Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1890-02-11
: L1l01Sf1R, Pa. February II. 1890.
PITY Ths Killer.

n young lAuy VI MiSSouiA WIN !" PsSsos
from bureau drawer and pointed 1t at
girl friend with the emphatic state-
ment 'sThis 10 the way to scare burglars"
The friend died ten minutes later and It
VS. Demonstrated that the young lady
Of Missouri was quite right. Burglars
will henceforth take warning that the
survlving participant In this object les
con fully understands the art OF soaring
them. She did not know II was loaded
and her method of soaring burglars was
based on the assumption that they
would not know II was empty. Possibly
she had received assurances from the
person who owned the weapon that the
presentation Of an empty pistol was all
that was necessary to produce panic
In q burglar, and no doubt she had been
impressed with the tales Of missionaries
who commanded profound respect by
the moral influence Of an unloaded
revolver but who would not shoot any
one for the world--no, not even to
prevent the stealing Of their horses.
There has been % much indiscriminate
abuse of the people who suffer from &C.
cidents Of this kind that 1t il time to
state the other side Of the case. 1t does
not seem to be recognized that the per-
son who accidentally kills another, Is a
sufferer claiming the most hearty SYM
pathy. This young woman Of Missouri,
who killed her friend in few seconds
Of thoughtless play, is said to be losing
her reason, and certainly claims all the
pity that may be lavished on the case,
for her dead friends sufferings are over.
The regular stock editorials, savagely
condemning the party who did not
know It was loaded" will Of course be
published In thousands Of papers with
variations to suit this case but we pro-
test against the injustice of thus concen-
trating censure upon the only victim
whose suffering might be little relieved
by more humane treatment. There are
at least two victims in all tragedies Of
this kind, the party killed and the one
who unlntentionally does the killing,
and the latter is usually the greatest
sufferer. The consciousness Of having
by your own thoughtlessness put an end
to the life Of friend, does not need the
stimulus Of public censure to make 1t
terrible.
There are others who should
take . share of the censure that
b always heaped upon the bend
ing bead of the miserable accidental
assassin. In this case the accident might
never have happened II the young
woman had been carefully instructed In
the use and abuse of firearms. Those
familiar with weapons are not usually
those who suffer by them, for familiarity
does not breed contempt of bullets. The
failure to % instruct her may be one
cause Of the disaster, and another was
the placing Of q loaded pistol In a place
easily accessible TO others. If o man
must have . weapon always ready for
instant use, let him at least keep 1t
under lock and key, and keep the key
In his pocket, remembering that he has
sudden death locked up at home ready
TO break loose among his family. 1t
seems better to run the risk of the loss of
. few seconds in the rare emergency
when that revolver may be needed, and
TO keep the loaded chambers and the
weapon safely separated. With a little oil
and practice they can be quickly slipped
together. It Is possible that In Missouri
the conditions Of life demand the liberal
scattering Of loaded self-cocking revo.-
vers all over the house, but then the
family, men, women and children,
should be trained TO regard them with
profound respect, which 1t Is eviden,
was entirely fucking in the case cuu'
sidsred. The Missouri girl should be
p!tied for having encountered circum
stances for which she had not been
properly trained, and she is not deserv'
ing Of censure. She has quite enough
already In her own mind. The incident
10 . more forclble lesson on the folly
Of presuming that arms are unloaded
than any that the pen could set forth.