Telegram-herald., 1890-08-08
CHANCE FOB an ORDINANCE


s.... ass.. saszsstsa "a the Late EH-
piesies-
Tha renors 81 3 sadden death Ike
that wh5ch occurred Monday Ia the
sAoo OF Foster, stevens q Co., reason
sb.y sets eysrybody tainking. Bnt TIE
nature of the thoughts suggested de-
penas on the bent of mlnd OF the nd
Elaaal. Wh1e m&nY were set - fe-
Hectlng uDon the snortltss and uncer-
ts4nty III human lie IA general. gae
Ts4 4reEAa-iE8ALD reporter was made
- reflect on the snorlless and Uucer-
talntg or human life "a Grand Rapids
lrl psrticulAr After the excitement Of
- movement had died away, and al
tsr the coroner verdict had been zen.
dered. exDoneEztng everybody and
bfarninz nobody, the reporter was Goa.
strained 70 reflect on the anomalous
phases OF the situation. Speaking OF
the matter, a well known physician
said. "A community IN winch lie.
morals ana property are 50 jealousy
guarded as they are here N
Grana Rapids, Is invaded one
quiet morning by man who
carries ia his hand possible death 10 a
score of people and the destruction Of
mucn property. Nobody questions his
right thus 10 leOpaTdlze human life,
and it : evident that no Suspicion OF
WrOng-dOlng Is suggested 10 HIM either
bv the voice OF conscience OF by the
knowledge OF any lnhibltory law. With
death IN has hand, he passes into prl-
yate building, swarmlng from cellar TO
garrett with human life, and, strange 10
say, there IS nothing about the dlsci-
pine of the place 10 challenge the right
Of the man Ia plant ms deatn-dealer in
the very center of this human bee hive
The result Was called an accident, 4"
bat the actual result was rather an
autecedent probability, and ms getting
out OF. the building without killing
somebody would have been the accl-
dent"
TO the reporter, il seemed incredible
that the community should have set
tied down 10 all this as a matter OF
course, even though SIX men had
deliberately affirmed on their Oaths
that il was an accident with nobody
10 blame. "ls il true" thought he,
that nitrO-glycerine holds this Legal
right TO menace the community with
no timid heart to protest. TX man l.
20 be blown INTO eternity unwarned i,
where IS the advantage OF having IT
done oy an American tool instead OF a
Russian Nlhihst2"
With these cowsrdiy reflections the
reporter started out 10 learn from the
wise men OF the town whether or not
the cOmmunityis is SO unprotected as TINS
matter accident would
seem TO indicate. Inquiry of a number
OF legal gentlemen afforded no salts
faction. Nobody seems to know. 1t
IS generally conceded" sand q proml-
nent citizen, that the boy who fires Il
cracker or toy pistol is liable TO GRIM
NAL prosecution, but who can say what
ought 70 be done with the lgnOramus
who blows up building and
buries score OF human beings
III the rulns2" In the reporters
travels, he learned that an employe of
the Reeds Lake Electric railway recent
ly carried through the streets of the
city IN his pockets and hands large
number of dynamite cartridges, and
was not arrested tor criminal careless
ness. In comment upon this, another
citizen said:
81 think that the wonderful and i'm
potent cOroner's verdict on the death
of Carlin should be followed up by some
very thorough police investigation.
Failing by this to relieve itself of this
new and frightful meanace TO life and
limb, the community should look TO the
Common Council for such action as
would make impossible any future
dynamite explosions within the city"