred names of persons who are exempt from
any civil or criminal proceeding. These
may not be served with any processes mol
sued in the courts for the most fragrant VIC
lations of civil or criminal law. This lis
includes over $50 names of what is called
the diplomatic list, beside 100 menisls OF
various degree, and the balance minors
The law under which this immunity i
granted is specified in its inclusion of al
servants and other persons attached TO Tn,
legations, excepting only United States citi
zens. who contract debts before enterinl
the service of foreign ministers, and whI
may be served with process therefor.
HEAVY PENALTIES ARE PROVIDED
for any interferences with the sa
cred persons of the diplomats o.
attaches. Section 1902 of the revised
statutes provides that every persoI
who assaults. strikes, wounds. imprisonS
or i'm any other manner offers violence Il
the person of public minister in violation
of the laws of nations shall be imprisoned
for not more than three years and fined al
the discretion of the court.
Section 1903 provides that any writ o.
procedure in the courts, either civil or Grim
inal, brought against member of thu
diplomatic corps shall be void. Section
4O64 provides that whenever any writ Oh
process is sued out i'm violation of the pre-
ceding section, every person by whom the
same is obtained or prosecuted, whether
as party or as attorney or solicitor, anC
every officer concerned in executing it, shall
be deemed violator of
THE LAW OF NATIONS
and disturber of the public repose. and
shall be imprisoned for not more than three
years and fined at the discretion of the
court.
The incident of last week is only one OF
a series of unpublished acts Of this sort
known to the police, but not reached by tlle
common law. One case in which two mem.
bers of the corps grossly inSulted a LADY,
near Worlney's hotel is related. The lady
, appealed to a man who was standing on thf
corner. and who happened To be a police
man in citizens clothes. lie attempted 10
interfere to protect the lady, when one OF
her asSailants commenced TO abuse him.
using fearfully profane language. He drew
a blackjack from his pocket, and, defend.
ing himself from their attack struck one OF
them on the head, telling him TO the ground
the other Immediately retreating. Nothins
more was heard of this affair. Another
|, member of the diplomatic corps was acting
! in disagreeable manner in certain low
locality. when he was arrested by the DO
lice He resisted and considerable force hat
10 be used i'm taking him to the station
house, when it was discovered that he wa
ONE OF THE PRIVILEGED CLASS.
At the instance of the state departmen