Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1879-08-08
The Question Of Aiming the gtaunton Police

Ine QUESTION Vi AfHllHS tut OtbuuLON 1OilCe.
In the Council Tuesday evening Mr.. G..
G.. Gooch, Chairman of the Police Com
mittee, reported resolution for furnish
ing the officers with pistols, at a cost not
exceeding Sal:
Mr.. Evans said-I move they be furnish
ed with double-parrelled shct-guns! If
they need anything they need double
barelled shoJ-guns. What in the world
do they want with pistols? propose to
offer resolution to inquire of the Su-
perintendent of Water Works how many
cases Of violation of the water ordinance
had been reported to him by the police
in the last six months. have been told
that some people let their hydrants run
almost constantly. The ordinances are
violated every day Of the world. The pc.
lice 90 about and never report anything.
1t does not require pistols for that! If
vote for anything it will be for double
barelled shot-guns. ] do hope the Coun-
Gil won't vote the peoples money away
for pistols. The police have bludgeons.
whistles, knuckles-
Mr.. Cochran-No; not knuckles
Mr.. Evans-I meant tweezers.
Mr.. Cochran-No, sir, you mean nippers.
Mr.. Evans-Well. the ordinances are
violated every day of the world. I saw a
whole load of corn shucks thrown down
on the street the other day without inter-
ference from the police. Do they want
pistols to do that?
Mr.. Bumgardner-I think the police
ought to have them. l know cases in
this town where thieves have escaped on
account Of the police having no firearms.
MI. Cochran-I have had the police to
complain to me several times, while | was
chairman of that committee, about not
having arms. I remember an instance in
which the police captured some negro
thieves, and when they found out the Off
GERS had no fire arms, one. said: II wish to
de Lord. boss, I'd known you didn't have
pistols; you never would have caught mel"
These men 1.-THE police have to go into
pretty bad places. They ought to be put
upon safe footing.
Mr.. Gooch-I signed the report because
I thought it customary for police to have
arms. If you want police officer to do
his duty You must put him in position
to defend himself. It would intimidate
a man, no matter what his nerve might
be, to have pistol drawn on him and he
have nothing to defend himself with. l
don't see any objection to giving them
pistols. I think that Mr.. Evans argu-
ment is nothing.
Mr.. Ranson-They should have sprink-
lers! (Laughter.)
Mr.. Evans-St is 100 years old,
and the police have never had pistols yet.
I would sooner throw the money away
than give policemen or anybody else
pistols.
Mr.. Gooch-It is an awful argument
that because the city is 100 years old it
should not improve !!
Mr.. Evans-It is not an improvement
to put pistols into the pockets of police
men. They are more apt to use them in
discretely than judiciously, therefore 1
shall vote against it. don't think it
right to appropriate citizens money for
that purpose.
Mr.. Evans then moved that the reso-
luton be amended so as to read 5 pistols
instead Of 4, saying that Mr.. Kurtz had as
much right to pistol as any other officer.
but the amendment was voted down, and
the vote being taken on the original reso-
luton stood as follows:
Ayes-Fultz, Berkeley, Cochran. Gooch,
Crowle, Bumgardner-6.
Nays-Evans, Todd, Abby. Ransom.
The resolution was lost for want Of a
constitutional majority,