The record-union., 1891-07-20
THE CASE OF THE WASHER.

THE CASE OF THE MASHER.
A San Francisco court has convicted a
street-corner masher, highway statue, a
dude lady-killer. The fellow with his
fine clothes and soft hands has, under the
new vagrant law, been sent to prison for
six months, and will wear stripes and
labor hard in the House of Correction
He and his friends were greatly aston
ished at the temerity of the court in in
flicting such disgrace upon the fellow.
But the court was right. The gentry
who stand about to stare at our women,
follow them, take opportunities to speak
with them, and attempt low firtations
that are insults, need taste of prison life
to convince them that the meanest wretch
on earth is the beastial fellow who posts
himself to stare insultingly at our wives
and daughters, and to crowd himself
upon their attention on the street cars
and public assemblies.
The vulgar, well-dressed chap who has
been made an example of in San Fran
cisco, and whose counterpart is to be
found in Sacramento good many times
over, was handcuffed to a Chinese sneak
thief when taken in the Black Maria for
transportation to prison. Against this
Outrage" upon gentleman he pro-
tested loudly. But if his order represents
gentility, what, in the name of reason, is
vulgarity? His plan of operation was to
strike an attitude at street corner, or in
front of cigar store, or theater or lect-
ure hall, and, with half-dozen of his
kind, ogle the women as they passed. He
is of fine figure, dresses faultlessly, and
evidently considers himself irresistible.
If he conceived the idea that lady re-
turned his glances, or failed to resent his
crowding against her, he would follow
her and find excuse to address her and
propose ride, a walk, or a supper Or,
he would seat himself at the matinee or
on the street car next to a lady, and pres
emily find some commonplace excuse for
doing her a slight favor. If not at once
repulsed-and frequently fright and as
tonishment prevent a woman from de-
nounoing masher and creating "scene'
the fellow would follow up his sup
posed advantage and propose an appoint
ment at a saloon with private entrance,
or in park. Married women were the
chief objects of this mans MASKING, and
he is credited with the solitary virtue OF
not pursuing school girls.
We have given this much of attention
TO the San Francisco case because it is the
first under the new law, but should not
be the last until our women are as free to
walk the streets of our cities without in
suit as to move in their own homes.
Unfortunately there is quite large class
of men who frequent the streets who have
no idea of womanly purity. They can
not form an estimate of woman whose
sensibilities will be shocked and her
whole nature alarmed by a single gross
glance. To these mashers all women are
impure, vain, and are but waiting the
opportunity to have their vanity tiattered
by the attention of the masher. The
whole tribe should be exterminated, il il
could be done lawfully. The breeding OF
mashers ought to be a social crime, and
the street-corner human statues should
be made TO keep company with the va.
grants, with whom properly they should
be classified.
Unfortunately under the law a very
large class of mashers cannot be pursued,
since they are not "Ioiterers around pub
lie places,' as defined by law. But for
such there is the law that the stout
brother and indignant husband make
unto themselves, and we do not recall the
record of solitary case in which any.
one has been severely mulcted for thrash.
ing one of this order of men-in fact, il
is worth the dollars and cents of good
round fine to chastise a masher as he de-
serves.