The morning times., 1896-01-02
POLICE Is MtRksMEA
Many Garry Guns Who Are lg.
n6rant of Th-ir Use. ..,-~
NO CHANCE TO PRACTICE
Shooting Is Left Out OF the Instruc-
tion and Ability TO Aim Straight
Taken for Granted-Attention of
the Comm issioners to Be Called
to the Oversight.

The police and the police authorities are
| OF the opinion that If policemen are to be
iDtrusted with revolvers they should be
| given an opportunity to learn to use them.
| IL Is said to be a Notorious fact that
| scores of bluecoats are pacing around The
| city with a glitteriDg 3S-caliber in the
| flask pocket who have seldom smeIled
smoke, pulled a trigger or heard the report
of pistol.
Pistol shooting cannot be learned-in a
day, and 1t is good principle that d man
| who is liable 10 be called on to shoot
should know how TO shoot
Many men on the force could only hit a
iarget by shooting into the side OF "A barn
and painting a target around the wound.
A policcma u is apt To be brought face TO
face with the necessity to pun his gun at
any time, aud il he is a green hand he is
IN danger of hitting himself, or, worse still,
some innocent person is in danger Of be-
ing plugged. Things or this kind have oc-
Cured and probably will occur.
SOME GOOD SHOTS.
There is this to be said In behalf of the
Washington force. and il is that probably
no police department in the country boasts
50 many good shots as the local depart
ment. The reason for this is that large
percentage OF the home police are army
graduates, and most of these men are
adopts with the pistol. When the Ma
tional Guard had a gallery In the Ward
building the men enjoyed a Standing invi-
tation to practice there, but the practice
was not compulsory, as IT is said 1t
should be.
AS q rule only those who already knew
how to shoot visited The gallery, those who
did not know how TO Eancle their weapon
We're deferred, either by apathy or modesty.
Men who could not make scores did not care
about going to the gallery where they
would be thrown into competition with
experts. Many OF them did not care to
confess their ignorance or The pistol, but
would rather sit around the station house
and tell of some remarkable shots which
they had made than go to the gallery and
show their brethren that they make them.
ONE OR TWO CRACKS.
Tom HoiCer, who died a few weeks ago.
Is said to have been one of the best
shots on the force, while Settright, of the
First precinct. who is now disabled, is
also q first-class man on the trigger
Policeman Herndon, of the First, makes
fine scores when he goes up against
target. and SO do Sutton ami Sprinkle, OF
the First.
Over in the Sixth precinct. Sullivan
and ordon are recognized good shots, and
out in the Ninth, Pearson holds the cham
plonship. Espey, OF TIE ourth, ana stew
art, OF The Firth. are splendid shots. Brown
of the Ninth, is also said to be able to
shoot.
At headquarters and in the detective
corps there are several straight shots.
among them being Horne, Weldon, and
Boyd. Nearly every one OF the army
graduates is a good slot. II is said that
only a few OF the civilian appointees
can shoot, and the attention of the Com
missoners is to be called 10 this defect
in The organization OF the department.