The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-17
WASHERS AT BRIDGE ENTRANCE.


The fact that two detectives could. IN
less than a week. arrest a score OF mashers
at the Bridge entrance, prove a case against
each and every one Of them, and have them
severely punished, gives some idea OF inc
growth OF the tnasher nuisance on fark
row in the last few weeks Six mon'hS
ago, in response to constant complaints n
crusade was made against the Washers at
the Bridge entrance, and their ranks were
so thinned that up to two months ago women
were comparatively safe from this form OF
annoyance.
Then the trouble began to increase again,
and it has been getting steadily worse, until
M present the thing is at "A stage II never
reached before. and the two detectives who
are assigned at tho Bridge loops have their
hands full in protecting women from the
insults Of gang OF well-drcssea humans
who hang about for no other purpose than
to speak to women coming from and going
to Brooklyn.
The Bridge experts on Washers are De-
tectives Broderick and Lauterborn In
lees than a week they have arrested twenty
Of the Washers, all well-dressed men, ana
not one Of the prisoners has escaped with
less than ten-dollar fine at the hands of
Magistrate Cornell, who is very bitter
against animals of this class.
Broderick and Lauterborn say that it is
difficult to get the Washers unless you can
the women will not complain. and when
that happens few policemen will take the
chances of making an arrest
These two detectives recently went to
Ma gistrate Cornell, told him Of the condi-
tons at the Bridge entrance, and men
81 nd . ha ri m commandments
Magistrate Cornell told them to go ahead
and make arrests without compliments
when they saw plain cases OF offensive
MASKING They have done 80, and the re-
suit is that there is panic in the ranks, OF
THE nerve of these fellows is the aston
iShing thing" said LauterDorn to Sun
reporter Frederick and | have watched
some Of them for as long as half an hour
at a time before arresing them, and during
that time they have approached as many
as half dozen women
They nudge women, brush against them.
I even when 1t is plain to the mort casual
observer that the women are annoyed,
speak TO them in spite Of rebuhs, IN fact,
seem to think that persistence will win out
for them, and they are not daunted by
iThe other day l arrested one here after
he had followed a woman on Fulton
street car. He spoke to the woman while
heard him say: Won't you take walk
my dear?' although the woman was, well
dressed, quiet and bore all the marks Of
, perfect Responsibility.
"She turned on him and told him he
ought to be ashamed Of himself. He
smirked at her and said there was no use
| being mad. Then he took her arm, and
t, when she pulled away and started back
| he actually followed her, smiling and tell
, ing her not to be mad, as he was good
fellow and would give her good time.
This was all in broad daylight and with
| how the woman was being annoyed.
1.-THE woman was badly frightened, and
| when Fulton street car came along she
boarded it. The oafer got right in be-
hind her, sat in the next seat and began
TO speak to her. She moved up a seat,
! and he followed,
AThen Frederick and got on the car.
took him by the s.cruff Of the neck, dragged
| him of and locked him up. Say he squealed
like a pig, but we had no mercy. Magis-
trate Cornell fined him $40. all he could
and the fellow only had g..
trate said SO or ten days, and downstairs
he went. / suppose he raised the othel
81 afterward, but ! haven't seen him arounc
| the Bridge since. That's kind of disap
pointing to me, because I'd like to arrest
him again.
fellows do. Nothing ever seems to EN-
barrass them, and no amount of profess
| from a woman ever seems to convince
them that they are not wanted.
Some Of them address women in the
vilest language, others are very polite
We have served notice now that they mus
keep away from the Bridge entrance, anc
think a dozen more arrests will dispose
| Of the last of them