The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-05-17
PUBLIC COURTING.
Chief Bates to Debar
It From Clinton
Common.
FUNNY SCENES,
Church People Regard the
Matter as Seductive
to Morality.

Clinton, May 16.-The common, which
Is one of the most beautiful spots in
this or any other town, is affording
Chief of Police Bates and his men no
little uneasiness. The common, like
most commons, always has been a
spot where young men and women have
billed and cooed and courted to their
hearts content. But thus early this sea-
son, according to the police, the park is
frequented by many persons of a rough
and Objectionable character, who do
things that are rude and boisterous,
and who manage to evade the atten-
tion of the police, good deal of the
time.
1t is the indecorous counting that &C.
casions most of the objection that
comes to the chiefs notice. There are
four churches facing the common. Peo-
pie on their way to church and coming
to or from meeting, see young men
holding young women in their laps, and
cooling as turtle doves might coo in the
shelter of a private parlor. These COM
plants, there being so many of them,
have caused Chief Bates to think Sc
riously of measures to be. taken. There
Is limit, he thinks, to the rights Of
sweethearts in public parks. He holds
that open and defiant hugging and kiss
sng that can be heard from one side of
the park to the other should be barred.
1t certainly is true that some of the
young folks who sit in the park get so
absorbed in their courtships as to pay
little attention to the proprieties. Even
these things would be all right if they
did not tend to make the park an I'M
pleasant place for young women who
come merely to sit under the trees, see
the beautiful grass and the flowers, and
enjoy the fresh air.
The police have evidence that the
common is becoming a hang out for
young women who come here from
Fitchburg, Leominster and Worcester,
and who, whatever their motive in
coming are certainly not ladies.
A species Of hoodlumism that consists
On addressing women who come to the
park unattended by male escorts also
prevails, and there is a great deal Of
romping and loud talking that is apart
from the reasonable use for which the
common is designated. Chief Bates
talked about these things to the CORE
epondent of The Spy this afternoon,
and expressed his determinatin to abate
all of these nuisances as much as lies
On the power of the police.
Any man who is discovered nteldng
Insulting remarks to unescorted women
who come to the park will be given q
taste Of one of the cells in the police
station, in which the seats are much
harder than the park benches.
Company ks bazar opens tomorrow
evening and will last three days. Col.
William H. Donovan Of the 9th, inform
ed Capt Peter f. Canon, by telegra n
this morning that he would be present
10 open the fair.
A big night will be- Friday night,
when the Emmett Guards Of Worces-
ter, visit the affair in a body. Capt.
Canon has received the following let
ter from Capt. Moynihan, Of the
guards:
Dear sir:-At meeting OF the cc,l-
pany held Monday evening, May Is,
your kind invitation TO attend the fes-
tivsl in q body Friday evening, May %.
It give US great pleasure to accept the
Invitation to attend as it will be
looked at by us, as a chance to reunite
for a time with our comrades and
friends of Co. X. During the past year
we have more firmly cemented the gOO1
feeling and comradeship that has al
ways existed between Companies K and
G. Of the gallant Ninth regiment. and
Il at any time we can assist our gal
liant comrades of the Cuban campaign,
all we ask is to be notified. We We're
together as members Of the NJ. V. NJ.
for a number Of years; together as
members Of the u. S. V. during the
Spanish-Ameriean war, and we now
earnestly wish that when we meet
again Friday evening as members Ct
the n v. NJ, that it will be at the
GROWING success. both financially and
socially, of the May festival OF the gal
liant CO. X, 9th Regt-, NJ V. 81"
The armory has been handsomely