The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-08-31
TICKET AGENT is PLUCKY
LOCkS TWO MEN ~ HER OFFHTE
ON THE ELEVATED.
Miss ka,e Murphy. 70 Wears Oid. "a victor
lous I'm \ wight Rncounter with strsN-
gers nj the Lofty station NJ Myrtle
and knickertOcker Avenues. Brooklyn.

i0us IN q Wight FncOunter Win strHn-
gers nj the Lofty station NJ Myrtle
and knIckerbocker Avenues. Brooklyn.
II Commissioner Bingham had any room
on his police force FOR petticoated members
there Ia one young woman in Brooklyn
who undoubtedly would give a good account
OF herself in any emergency demanding
good jud gment, physical force and plenty
of nerve. Her name is Kate Murphy and
she sells tickets i'm the small hours on the
elevate station at Myrtle and knicker-
bocke avenues. Yesterday morning she
| calmly turned the lock on two men whom
she thought meant to rob her ticket Office
and held them prisoners until policemen
got there. II was quick thinking and rare
bravery for a woman so the cops said.
Miss Murphy is 20 years old. She lives
with her married sister at Gil Jefferson
avenue. For some time she has been selling
tickets in the hours when most girls are in
bed She goes on the Job at 10 o'clock in
the evening and quits at q o'clock in the
morning. 1t 10 not for young
| women selling tickets az night, in some
of the lonesome elevated stations in Brook
lyn, to he bothered by men. In fact the
company has been forced TO substitute men
at some of the stations. When the risk
of such snnoyances was pointed out to Kate
Murphy when she walked into the b. n. I.
offices and applied for the job she said:
Il guess | can hold my own all right. ="
The superintendent, looking her over
decided the same. The elevated station
at Myrtle and Kniokerbooker avenues is so
high that the ticket agent can look down
into the top windows of the tsllest tene-
I. ments. Il is one of the Hottest stations in
Brooklyn and in a lonesome ~neighborhood.
For the last night or two Miss Murphy,
according to the story she told yesterday,
had noticed two young men taking more
or less interest in her station. though they
kept out on the platform. When she went
on duty at ~ o'clock Thursday night the
woman she relieved turned over TO her
$500 in cash, which she put in a drawer
under her desk. There were also 25 900
! tickets in the safe. Soon after IL O'Clock
while she was sitting alone, perched on
! her stool behind the window. a train stopped
and the two men she had seen before got
of. There was no one else on the station
at the time. One OF the men went up TO
the window and announced that he was
one of the c%ompany's inspectors.
IF you'll just open the door. please.
I'll take the humble on the register" the
man said, according to the ticket agent.
He referred to the dial on the turnstile.
You'll have 10 show a written order
il you want to see that said Miss Murphy.
! keeping an eye on her cash drawer.
The structure had begun 10 shake with
an approaching train and the man said
he would go and get the order. Miss
! Murphy saw him and the other man board
the Train bound for Ridgewood n won
dered what she had better do.
When Margaret Murphy. her sister. came
along with her midnight meal the two
had a consultation. The ticket seller felt
sure that the men would he back before
the night was over, so when a train bound
for View York came in she told her sister
TO take il and to hunt along the line for
SDecial Policeman Nicks. who had been
trying to catch some of the men that have
been annoying the women ticket sellers.
Trains run at half hour intervals at that
time of night When the next one came
in Miss Murphy saw the same two men
get OF. They waited around a little bi:
and then one Of them pushed his way into
the ticket Office and pretended TO look at
The register. Miss Murphy ordered him
ont. and n hat. she said, the other man
ca 10 in through the little door on the side.
As the second man entered the girl stepped
by him, grabbed the open door, shut il with
a hang and locked IT,. Then she planted
inside banged on the door and tried TO get
ont, but the door with her weight against
IL held. While she was pushing Tor dear
life a passenger came up.
1--WE got two men in here and ! want
them TO stay in until the police come, " said
Miss Murphy. still pushing. just as the
passenger started 20 lend his aid there was
Inc rumble Of a train and on Of it jumped
Policeman Wickes and the Murphy girls
sister,. The door was opened then and the
two men we're arrested.
In the Manhattan avenue police court
Yesterday the prisoners said they were
John Brennan, n clothing cutter OF 248
High street. and James Byrne, a motorman
oe 253 High street. They pleaded not guilty,
but Miss Murphy was there to press the
complaint, and when she had told her story
Magistrate Saumer held them in 81. 500
bail each on a charge OF violating Section
582 Of the Penal Code, which makes it a
felony 20 impersonate an official Of a com
pan
Miss Murphy got a night Of Last night
She was also complimented by her SUI
pariore