The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-07-15
REWARDS TO BE PERMANENT.
POLICE AND SHERIFFS WANT
CHANGE IN THE LAW.

Chief McDermOtt brings the Matter
Before the Macon COnventiOn-rhe
Carrying of Concealed Weapons by
Odicers Observation-Disclosures PO-
lice to Do Away With Belts and
Holsters.
Clerk Of Council A. N. Manucy and
Chief OF Police Frank McDermott re-
turned yesterday morning from Atlanta
where they went after attending the con-
ventions at Macon of the clerks Of the
courts and the chiefs Of police sheriffs and
marshals' union. Sheriff John T. Roman
and Clerk J. K. p Carr of the superior
court, who attended the same conventions,
returned the morning before. The Savan-
nah men took a prominent part in the
conventions and aided materially in the
transaction of business.
The meeting of the chiefs of police, sher-
ifs and marshals may be said TO have
been the most important, as the questions
discussed were as to the enforcement of
the criminal laws and the preservation of
peace and order within the boundaries of
the state. There were in the neighbor-
hood of 80 chiefs of police. county sher-
ifs and town marshals in attendance
and a strong union was organized.
Two of the most important matters dis
cussed by the meeting were brought up
by Chief McDermott. One Of these ques-
tons was the matter of rewards offered
by the state TO secure the arrest of GRIM
Uals who have committed crimes of a
desperate nature.
Chief McDermott called the attention
of the convention to the fact that the offer
of these rewards is only temporary, and
that under the law at each change Of the
state administration, the rewards offered
by the previous administration become
I void and are no longer in force. For
/ instance, the rewards offered by Gov.
/ Northen do not hold good under Gov At
/ kinson's administration. and if any GRIM
/ inal for whom a reward was offered then
/ should be captured now, the captor would
/ get no reward. unless a special act of
/ the legislature should be passed for his
/ benefit. This, Chief McDermott explain
4 ed, is very awkward thing for chiefs of
| police and sheriffs, who, after sending cir
/ culars broadcast Offering rewards for the
| arrest of desperate criminals, are likely
/ to be called upon to explain when the
/ prisoner is captured that the offer Of the
! reward no longer holds good. He moved
/ that committee be appointed to memo
rialize the Legislature for the passage of
| an act making the offer of rewards per-
manent instead Of temporary.
| The next question brought up by Chief
| McDermott was the law as to the carry
ing of concealed weapons. as it affects Of
! ficers of the law. AS the law now stands
| an officer of the law has no more right to
carry a concealed weapon than any private
| citizen, even though he may be In the
actual discharge of a hazardous duty at
the time. The law makes no exception in
favor of officers.
Policeman no longer lug heavy belts
| with big pistols in them around in civ
ilized communities, said Chief McDer-
| mott yesterday. THE wild frontier DAYS
of this country are over. 1t is no longer
| necessary to keep every citizen on no
tice that he is liable to be shot when he
runs afoul of a policeman. The proper
thing now is for the policeman to carry
light club In his hand, and his pepper
/ if he has one, is tucked away out of sight
The law as it stands is particularly hard
upon officers of the law not in uniform,
as, for instance, the sheriffs and their
deputies. While / never heard of an Off
Ger Of the law being convicted
of carrying concealed weapons while in
the discharge of his duty, still the law is
there, and persons so disposed might put
them TO great deal of trouble by taking
out warrants against them and compell-
ing them to come to trial Another point
with me is that policemen are often put
| on special uuty IN clUZenS' clothes IN
| cases where il is especially necessary
that they should be armed 1t would not
| do for them to advertise the fact that
they are officers of the law by wearing
their arms outside their clothing, yet if
| they carry their weapons concealed they
| violate the law. l do not think there is
| much possibility of one of our officers
being convicted on such charge as this,
| still il is not right that an officer of the
| law should be compelled to violate the
| law"
The convention agreed with Chief Nc
Dermott and a resolution was adopted call
ing upon the legislature to make such
changes in the present law as will give
officers the right to carry their weapons
as they see fit while in the discharge of
their duty. A bill to this effect will be in
troduced in the next legislature.
Speaking of policemen's belts we are
going to do away with them anyhow in
Savannah" said the chief "A belt is an
! inconvenient and dangerous thing for a
police officer. The belt is against the officer
in struggling with an unruly prisoner. If
the prisoner catches the officer in the belt,
especially if he catches him from behind
he gets a hold which 1t is very difficult
to break and if from behind he has the
officer practically at his mercy. This is the
principal reason for doing away with them.
The men will look much better without
belts A small club will be carried in the
hand suspended by strap from the wrist
and the pistol will be out of sight, but
where he can conveniently reach it in case
it is needed"
The police in Savannah have been wear
ing belts so long that they will hardly feel
that they are fully equipped without them.
Still it is evident that the change will be
an Improvement.
|