The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-13
GIRL CHAINED TO Her BED.
ACCUSES MAN OF IMPORTING
WOMEN FROM Porto RICO.
LOuisa Franchet Ran Into Police Court TO
Ten Of Manuel GustO's Threat 20 kili
Her-He Was Found waiting Across
the Street Tales OF white slavery,

Tel Of ManusI CustO's Threat TO kIli
Her-He Was Found waiting Across
h street Tales OF white slavery.
A young woman. out Of breath and ex-
cited, ran into the jefferson Market police
court Yesterday afternoon. In a moment
two other young women equally excited
ran in after her.
They found Miss McCusker, the probation
officer, and all in one breath the first girl
said that a a Manuel Gusto, had just
found her, was threatening to kill her and
had pursued her TO the door Of the court
room. Magistrate Wahle was told and
he sent Probation Oficer Barbour to look
into the case. Barbour stepped to the door
with the woman. She pointed out a man
Just across the street, whom che identified
as her pursuer. He was at once arrested.
A charge Of vagrancy was made out
against the man, Manuel Gusto. and on that
complaint a formal hearing was started.
The young woman said she was Louisa
Franchet, rs years old, that she was born
in San Juan, Porto Rico, andthat nine years
ago she met Gusto in this country. She
fell under his infu ence, she said, and had
been living with him for a number Of years.
He kept a boarding house for sailors at
IS Cherry street. she said, but his business
fell of and he told me to &c on the street.
l went out one night. l brought back $40
and gave the money to him.
He told me to 60 out the next night but
/ said l wouldn't. l told him l would run
away to my sisters house. Then he
grabbed me and beat me. He locked me
in a room and took a big chain from his
dog and tied me with this chain to the bed
stead. He locked the door and there were
no windows in the room. l was chained
90 close that l could not move from the
bed. He left me tied there for three days
and | had nothing to eat. Then he let me
60 and asked me If l was ready to go o.
the street. l said yes, and that night ! ran
away to my sisters house"
Did you go back to him after that?' she
was asked.
Yes, he said he would be good to me-.
The woman said hat three months ago
Gusto started a boarding house at 1879
Front street.
He filed the house with young girls,
and at night he would bring Spanish sailors
in, and they would all get drunk together"
she said.
On hearing this statement Magistrate
Wahle sent a telephone message to Capt.
Dillon of the Old Slip station house, and he
hurried at once to court and took the wom-
ans testimony in regard 20 the houses on
Cherry street and Front street.
The woman said that one Of the girls
who had followed her TO the court room,
Bella Perez, 20 years old, had been brought
from Porto Rico two months ago by , a
Spanish sailor and given TO Gusto to keep
in this Front street house and that a few
days after that Gusto himself had started
to Porto Rice to bring back girls. While
Gusto was away Louisa Franchet and
Bella Perez ran away and stayed at a house
IN Fourteenth street near Second avenue
and had gone from there 10 a house on
Twenty-seventh street. where they we're
found by Gusto yesterday.
On the testimony Of the two girls as to
what they had seen at this Twenty-seventh
street house Magistrate Wahle had a war
rant made out at once for the arrest Of its
proprietor.
Well, what happened when Gusto found
you?" asked the Magistrate.
He ordered me to come back with him
to Front street. would not and he said he
would kill me. He said he would get me
tonight and bea me to death. / got away
from him and came down here"
Manuel Gusto was held in 81 900 bail for
further examination on October II befor
Magistrate Wahle in theTombs police court.
Louisa Franchet and Bella Perez we're sent
to the House of Detention as witnesses.