The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1912-11-18
LONE POLICEMAN HALTS
ART IN RITZ BALLROOM
OpincS That Painting Cupid $
Legs Is Not Necessary Sab
bath Work and stops II.
HAS TEA TABLE AUDIENCE
Hotel Guests Enjoy Flight of
Decorators. With WaldO'S Men
Behind in Fun Cry.

A PUFFY checked policeman blowing
his soul into whistle. a police patrol
wagon of the accepted pattern. and twenty
carpenters and decorators in overalls
and full flight with ten policemen at their
heels, were characters in scenes which
cnlivened what otherwise might have
been dull Sunday afternoon for the
guests of the Ritz-Carlton Yesterday.
The action opened the moment Police
man Dave I.awlor of the East Fiity-fr~'
street police station marched through
the main entrance of the fitz-Iarltun
at about o'clock in the afternoon when
drinkers.
Though Lawlor was the object of sur
prised interest he walked with set Jaw
and determined fee past the clerk with
the English accent straight for the new
wing Of the hotel, where there il "A new
ballroom in the Very last stages of COM
pletion.
1.aY|or looked through TIA. door and
heheld some thirty carpenters. plasterers
and interior decorators ham'neriug away
sliding up and down the sides of the wall
on scafTolds, painting legs ~ cupidS and
touching up the toes of young women
who go around on clouds ON the ceilings
of all reg ular bathrooms
Lawlor. through the dan. inquired u hit
grimlv for the boss James Reid. the
head Of the firm Of Reid & Co builders
and decorators. came up and asked what
was wanted. Tawlor inquired about III.
cause for all the industry. He was told
by Mr.. Reid thar Whitney Warren of rs
Madison avenue was going TO give "A big
bal in the new ballroom 10 night and that
they We're working hard To gct the bail
room in shape
Lawlor, who has a good memory, then
recited for Mr.. Reds benefit Section
?i,3 of the penal law of New York. which
runs thusly:
All Labor on Sunday j. prohibited. ex-
ceptinS the works of necessity and charity.
IN works OF n-oessity or charity il included
whatever is needful during the day ior the
good order. health or comfort of the COM
munity.
Lawlor told Mr.. Reid that the noise
OF the pounding could be heard way
out on Madison avenue. that he did not
regard painting cherubs on Sunday on
ballroom walls as work either of neces-
sity or charity. and that he would have
TO pinch Mr. Reid and all his men if they
didn t stop inside half hour
To this Mr.. Reid replied that he WASH I
bit worried about being pinchcd and
showed Lawlor the nearest way out
For half an hour Lawlor walked up and
down in front of the hotel and then back
he went. He says that when MIR. Reid
saw him coming he tried to keep him ont
by shutting the door
BY this time the rlmor of what was
going on spread around the hotel and
there was a good sized crowd Of guests
on hand when a very angry policeman
came marching down from the ball
room.
1aWlor walked right out Of the front
door, took out his whistle and blew it
until every policeman within earshot
came on the dead run.
Al the first shrill of the whistle interior
decorators. plasterers and carpenters
began leaving the hotel by various side
entrances with sufficient speed to make
Young Turk pale with envy
lawlor led ON his reenforcements
straight to the ballroom and there they
cornered Mr.. Reid and nine of his men.
The rearguard of the invaders made a
flank movement and were but few
jumps behind the fleeing thirty when
Fifth avenue was reached There. how
ever, with feet winged by fear the in
terror decorators, most Of whom live
in The Bronx, shook Off their pursuers
and came near setting up an intercol-
legiate record for the dash between Forty
sixth street and Bear Creek road.
The ten prisoners. however. were
marched through the hotel in front Of
an enthusiastic gallery, and at the desk,
in spite OF the protests of the clerk, Lawlor
called up his station house and asked
firmly for roomy patrol wagon.
When il arrived all the ballroom beauti-
fiers, with the exception Of Mr., Reid, who
was granted the privilege of walking
around to the station house in the strong
grasp Of Lawlor and a wreath Of smal 1
boys, were taken around in the wagon
while the guests watched the proceedings
of the men Of Mr.. Waldo's force Mr..
Waldo, by the way, has rooms in the Ritz
apartments, but he was not seen during
the excitement
To Lieut.. Heffernan at the station
house Mr.. Reid explained about Mr..
Warren's ball, but the lieutenant backed
up his subordinate and told MIR. Reid
that he and the rest Of his men would have
to 60 to night court for violation of the
Sabbath law. There the prisoners were
paroled in the custody of their counsel
until tomorrow, when they will appear
in the Harlem police court.