The Stockbroker Who Loved Too Many Renton Maidens
A flirtatious stockbroker lands in court over his 'Don Juan tendencies' after bombarding young hotel workers with red-ink love letters and unrequested rings.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
On account of his Don Juan tendencies, George W. Nisson, a stockbroker who lives in Renton, narrowly escaped commitment to the insane asylum today. An insanity complaint was sworn to by the parents of several Renton maidens, and his examination this morning in Judge Albertson's court was the result. 'He isn't crazy, but just in love,' was the doctors' verdict, and he was straightway subjected to lengthy instructions from Judge Albertson as to his future course of conduct. 'If you see a girl who don't care for you, pass her up and find one that does,' said the judge; 'but don't force your attentions on any more of those Renton girls, or sure as fate you will be sent to Steilacoom before the year is out.' According to the stories told in court, Nisson drifted into the mining town several weeks ago and at once commenced to make violent love to all the girls employed in the O.K. and Astor hotels. He would declare his affections in most eloquent terms, and to one young girl named Sadie, he wrote letters in red ink which he protested was drawn from his own veins. He stated in each letter that he would kill anyone who tried to 'go with' his inamorata, and the Renton town marshal said he would parade in front of the homes of his lady loves every night, armed to the teeth. The enthusiastic young man did not deny that he loved the Renton girls, but said he could not help it, and insisted that if they did not want to be loved by him, all they had to do was return the rings and presents he had given them.
“If you see a girl who don't care for you, pass her up and find one that does.”
While framed as a humorous piece of 'eccentric' local color, Nisson’s behavior—stalking, threats of violence, and armed late-night parades—would be clearly recognized today as criminal harassment and a severe safety threat. The story illustrates how turn-of-the-century newspapers often minimized the trauma caused by men like Nisson by pathologizing their behavior as 'love' or 'insanity' rather than criminal predation.
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