Oh noes! A Mrs. Herman Oelrichs, along with other society women, "were insultingly spoken to by beggars while driving in Fifth Avenue," according to the NYT's "Times Machine." Mounted policemen (that means they rode horsies) vowed to keep the peace. Mrs. Oelrichs was "grossly insulted" by said beggars, who also "spat upon her." Did society ladies get special protection from police after that? Definitely, maybe!
"I haven't eaten in two days, ma'am!"
"Silly man. You must try. Force yourself if you must."
Interesting tidbit: Around 1908, society folks shunned any sort of police contact, because the structure of the police department required a cop to "buy" any promotions he got. This meant that cops were basically bribed by the public to do their jobs. Teddy Roosevelt did a significant job in cleaning the NYPD up in 1895, but the stigma persisted. (Also, those Victorian/Edwardian society types really didn't want the NYPD interfering with their wife-beatings and child molestations.) Poor Mrs. Oelrichs probably thought she had a hooligan protecting her from other hooligans!
On a lighter note, the last time I mounted a policeman, there was no peace whatsoever, for like, 15 minutes.
Even 100 years ago, the Times omitted the most important details. What were these "gross insults" hurled at Mrs. Oelrichs by the beggars?
"Pardon me, mum, but it appears Mr. Oelrichs hasn't been performing his husbandly duties with the necessary rigor and frequency!"
See how much we have progressed in a century? Back then the police only followed rich whites around. Now, in many places, they just follow black people around. America keeps getting better and better, giving us more and more to be proud of. Part of the credit certainly goes to Rudy Giuliani.
