The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-09-15
4SEE|NG CRIME" IS
 NEW SOCIETY FAD Young Women Go to Meet
 Famous "Gunmen'
  SHAKE BLOODY HANDS
Certain Young Women Seem to Get Great Pleasure From Hearing Criminals Recite Stories of
 Terrible Murders

From the New York Herald.
 "Gunmen" and women of our best fam flies breaking bread together!
 Women of genteel breeding leaving homes of luxury to associate with mur- derers and thieves, Women whose names stand for all that is respectable. women reared in the most refined surroundings seeking out the unsavory dives or the underworld and actuai;y paying for the privilege of pressing red-stained hands, whose chief occupation is pressing the trigger.
 How the Fad Started The fad-that is the most charitable thing to call it-had it's inception carly in the new year In one of the periods when the "gunmen" were carrying on running fusllades in the crowded streets of the great East Side. It began in drawing room just off Fifth avenue one night late in January when young woman, surfeited with society, opera, travel and the attentions of uninterest- ing young swains. ventured the opinion that Fit would be awfully interesting to meet one of those 'gunnen face 10 face
 One of the young men of Ter set. eager to curry favor, as well as to make good his boast that he knew police officials who had open sesame to the resorts. or fered to arrange such a meeting. That's how i. began. The party, including the young woman and several of her sirl friends. under the escort Of several young men, left the young woman's home about midnight. The chauffeur was directed 10 saloon not far from Chatham Square where the police make their first stop after a crime has been committed. In the dim light permissible in back rooms that evade the excise law by keep ing open after hours, these wall bred girls shook hands with criminals of the worst type men who take murder and arson contracts every day in the week. men who have been able to cheat the death chair time and again through their own cunning and the powerful assistance Of the men and women of the underworld. Encouraged to talk by liberal retainers. these murderers regaed their visitors with crime after crime which they lad com mitted. Some more daring than tho rest told of men they had killed for hire and
  The women went death white Gnd one of them was on the verge of fainting several times from sheer fright. Her companions. and even her vicious entertainers, told her there was nothing to fear. 1t was broad daylight when the car got back to the Fifth avenue district.
 .The most exquisite terror I've ever had" was the way the young woman who organized the party expressed her self when asked about it. Little by lit- tie the story of the adventure got out among the friends of the participants and it was not long before another seeing the gunmen" party was organized
 The women wno have been worship ping at the shrine of these criminals and making profitable their, Idle hours are of far different type than the so- called silly matinee girl They are women of supposed refinement and as- sured social position, women who nave reached the point where matinee idols bore them They will tell you they are interested from a psychological stand point.
 A Few Tell the Truth
 A few of them are telling the truth, but the majority of those who nave been among those present at the o'clock Ca T m.) teas have never shown the slightest interest in such matters up to the present time. In this case. as in many others, the word psychological is an excellent aIibi for those who favor the unconven- tional.
 Most healthy minded persons will ascribe .,this latest slant of some fem lnine minds to the same mental equip ment wish induces woman 10 send flowers to murderer. Right Tn line with the craze to meet well known and popular murderers (at the prevailing rate for an introduction) was the in- tense interest betrayed by many respec- table women and girls in the catskills whon they learned that the alleged as- sassins of Rosenthal were in that vic'n- ity. Detectives who were detailed to hunt the criminals returned with stories of how the women had beaieged them to put the criminals on exhibition if they | were captured.
 "Plumb Dippy" They Say
 Because of his willingness to Init the pipe" for the entertainment or vlsitors "Gyp the Blood is said to have com manded a. better price than any Of the other criminals. He is a victim O, the opium habit and was wont to joke over | being well paid for indulging In his favor- , ite pastime.
 "What do I think of them?'' repeated | one of the criminals who had been asAed | for his estimate of his uptown admirers. |
 Plumb dippy," he replied.
 Most normal persons will be inclined to indorse that pithy opinion.
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