Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1913-07-11
New Yorker Tells Why It Is Not
Safe to Be Polite.
Man Gives Reason for REFUSING u,
Assist Strange Woman; OFFERING
Shelter From Rain Almost
Caused Arrest az Washer,

was leaving an uptown, Manhat.
tan, bank when encountered !.
friend at the door. Julius Chambers
writes in the Brooklyn Eagle. A show.
er had occurred while l had been in.
side; rain was falling quite smartly.
and as we stood under the glass avn.
ing a handsomely attired woman
emerged from the bank and started to
run across the pavement to a taxicab
that awaited her. My friend still held
aloft dripping umbrella; had none,
why don't you go to the aid Of
that woman and save her from wet.
ting her gown" l exclaimed, child.
ingly.
Wouldn't do it for a hundred dol
lars!" was his immediate rejoinder.
There was emphasis about the
words that guaranteed sincerity.
That sounds like a story" said !:
come into the hotel next door and
tell it."
We went; and here Is the expe.
rience: In these days when mash
ers' are so frequently arrested for
insulting" women it presents an in
teresting picture of misunderstood
man and hysterical woman.
About ten days ago I was leaving
the bank next door-where l have had
an account for twelve years-when 4
woman emerged behind me. 1t was
a rotten day! A cold, misty rain was
falling; the sidewalk was deep with
slush. As was raising an umbrella
carried I noticed that the woman
was looking about for the tall porter
in livery who usually stands at the
entrance to the bank. For some rea.
son the man was absent.
In the most thoughtless manner,
offered my services to call a cab.
She said nothing, which l accepted as
acquiescence; motioned to a taxi
chauffeur waiting 4 hundred feet up
the street; in q minute he was In
front of the bank and had the door Of
his vehicle open. I held the umbrella
over the woman and took q step to-
ward the cab.
AT that moment policeman, en-
veloped in rubbers, came sauntering
along and, to my Mortified amaze
ment, the stranger touched him upon
the arm, as she said in a voice that
would have chilled the piety Of
saint:
"'Ohicer, arrest this man! He has
insulted met
1.-THE policeman looked at me, say.
agely; but mustered courage to say,
The lady is mistaken; l was about
to render her a service!'
"'Arrest him. / say!' fairly scream.
ed the woman: he wanted me to get
into a cab with him.
Then got angry. As the police
man was about to take me by the
arm l said: This is an internal out.
rage! Bring this woman into the
bank, where Lam known to all Its
officers. l will convince you there u
a serious mistake
"You can understand what an ar
rest on such charge would have
have meant to me. In my minds eye
L saw an account Of my arrest IN all
the newspapers, arrested as a mash
er'-one Of those contemplate crea'
lures that go about scraping acquaint'
ances with women! was In cold
Precipitation, but the very gravity OF
my position kept me cool. / LED the
way into the bank and to the presl'
dents room. I stated the case. The
woman made her statement, emitting
the charge that, 7 wanted to get into
the cab with her. which. OF course,
was a bit Of Imagination. l referred
to that part Of her charge and de'
manded to know why she had MADE
It. She didn't know-admitted that
the only words I had used were Can
be Of service?'
she was the wife OF a successful
tradesman, and at that uncertain pc
Rod Of a woman's life In which she
imagines all sorts of things. She ao
mitted she wanted a cab, and, as
had OWNED. was looking for the por'
ter to have one called. / kept my
temper, but I never felt more angry,
The bank president told her VINO
was and that she was mistaken. inc
woman aid not apologize. but founc'
ed out, saying she had taught me
lesson Indeed she had! NO mofo
courtesies to women unknown to me-