The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-06-02
CRIMINAL USE OF FIRE ARMS BY OFF
GERS.
The Case to be Ventilated in the Courts.

On Saturday afternoon, the 9th ult., Mr..
Thomas K. Welcher and Rev. Edward
both of Davenport, went up to
Princeton, opposite Cordova, in a buggy,
to hold a temperance meeting After the
meeting was over, about half past 10 at
night, they proceeded to return home, car
rying lighted lantern, as the night was
somewhat dark. When about twenty rods
below Sycamore bridge, between LeClaire
and Valley City, about II o'clock mid
night, Mr.. Welcher discovered standing in
the shade Of Strohben's fence three men,
who at the same time advanced to the side
of the road, and Mr.. Welcher, who was
driving, suspected something wrong, urged
his team little faster. When within
about ten or fifteen feet of the party, one
of them cried out, Stop, gentlemen, OIL
we'll shoot, and as Welcher or Mitchell
we're not disposed to obey a mandate Of
that kind, at that time of night, on lone
ly road, even issuing as it did over the
point OF revolver, in place of stopping
they kept right on, believing there wa:
more safety in fight, when firing from al
three men commenced simultaneously, a!
they supposed, from the way the reports
sounded and the bullets whizzed. Imme
diately after the first fire, the horses tool
| fright and started at fearful rate. Attel
running for some two hundred yards, MIR
Welcher for the first time discovered hi
was wounded in the arm from the blooC
trickling down his hand. and Immediately
he became conscious of a growing weak
ness in his grasp of the lines in the RICH
hand About quarter of a mile furthe
on the buggy was upset at the corner o
Ira Smith fence, throwing both the gen
tlemen out, Mr.. Welcher falling heavil,
on Mr.. Mitchell, and in such a manner tina
the latter's right arm was broken at tn
wrist joint. They procured help and tn
next day reached Davenport.
1t turned out that Deputy Sheriff Des
mond, of Dewitt county, with a lawye
named L. S. Haun, of Lyons, came dow
to LeClaire, and procured the aid Of Con
stable c. d. johnson, of LeClaire, an
were on the watch for Jim Bell, who had re
Gently escaped from Desmond, and they sup
posed Messrs. Welcher and Mitchell to b
Bell and confederate-hence the shoot
ty followed on until they found they ha
seriously and perhaps fatally injured tw
innocent men, and then sneaked back
LeClaire and tried to avoid being known
/ When Sheriff Leonard, of Davenport
heard of the matter, he despatched a ma
to the scene Of the affair and found on
who the parties were who committed tn
outrage,
Various unsuccessful efforts have sine
been made to settle the affair, and yestel
day Messrs. Welcher and Mitchell con
menced suit FOR $4,000 damages agains
the shootists
And now we may hope for such a pun
ishment of these men az will teach officer
with revolvers that they have no right
use them except in self, defence 1t is a:
founding how many ignorant brutal she
ifs, constables policemen, etc., ETC., ther
are who seem to think, because they hay
"a right to make arrests that they have
right to shoot people who decline to be a
rested This vicious and wholly unwa
rantabe custom is becoming alarming. NJ
long since, a young man on Hoyne stree
Chicago, was suddenly called on to halt b
some unknown men. AS there had bee
some aggravated assaults committed iu:
before in that neighborhood, he becam
freie htened, and started to run, and VIZ
fired at several times by the unknown pa
ties, who, it appeared soon after, were p,
licemen A night or two since, a vel
E known musical gentleman started on a ru
, from State street, along Van Buren,,
Overlake a street car, when he was fired
twice by policeman, and who collared til
gentleman only to ascertain that it W.
somebody else that he wanted. That til
policeman missed his mark, was probabl
not owing so much to his inclination as
the poor quality Of his aim, and the diff
Guilty Of hitting a man on the run, in til
darkness.
Pistols are not permitted to men exceI
for self defence, There is no law whic
warrants the carrying of firearms by o
ficers and when it is done, it is in accort
ance with a custom which has long pr
vailed, and which intends only that the o
ticer shall have weapon at hand, IN ca:
it may be necessary to save his life. If q
officer cannot arrest the man he wants Il
matter what crime he may have commi
ted in the ordinary way he has no rigi
to shoot or MAIN him. If he gets posse
escape he has right to use all the fore
necessary to subdue and retaiu him-bl
when the man is free he has no right
shoot, but makes himself liable to erin
inal process if he does. 1t is quite tin
that officers were taught their position
this respect.