Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-01-11
ILLS ON THE t ROAD
Crowded Cars and Seat Grabbers
Everywhere in Evidence.
some INCIDENTS WITH TIE LATTER
Conductors Are Insolent and
Treat Passengers BrutalIy.
mo SEAT, NO FARE" CRUSADE
pecial Correspondence OF The Evening Star.

Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
NEW YORK, January TO- 1902
One OF these days some stage tinker
Is going to perpetuate an extrava-
ganza that he will dub Comedy on
the Cars" or "'Eu on the t." or
something Of that sort. and 1t win
make q hit and coin money-in New York.
anyway. where the folks are all too IA
miliar with the game. Not q day passes
but that something uncommon happens on
the New York surface or elevated cars.
Most of the incidents are of that humorous
sort which arise from the impatience Of
rushed and overworked people. but a few
of them are serious, and nearly all Of them
terminate in the participants being yanked
to police court to explain" to a magis-
trate. The average New York magistrate
fines you or sentences you to the island
first. and permits YOU to explain" after
ward-maybe.
OF the more serious New York car Incl
dents. one that happened few months ago
Is an example. A quite Old wealthy and
lrascible mining engineer, who had spent
most OF his life among rough men In the
far west, boarded q Madison avenue car
to ride downtown to his office. A long siege
OF illness had bent his frame and caused
him, with his singularly snowy hair, to
look really older than he was. The car
seats were all taken and numerous men
were standing in the aisles when the old
man climbed aboard, and q big, athletic
Columbia College student, who was seated
ana VINO noticed the venerable and weak
ened condition Of the mining engineer, cour-
teously rose from his place. plucked the old
gentleman by the arm and started to gently
pull him into the seat A iow-browed
yiclous-iooking Italian. who was standing
directly In front of the seat vacated by the
student, deliberately squeezed himself. with
his muddy. filthy garments, into the seat
intended for the old man before the latter
could occupy It. The brawny Columbia lad
FURIOUS, reached out his big hands to yank
the bad-looking Sicilian out of the seat, but
the old mining engineer restrained MIN with
word.
The Old Man Was Still Vfeoroux,
Thank you kindly. young man." he said
to the Columbia youth. but I guess can
handle this beetle. Get out Of that seatw
he sternly commanded the defiant italian,
who sulkily shook his head and muttered
in his throat. Just then the Columbia lad
reached his corner and swung Off leaving
the OLD man alone to deal with the hoggish
foreigner. The old man leaned over and al
most whispered to the Italian:
Are you going to get out of that seat?''
The Italian, incredible as 1t may seem,
reached into the rear pocket Of his strapped
trousers and produced an evil-looking poin-
ard. He held it out menacingly so that the
old man could see it. and growled omfnous-
ly. In something less than two seconds he
found that he had gone against the wrong
customer. He could probably have scared
about nine hundred and ninety-nine bent
old gentlemen into fits by threatening them
with poinard, but the old mining engineer
with the snowy locks was the thousandth.
Quick as a flash he whipped a revolver out
OF his rtght-hand overcoat pocket and shot
the brazen italian in the thigh. The Italian
dropped his weapon, clapped his hands to
the wound and whimpRred like a ha
old mining engineer gave himself up at the
Tenderloin station half an hour later, was
released on a nominal bond. and that was
the last ever heard Of the case. The just
minded population over here regarded him
| as having been the right man in the right
place at the right moment.
Another seat-Grabbfns Case.
There was highly diverting seat-grab-
bling case aired in police court a couple
OF days before Christmas A demure-took-
ing little matron, plainly dressed and wear
ing eyeglasses, boarded an L car at 2Sth
street to go uptown. She had her arms
numbered with heavy-looking bundles, and,
for wonder, considering how rarely such
a thing happens in New York, a man who
was reading newspaper got up and Of
fered her his seat. She thanked him gra-
ciously and started to bestow herself in
the seat when huge, gaudfly dressed
woman, who looked and afterwards proved
to be a cook on her afternoon off, executed
flying wedge from a point near one Of
the car doors, knocking the ISLANDERS, men
and women. right and left, and Topped
into the seat herself. In propellng her
self past the little woman to whom the
seat actually belonged by right of gift,
she knocked all of the latter's bundles.
including some glassware. out of her
hands. The little woman stood stock still.
without making any effort to pick up her
packages, flushed scarlet with anger, and
gazed with fishing eyes at the gaudy per-
son, who grinned tauntingly back at her.
The little woman, unable to endure the last
straw represented by that triumphant
grin, pulled her right arm back as far as
she could shot It forth suddenly, and de-
posted her palm with all the force Of her
frame upon the hard cheek Of the cook
with the ornate apparel.
Every man, woman and messenger boy
in the crowded car who had seen the in
cident broke into a wild cheer for the lit
tie woman's pluck, and dozen men
stopped and CROPPED around for her bun
dies. The cook remained in the car until
the little woman got or, and then, follow
rested. charging her with battery.
The little lady with the just and po-
tent right palm was bailed out by her hus-
band and appeared in the prisoners dock
In police court the next day.
do I understand" inquired the magis-
trate. with assumed severity. addressing
the prisoner, that you, with all Of the
force of your ia pounds. deliberately ard
ludilCiOuSiy CHdStlZeU S-Or-dnem.-laQy
with the-er-with the mailed palm, as
might say?'
The prisoner blushed and nodded her
head afffrmatively.
"Um-good eye" sententiously remarked
the magistrate. the wag and the dead game
sport Of the New York magistracy. "Ex-
cellent eye. might say. You are dis
charged. Merry Christmas
Still Another Case.
A couple Of weeks ago a middle-aged
lawyer was riding down town on one of
the packed Sixth avenue surface cars with
his sister. His sister contrived to get a
seat in the middle Of the car. and the law
yer ciutched strap and stood In front of
her seat conversing with her. The already
crowded car began to be damned as it pro-
crossed down town
Move up there, yousev' bawled the con-
ductor at the men and women swinging
precariously in the aisle. All of them obed-
iently moved up, but the lawyer q slight
man, permitted the others to move by him.
as he didn't see any particular reason why
he should break off his conversation with
his sister. The conductor bore down upon
him.
DIE hear wot I said, Bud?" the eonduc-