Whoever said that the women of today were far more brazen and lawless than the women of a century ago, never heard of the Broderick sisters.
“Battling Broderick Sisters”
Slap Doctor, Weekend in Tombs
Lizzie and Nellie Object to Examination at Municipal Lodging House, and Fight Is On
The Broderick sister os the Bowery, Lizzie and Nellie, known in all city institutions as the “Battling Brodericks,” are week-ending in the Tombs by invitation of Magistrate Corrigan. They didn’t have $20 when he fined them $10 each in Yorkville Police Court today.
Lizzie Broderick is fifty-three and Nellie is fifty-five. Each is 5 feet 10 inches in height and weighs 150 pounds and when they work they can out lift the average husky man. Because of their temperamental nature they rarely hold a job long.
Dr. Ignatz Nastier, visiting physician in the Municipal Lodging House in East 25th Street, was in his office at 8 o’clock last night when the Battling Brodericks arrived and asked for accommodations. Dr. Nascher told them they would have to submit to the regulation medical examination.
They refused to submit to any sort of examination and Dr. Nascher ordered them to leave. ThereuponLizzie Broderick grabbed him by the throat and lifted him off the floor, while Nellie slapped his face with both her hands.
The doctor is not a large man, and after Nellie had slapped him a few times his eyeglasses flew off. He managed to escape at last and telephoned for a policeman.
Patrolman Halpein responded. He is an able bodied and experienced cop, but he was on the point several times of calling for help before he got the Brodericks to the station house.
“You’ll never get anywhere by fighting,” Magistrate Corrigan warned the belligerent sisters in court this morning.
“I’ll bet we won’t be ruled out of heaven,” replied Lizzie.
“You’ll discover your mistake if you try to swing on St. Peter like you swung on the doctor,” said the Magistrate.
[Source: The Evening World (NYC, NY newspaper). December 16, 1922.]
