CRUSE, DALTON, DAWSON, LARGE, SIMRALL, TOPMAN "The Kansas City Times" (Missouri) Wednesday, August 2, 1911 PAID FOR HARLEM'S BLUSHES Justice Would Not Blink At Girl Bathers' River Gambols It cost two Kansas City girls just $31.75 apiece in Justice C. M. CRUSE's court yesterday afternoon to find out the style in bathing suits in Harlem. Monday afternoon, Grace DALTON, age 21, and Nellie LARGE, age 19, living at Fifth and Holmes streets, tiring of the noises and hurry of the busy city, crossed the big river on the steam ferry. They were accompanied by two young men. The peace and quiet of the little city across the way brought back memories of happy childhood spent where brooks babbled through daisy dotted meadows. The lure of nature permeated their thoughts, and all heated with tramping through sand and sunflowers, they sat down in the shade of the embankment of the Hannibal Bridge. The river looked cool, wet, inviting, but they were without conventional bathing suits. They hesitated; then they went swimming. A passenger train crept across the bridge. The passengers, spying the nymphs clad in gauze garments, scant of measure, crowded to the platforms and windows and expressed their joy at the sight in tones that brought half the population of Harlem to the scene. Shocked and scandalized at the lack of propriety, prominent citizens notified Earl DAWSON, deputy constable, who drove away the curious crowd, then ordered the party to dress and be arrested. The young men escorts did not go in swimming. They simply sat on the bank and applauded. Yesterday, Ernest SIMRALL, assistant prosecutor, arraigned the girls before Justice CRUSE. So much interest was taken in the trial that it was necessary to hold court in the hall over TOPMAN's lumber office. Pleas of childish delight and innocence, and that they thought they were properly clad, did not go before that court and both girls were fined. Their escorts paid the fine and amid threats of the crowd to publicly horsewhip them, they hurried to the ferry and departed. ================================================= (I have no connection with any of these people but I'd appreciate knowing if you found this posting helpful.) =================================================