THE VERDICT -- Robert Gardner

When one makes a list of world-class criminals, I doubt that the

average flasher would even get a footnote. However, for originality, I

submit Long Suspender Jack deserves at least a passing mention.

Jack’s flashing costume showed that a lot of thought went into it. It

consisted of trousers -- well, not really trousers, only the part from

shoes to knees. Attached to these were a very long set of suspenders that

reached from his shoulders to his knees. Over this ensemble, he wore a

trench coat. Thus, walking along, he appeared to be normally dressed.

However, in Jack’s case, open the trench coat and wowee! There was Jack

in all his glory.

Jack worked the Broadway Theater area in Santa Ana. As the ladies

stood in line to buy tickets for the matinee, Jack would saunter by, open

his trench coat, flash, then close the coat and run, leaving a crowd of

shocked and dismayed women behind him. However, one was made of sterner

stuff.

I don’t know if she was an earlier victim who was waiting to wreak her

revenge or just happened to be standing there, but she was carrying a

purse that dangled from a long leather strap over her shoulder. As Jack

made his round past the shocked women, this lady took her heavy purse on

its long strap, took a windup worthy of the big leagues and got poor Jack

in the portion of his anatomy he was exposing.

I am reliably advised that Jack let out a sound halfway between a

scream and a moan, covered with his hands the portion he had been

exposing and staggered away -- whimpering as he staggered.

As far as I know, that was his last flash in Santa Ana. Perhaps he

moved his scene to less dangerous areas, such as Pomona or Calexico. I

don’t know. All I know is that Long Suspender Jack never again appeared

in the Santa Ana area.

* ROBERT GARDNER is a Corona del Mar resident and a former judge. His

column runs Tuesdays.