The sun., 1895-05-19
AN ANTI-BICYCLE LEAGUE.
LAST FRUITS OF ITS CRUSADE
AGAINST WHEELMEN.

Miss Eva Raisbesk, 1o Years Old, Arrested
while Riding with Her Father, Taken
| 20 n Police Station. and Asked what She
Meant By Staying Out so Late at Night
| Her Lantern Had just Conc Out. and ns
She Had but Ono Block TO 60 She Hnd
| Not Reiighted It-Activo Mr.. DE Wit.
The West Side Protective League is an organ
| ization got up by residents of the upper west
side to carry on crusade against bicycle riders.
| None OF the members is q wheelman, and none
Of them has any sympathy with misguided per-
sons with passion for bicycles.
| Up TO few days ago the league merely pro-
| tested TO the police against the wheelmen who
rode too rapidly along the Boulevard. and
| asked the Board Of Aldermen to regulate the
| speed OF wheels and TO force the riders to pro-
vide themselves with whistles and bells to warn
| pedestrians of their approach. Now the men,
| bers make q point OF causing the arrest of
bicyclists who ride at night without lanterns.
| They lurk in area ways. behind trees and in
other convenient places along the Boulevard to
catch riders violating tho law. They stop the
| rider without light, summon policeman. and
have the offender taken to the nearest police
| station.
Thomas d. De Witt, q wealthy coal dealer.
| who lives at 1873 West Seventy eighth street. 10
conspicuous member Of the league. He is op-
posed to the bicycle from start to finish. He
doesn't believe in it. and never has. He is doing
I his best to have the city ordinances regarding
bicycles strictly obeyed, and for week or more
| he has taken his stand at the Boulevard, near
Sixty-sixth street, every night and waited for
wheelmen who ride too fast or without lanterns.
| Mr. DE Witt usually has n policeman near by:
sometimes even three or four. The policemen
of the West Sixty-eighth street station have
orders from Capt, Gallagher to respect Mr.. De
Wits complaints.
On Friday night Mr.. De Witt caused six ar
rests. Five of these were made for riding with
out lamps. When the last OF them had been
lodged in the police station the West Side Pro-
tective Lacquer went back to the Boulevard and
detected q 16-year-old girl on bicycle whose
light had just gone out. Mr.. De Witt dashed
Into the road, held up his hand. and uttered the
single word Stop" A party of five bicyclists
had just passed. all with lanterns lighted. Tho
girl was one Of this party, but she had fallen be-
hind. She looked at Mr. Dc Witt and stopped.
She vaulted lightly out Of the saddle to the
sroTWpdd: sWd:: -, .,o u,...,u s,.,.,
How dare you ride without light?" he re-
piled.
'No excuse at all Thisi most fragrant vio-
sosiou VI Uho iaWs tuo ulost OaFcthCeu NIOluLOu
ass' and Gg Mr. muf bo hs dsss 5rSa fo
girl to the West Sixty y-eishth % street station @ ' at
once: once , The Eiris who had bean on the verge Of
this but M Mr. VIII oosed a se sRe oeer
Roint.s.d his finger toward the station. and said.
There was nm interruption at this point. The
which the girl belonged had missed k' ker' and
the party were her father, brother, and brother
in.law, as well as two Intimate friends OF the
The lantern must have Just gone out they said,
because they were certain they had seen 1t
oI what they said they requested Mr.. De
Witt to feel the lantern case and see II it
denly. The case was Very hot and an while s he ad
mitted that the light must have been extin;
Gnshsd GU, S within ~ very few minutes he would
THE law has been violated" he said, and
The girls friends pleaded hard, but Mr. Do
Wit vas .s obdurate ana Policeman Smith had to
and the prisoners five friends went, too.
ssrEsan. Marian n wa: on the aesk when the
finished registering, on the biosser the nsms s
and address Of the last of MIR. De Wits other
"Great Scott, another2 And a little girl. tool"
he exclaimed. This seems to be desperate
The prisoners father stepped forward and in
troduSsd S, h hmselt as Thomas Raisbeek. Presi,
dent OF the Raisbeck Electrotype Company of
et e2 West sixty -fifth street. Mr.. Raisbeck told
the Sergeant the circpmstances OF the arrest Of
Just before the party reached Sixty:eighth
street, he said. and they proved that to Mr.. De
planned that his daughter had not relighted the
lantern when she discovered It was out because
Intention to leave % her % Wheel i N H. Mr. ;f smfths
store at Slxty-sevsnth street.
The arrest was wholly unnecessary." he
said, and q needless humiliation of n o.
MIR. De Witt hoped around in great excite
ment at this and even the Sergeant could not
wit xGS~ sajS xRst I'm talking Mr.
Mr.. De witt asked I The % girl fi tie s regular ques-
tions which it was the duty of the Sergeant to
rupted him he threatened to make it hot for him.
M I'm tn member Of the Grand Jury" he said.
"But you. have no right to ask the girl these
questions remind you that am in charge Of
Mr De Witt paid ao no after attention to the Sergeant.
a s be 91 al %
at M o'clock at night Then he began to up |
raid her. and In few minutes had her in hys-
DO you mean to say You want me to lock this |
Eirl upr asked the Sergeant.
her h 9ail BAL taking the bicycle as security" said
There " was as' nothing for the Sergeant to do bu,
hold the Girl, lir. Dc Witt qualified as IS her
bondsman. and she was released. Mr. Raisbeck |
was very much averse to letting Mr.. De Witt |
bail his daughter out, but the girl was hystercal
and there was no other bondsman present.
Justice Ryan discharged Miss Raisbeck in the |
Sorkville court yesterday morning. saying:
Ordinances are ordinances, and must be |
enforced. don't think you were to blame this |
time. but please be careful in the future, and |
always see that you have your lamp lighted at |
night"
Mr.. De Witt was not In court. Miss Raisbeck. |
who is a brown eyed. brown haired girl, and |
very pretty. promised faithfully not to give Mr..
De Witt another chance to get her in trouble.
barnard Club Election.
The Barnard Club elected these managers at |