The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-02-04
CONCEALED WEAPONS.
FEW MBN CARRY THEM NOW IN NEW
FORK CTR, sAF THE POLICE

fesetsuaI Crinatn ais - Yousgsters Carry
Then,, end the Darby CIisss 20 His Hszor.
The habit Of carrying concealed weapons IL
gradually dying out This IL the opinion Of
the police at least, and as they search all heir
prisoners they ought to know.
There have only been two or three pistols
taken from prisoners In this station house in
three months" said the Captain OF west side
precinct to a Sun reporter recently. We
ralded a concert hall on Eighth avenue the
other day and brought In seventy persons and
the m st dangerous weapon taken OF any Of
them was q corkscrew. I've been all over this
country, South and West and I've worn a
brace OF pistols at my belt In the mining re-
glon. and l tell you there's no place like New
York for the safety OF life and property. Peo-
pie don't carry concealed weapons here to any
great extent some people have . right to
carry concealed weapons. The police all carry
them. But look here. Here's the only re-
volver l have carried for two years. and I
haven't had any use for 1t. either" and the
Captain took little four-cham bered. 22-cali-
bre. bulldog pistol from his hip pocket
"Of course. there are plenty Of people who
occasionally carry revolver II they think they
have some special danger to encounter. or II
they have TO carry large sum OF money from
one place to another; and there are others
who get permit to carry q revolver all the
time. When am asked to sign an spplics-
ton for a man | always question him very
closely, for 1t is frequently the case that an
irresponsible. auarrelsome man will fancy he
is in danger, or that he has n grievance against
somebody and will at once rush to the police
for permit. That is Just the kind Of man
that We don't want to give a permit to.
Talk about carrying concealed weapons In
New York. I've seen little saloon in the min
Ing regions with a narrow bar at one end. q
Coroners jury at the other and two billiard
tables in an anteroom. beside one Of which lay
a murdered man. and at the other u game Of
billiards was still going on. That part OF the
crowd which was not watching the game Of
billiards was at the bar. Nobody took any
interest in the dead man except the jury.
The law against carrying concealed
weapons Is a city ordinance. 1t 10 very useful
to the police. but l doubt whether It would
stand II an appeal were taken to the higher
courts The Constitution guarantees to every
citizen the right to bear arms. The ordinance
does not affect persons passing through the
city from one place to another. nor can man
be apprehended for carrying weapons In his
hands. The biggest display Of firearms ever
saw in this town was when that SIS. 200. 900 In
gold arrived from the Vest. and was carried
In vans from the Grand Central Station to the
Sub-Treasury. There must have been thirty
mon with Winchesters on those vans II was
a great show. and a capital advertisement for
the express companies. but II was totally pn-
One policeman on each van would have been
ample protection for the gold.
ing concealed weapons applies only to Grim
inals and is meant to include slunghots sand
Enuckier took eleven years ago from the Mig
ger who robbed DR.. Morgan Dixs house. You
will observe that It can be used upon either
Corbett would have stood no chance II Mitchell
had had enc Of those things on. use It as q
nowadays.- though. Professional criminals
are too fly. They know, that We will
e SSsH n se.p S whsn Us we are Unable
prove anything else against them. and the
they are the apt they to get rid
hands. The fact is the day OF slungshots and
Sevolyers in New iGT i; Is past Electricity
weapons will not enable him to escape. while
elusive proof Of his H guilt and viii increase the
severity OF his sentence. II 10 pretty hard to
Ss c;Ssn day sgfE ssr. IN New 6 6Sds wa.
rested for breaking into a jewelry store. He
began to bore his way through q wooden par
Electric Wire concealed in that PARTITION which
was full Of a network of such wires. Ferris the
chest which showed him that he could not get
through at that point. and he tried another
ut ii 81, +. VI. a gong had sounded in Holiness
suspicious. was. working with his anger the
any time about il either. What could one man
with revolver do against half dozen police.
had had q revolver his plight would have been
worse than 1t was.
about the weapons OF criminals. Some people
have fad o. collecting SUCH S things When !
m aS
tain told me to go ahead and arrange II artis-
ITALY in a cabinet, lie thought il would be
would rather have tossed them all in a heap.
and sold them to the lunkman. put ! did as he
esting | labelled the most curious wssp-
ems pnsr in any way my fnSy dictated
the heap. rusty and bent and without a handle.
centre plece.as It looked Kind Of roma ntic. and
pistol OF the lot. Il was flint lock and Of the
size We used to call a horse pistol. Nobody
saying It had been taken from Hicks. the
pirate. who was HANGED s9methlng OYER hun
Gntbor age eh o9s hne an Nsw
Of the Police Justices called with party
Of Si. society ladies to- to do the station R
Interested In our collection OF weapons
Tho neat day tha Judge was crazy to get that
pistol told him there was a great deal Of
doubt about its genuinenrss as relic OF
Hicks, tho pirate. lie said that made no differ
ence. the ladies' had gone wild over it, and
pistol, 1t was a lutte Irregular to take the
pistol from the collection without any warrant
either IN law OF equity but the Judge got the
relic, won't tell You how. and 1t was placed In
the centre OF his collection. where have no
doubt IL il much admired to this day"
But. captain injured the reporter, - IL
nobody carries reviewers nowadays what are
all the assaults committed with that We hear
about in The neNspdpersF
Fists, for the most part in this precinct"
SAID the Captain dryly. had u man brought
in here recently who fractured another mans
skull with a conch she'll A bale stick makes
pretty good weapon, and the teamstsrs who
carry bale hooks sometimes get into fight
A bale hook can make an ugly wound,
Persons most llEsy tu be arrested with con-
eeAled weapons upon them are boys and
young men, IL is = criminal offence to sell
pistol to boys under Is years OF age. but the
youngsters commence early with toy pistols,
and these are apt 10 cultivate a taste for more
efficient weapons
OF all the mixed population OF New York.
think the Italians are most apt 10 NIL their
pock cts with pistols and knives These quiet
looking Italian fruit vendors. when lined Tor
ObstTuctnE the streets often have to nay an
additional fine for concealed weapons"