Evening star., 1914-12-25
HAS COURAGE AND TIME
TO PUNISH TOUGH NUT
Washington Man Wins Commenda-
ton of Police in New
York.
Resents Dumping Calls a Cop
and Attends Night Court to
Give Testimony.

If the average New Yorker were
willing to do what you have done. we
could clean Broadway up in i week"
This was the remark made by Il six
foot t-three inch traffic cop of the me-
tropolis few nights ago to a Wash
ington man who had determination
enough to make complaint against
one of those tough guys" that infest
the streets of New York after dark,
and patience enough to stay up late
and see the matter through. 1t seems
pity, says the Washingtonian, that
the average New Yorker doesn't ap-
parently realize this simple fact, or, if
he does, doesn't care.
The Washington man had reached
the city well along in the evening, too
late for a show. and was walking up
Broadway, giving the new electric
signs the "once over" when a man,very
obviously a denizen of the under
world, brushed or rather bumped
| against him in the manner used by
pickpockets to ascertain the location
of a roll or watch.
Takes His Turn at Dumping.
Il bumped him away in the same
Manner he told a reporter for The
Star. "and he retorted with stream
of more or less maudlin, but extreme
ly insulting, abuse. I knew what
would happen to me, stranger, if /
Started anything in the way of phys
ical demonstration in that town. He
looked the typical gunman, all right,
and they are as quick to take ad-
vantage of the law as to evade it. ]
stood it as long as l could, but he kept
it up bit too long and 1 called the
traffic cop at 37th street and Broad
way and said l wished to make COM
plaint against the man.
You know what that means, don t
YOU? asked the man in blue. You'll
have to go to the police station. and
later to the night court, and it may
take several hours"
| The Washington man said he didn't
| care if it took a week: his gorge was
up and he was going to see the thing
| through. So to the police station they
all went, and the tale was told the desk
sergeant
Prisoners Friend Joins Group.
joined the group, and. first pleadingly
and then threateningly, tried to per-
suade the traveller to forego his idea of
entering complaint. "He didn't mean
nothing, bo; he's had little too much,
way
But the Washingtonian remained
firm, stating briefly that he couldn't
take the usual measures to stop the
flow of profanity and obscenity that
had come from the prisoner, being in
strange town. and that, therefore, he
was taking the only other recourse
open to a decent man--that of appeal
ing to the arm of the law.
Sure enough, the cop was right and
= .oly lNyrs ${vp,n md YClf fn
night court. The complaint was form
ally made and sworn to. and, of
course. the prisoner came back with
a counter complaint. which, owing to
his type. his condition and appear
ance, received but scant attention. The
knew the prisoner; the officer said he
did and that he knew no good of
him and a deal of bad. The cops of
| New York know these birds, all right,
| but what can they do unless Il COM
plant is made. or until the matter
Tough Nut "Gets His"
"One Of you two is going to the
finally, "and I guess it1l be you," in
dicatinS the tough nut.
| After making up his lost sleep the
Washington man next night attended
the annual banquet of a fishing club
Of which he is a member, and told
the story TO a group of native New
Workers.
Il don't believe there is a man here,
| declared one, who, either because he
disliked the publicity or couldn't afford
| to waste the time, would have done
what you did
And nobody disagreed with him.
But when it is done it gets results.