National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1873-06-13
Beardlcss Boys with Loaded Pistols.
A Lesson That should Have It's Ewect...
VIII 1T

Will III
The entire handinessof having load
, ed pistol in your pocket, says the New
I York Tribune, was illustrated again il
, Brooklyn, by young gentleman o.
twenty, who shot and instantly killed
his mother The young man intended
to Kill some one else, to wit, person OF
about the same age, who was intoxicated
and also armed with the always handy
revolver. Two of them intoxicated and
quarrelsome, both armed with reyolyers
which they had drawn upon each other
with murderous Intentions, the mother
of one of them while attempting TO sep
arate the combatants shot de I'd by the
pistol OF her own son--picture ut once
graphic and CHASTITY Of condition of
society in which youthful precocity is
so rapidly developed in the direction of
brutality and sensual indulgence. that
the beardless boy lays aside his top for
revolver and is graduated from the
playground to the groggery and broth.
el. It's such manly thing to carry
revolver; 1t adds so much TO ones in
tellectual stature, to ones personal dig
nifty, reputation for courage, and to
ones pride of behavior and sense of
self-respect. Doubtless this young man
Roderick, twenty years old, thought
when he dressed himself Oh Sunday
morning and completed his personal
adornments with the loaded revolver
that he was much more man with that
than IL he went ,inarmed that that IN
tangible and incomprclensible thing
he called his personal honor was safer
from the possible disgrace of an insult
That he was better entitled to be looked
up to and respected by his fellow-men
while he had in his breast pocket so
sure means of avenging discourtesy or
slight. And the other budding muir |
dercr no doubt plumed himself on his
manliness rs he armed himself for his
recreation, rum and riot. Not
to have pistol was, in the considera-
ton OF both these young men, evidence
OF the callowness and inexperience of
youth. BY this token they were men.
80 when they met the days dssipa-
ton had prepared young Corcoran for
any exhibition of brutality, and both
had fixed themselves deliberately for the
taking of life. A few moments violent
an assault by the drunken
young fellow Corcoran, both draw
their pistols, and Roderick's mother,
endeavoring to separate them, is killed.
BY accident, of course; that is, it was
IN accident as to the person killed, but
not rs to the killing. If these two boys
had any purpose in arming themselves
with loaded revolvers, as they did de-
iberately on Sunday morning, it was to
AXE life--somebody's life Possibly
ieluded themselves with the idea that
t would be in self-defense but the in.
ent was to kill somebody under some
circumstances Is plain enough. In
Iced, it may be well taken for granted
hat when any man or bbys arms him.
'elf with a loaded pistol to 90 out into
'rowded streets, where the only game
8 human, he means murder This boy
meant to kill somebody, and he killed
lis mother. OF course he feels badly
bout it. He would have felt badly,
hough not perhaps as badly, if he had
shot and killed some one else. 1t was
he logic of events that he should feeI
BADLY. 1t follows the killing Just as
as the killing followed the
oading of the pistol. There's no need
If saying, and there's no sense in whin
hing, that this young man bears good
and that he is overwhelmed
with grief because he killed his mother
Let us stop all this business of personal
md private sympathy and see whether
lpon the whole society has not some ]
light in the matter. Here is q staring
act, not of accidental killing, but Of
deliberate preparation to do murder.
It is not isolated or sporadic it illus
rates fashion-the fashion of carrying
leadly weapons, and of using them up ;
IN whatever occasion offers. We hold
luman life pretty cheap at the best in
his country; but if it has come to this
hat beardless boys "of good reputa- {
ion" travel our streets habitually arm
ID and waiting only provocation to take
ife, it is quite time that we do some
hing besides waste sympathy on them !
when they happen to kill the wrong {
person. ]