Omaha daily bee., 1903-02-23
FAT WOMAN IN A TURNsTILE
She Struggled to Get Free, Ran n
Up n Fare and Then the
Trouble Began.

In the United States circuit court, before
Judge Lacombe Monday morning, will come
up a case that has its interesting as we'll
as amusing side, relates the New York
Press. It is that Of a fat-fat, not stout
woman who got stuck in the turnstile of
an IL" station, and in her struggles to
free herself moved the gate back and forth,
registering a fare with every kick, until
the ticket seller was driven frantic at the
fares being run up, for which he would
have to be responsible.
He grabbed her and began hauling her
out on the installment plan. Every time
he gave a yank she yelled and kicked, and
the gate moved and the fateful register
registered. When he finally got her out OF
her embarrassing position she was in a
state of collapse and he had about forty
fares on his register. She didn't pity him
one bit, but said he had been too rough.
She went to bed for several weeks. When
she recovered sufficiently she engaged A.
Hershfeld OF 141 Broadway and sued the
L for $4,000 damages.
Mrs. Esther Schlesinger Of Newark is the
fair plaintiff. She was visiting friends in
East Fifteenth street and started for home
by way Of the Second avenue road. The
bldJlOu I Tue JuuCllOu VI luOSt lNO slIttld
is equipped with that one-mansaving device
known as a registering turnstile, which
once was described as being intended 10
make a person work his passage.
When she came to the window and bought
her ticket she hesitated at sight Of the
turnstile and looked inquirinsly at the
ticket seller.
Push" he said.
Still she hesitated. knowing she was nc
fairy.
PUSH he repeated. Then, Hurry up;
don't block the way"
Nervous at the attention she was at
tracing from other passengers who were
crowding behind her and beginning to
1 make the free-and-easy remarks so com
Ihmon at crowded 81" stations, Mrs.
Schlesinger glanced again at the narrow
space between the arms of the gate, and
looked as II she would like to fly over 1t or
sink through the floor.
push" said the ticket seller loudly
again, and in desperation she pushed. The
ticket mar got sorry right away. Halt
way in and half way out, she became
wedged solidiy, then pushed and backed in
vain, every new move making an ominous
clicking within the ONCE that raised the
hair Of the agent.
up. Nv ypAlCus a HNAAA
You're running mel And he few out oil
his once to offer whatever assistance he
could. But Mrs. Schesinger wanted to get
in or out. and swayed back and forth, the
clicking within steadily going on, with
the ticket man tearing his hair.
Obviously. from her upper girth. sh'
couldn't stoop, and, equally plainly, she
could not climb out unassisted. 1t was
narrow pinch either way, and the frantit
agent grabbed her by the arms and tried
TO boost her out. AS he was little and
nervous and she was big and nervous, sh'
rose grandly from the floor only by inches
every yank given by the agent COSTING
him 5 cents. She protested at beinl
hauled out in such an unceremonious man
ner from a position which she neve'
wanted to get into anyway, and the NOR
she protested the more she kicked, thu
harder the agent hauled and the fastel
went the register.
Finally 1t was done, and with one las
click the gate swung to and she sank n
a heap on the floor, while the agent tor,
back to his ofice to count up his losses
Though Mrs. Schesinger had suffered
greatly. she did not faint, and severa
passengers who had gathered around he
said the agent had been entirely too rougl
In his treatment. The contention Of Mrs
Schlesinger and her counsel is that sh.
suffered permanent internal injuries.