The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1907-03-02
Bargain Counter Oglers Must Go


a term in the workhouse. In one in
stance the same man has been arrested
twice. His second offense-speakinp
to a young girl in the street-cost him
a term on Blackwells Island. OF the
others arrested. not one has since been
seen again in his old haunts.
In fact. there are gangs of mash
ers' in New York-they like to call
themselves just ''fiirts' Several of
these gangs have been broken up. Az
soon as it started to work the Washer
Squad found that the great majority
of the men for whom they are looking
are to be found in the shopping dis
tricts and around the big hotels.
Most of the department stores have
special entrances for employees. There
the Washer Squad" have found each
afternoon that the self-styled "firts'
old. young and middle-aged-have been
congregaung in the hope of getting a
chance to speak to the young women
and girls as they go home. Some of
tlCSc dummies even
come in cabs to secure places of van
tage.
Afternoon after afternoon the side
doors of the department stores used TO
look like the stage doors of the theaters
where chOruses are famed for their
good looks. The "Johnnies" are one
and the same. However. the stage
door Johnnie has to pay to get into
the theater; the epartment-stora
! Johnnie does not. His is a cheaper
game.
Washers Are Persistent.
Few waste time in ogling. When the
masher sees pretty girl leaving the
shop he follows her a short distance
and then speaks to her politely, often
| times hat in hand. Rebuffs are ignored
or laughed off. Sometimes the young
woman becomes indignant; she may
| threaten to call a policeman. Her ad-
mirer won't stop even then; he will
try to take her by the arm and attempt
to ingratiate himself. An old trick is
to carry an umbrella on a rainy day
| and offer it's protection to some pretty
/ girl who has not one.
Before the Washers Squad" was
organized shopgirls and others who
must work for a living, tried to pro-
| tect themselves from annoyance by
leaving the stores in groups. At once
the Washers made up groups, too. The
society has plenty of proof that many
girl had to give up her position be-
cause she was afraid to go out in the
| streets after closing time.
Others have gone to other parts of
the city where the annoyance is less
or none at all. Some have made a
practice of waiting inside the store I'M
til a brother or father or a friend
This was the state of affairs when
the Washer Squad" started in doing
duty. They employed their time dur
ing the first few evenings looking over
the ground. They noted the persistent
Offenders-men who were around every
evening. The situation was well sized
up before they did anything at all.
Then work began in earnest.
At one store five arrests We're made
in as many, minutes. At another store
two more were arrested the same
evening. In nearly every instance the
young women We're induced to go TO
court and prefer the charges.
Word of what is being done has been
sent to all the larger stores. Many OF
the employees know now what the
scheme is and assist the agents in
their duties. OF course, word has gone
the rounds in the stores of the fate of
the Washers.
And so today there is a different at
mosphere around the shopping centers
Girls who once left work in fear and
trembling because they were sure to be
accosted in the street now have the as
surance that there is somebody rounda-
bout who is there to protect them. II
hasn't taken them long Ofind out that
the officers mean business if they will
only help.
Once the squad was started. in less
than a week the "mashers' began to
thin out. The word was passed along
that the game was getting hazardous.
Two strangers pacing up and down IN
front of an employees entrance at one
of the big shops is enough to start
panic: the members are apt to disap-
pear in the twinkling of an eye.
Nor is it reasuring for them to know
that a goodly number have gone to the
island.
Today only the old offenders are lett
-"buzzards," the police dub them.
They have hung On to the last and only
now are weakening because half doZ-
en- of their number have been SEN
fenced to Jail.
Some of their appeals to go free have
been humorous; a few even pathetic.
Some have pleaded that they were
married and the fathers of daughters
themselves. In only two cases have
their excuses saved them. Others