The Rock Island daily Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1872-1873, 1873-06-03

The entire hardness of having a loaded
pistol in your pocket was illustrated again
last Sunday morning in Brooklyn, 10y a
Young gentleman Of twenty, who shot and
instantly killed his mother. The young
man intend to kill some one else. tn wit, q
person of about the same age. who was in
toxirated and also armed with the always
handy revolver Two young men Of the
mature age of twenty, one OF them iutOXi-
Gated and quarreisome, both armed with
revolvers which they had drawn upon each
other with murderous intentions the moth.
er Of one of them while attempting 10 sep
arate the combatants shot dead by the pis-
tOl of her own son--picture at once graph
ie aud ghustlv Of a condition Of society in
which youthful precocity Is So rapidly de
veoped in the direction of brutality aud
sensual indulgence, that the beardless boy
lays aside his top for a revolver and is
graduated, from the play ground to the
groggery aud brothel It's such a manly
thing TO carry a revolver it adds so much
70 ones intellectual stature, TO ones per
sonal dignity, reputation for courage, and
to one pride Of behavior and self-respect
Doubtless this young man ROderick, TWEEN
to years old, thought when he dressed
himself on Sunday morning and completed
his personal adornments with the loaded
revolver that he was much more n man
with that than IL he went unarmed; that
that Intangible and incomprehensible
thing he called his personal honR was
safer from the possible disgrace Of an IN
suit that he was better entitled to be
looked up 10 and respected by his fellow
men while he had in his breast pocket so
sure a means Of avenging discourtesy or
slight. And The other budding murderer
no doubt plumed himself on his manlness
as he armed himself tor his Sundays rec
reatiJn rum and riot Not to have PTS
tol was, in the consideration Of both these
young men, evidence Of the cailOwness and
inexperience Of youth BY this token they
were men.
So when they met the days dissipation
had prepared young Corcoran for any cx-
hibition of brutality, and both had fixed
themselves deliberately for the taking OF
life. A few moments violent alteration,
an assault by the drunken young fellow
Corcoran, both draw their pistols, and
ROderick mother endeavorinc TO sepa-
rate them, is killed BY accident, Of
course that is It was an accident as To
the person killed, but not as 70 the killing
II these two boys had any purpose in arm
lug themselves with loaded reyolvers, as
they did deliberately ON Sunday morning,
it was to take lifo--somebody's life Pos
sibly they deluded themselves with the
idea that II would be in self defense but
that the intent was to kill somebody under
some circumstances is plain enough In
deed, il may as well be taken for granted
that when any man or boy arms himself
with loaded pistol 10 go out into crowded
streets, where the only game is human, he
means murder. This boy meant to Kill
somebody, and he killed his mother Oh
course he feels badly about it. He would
have felt badly, though not perhaps as
badly, if he had shot and killed some one
else. II was the logic of events that he
should feel badly II follows the killing
Just as naturally as the killing followed the
loading Of the pistol There's no need Of
saying, aud there no sense in whining
that this young man bears a good reputa.
ton and that he is overwhelmed with griei
because he killed his mother. Let us stoI
all this business Of personal and private
sympathy and see whether upon the whole
society has not some rights in the matter
Here is great staring fact, not of acct
dental killing, but Of deliberate prepare
ton to do murder 1t is not isolated oI
sporadic; il illustrates fashion, fash
lou Of carrying deadly weapons, and o
using them upon whatever occasion offers
We hold human life pretty cheap at tn,
best in this country but if it has come Il
this that beardless boys ''of good reputa
ton travel our streets habitually armed
and waiting only proyocation to take life
II is quite time that we do something be
sides waste sympathy on them when the.
happen to Kill the wrong person.-N y
Tribune.