The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-07-01
CHOKE OFF THE GUNS.
Discharging Firearms on the
Fourth.

The police should permit no discharg
ing of firearms within the city limits on
the Fourth of July. Many deaths and
serious accidents result from this prac-
tice every Fourth and it has been pro-
hibited in hundreds of cities. By an
oversight the city ordinance does not
strictly prohibit the discharge of fire
arms. The section of the city ordi-
nanceS which applies directly to the
subject is numbered 26, and is as fol-
lows:
IF any person shall discharge any
f1rearm, or set off any f1re-crackers, or
squibs or s1al1 throw any fire-b balls,
or make any bonfire in the city he shall
be punished by a fine of not less than
So nor more than $25; provided, that
this section shall not apply to the 1st
day of January, the 22nd day of Feb
ruary, the 4th day of July or the oath
or 25th day of December; and it shall
not apply to the discharge of firearms
in any licensed shooting gallery, nor to
fowls running at large in violation of
any city ordinance"
Every year people get out on the
streets and discharge firearms, often
using cartridges loaded with lead. Many
people have been killed in this way and
it is said that personal spites are some
times satisfied by killings on July 4
under the guise of accidents.
Chief Steele said regarding the use
of shells with lead: There will be no
lead allowed in cartridges used on July
4. anyway. I will see that anyone
found using loaded shells will be ar
rested and prosecuted to the full ex-
tent of the law. Lots of accidents
occur every year by people using lead
don't propose to allow it. The city or
dinances allow the firearms to be dis
charged with blank cartridges"
City Attorney Bird several years ago
framed the section which is given
above. Asked by a reporter if the dis
charging of firearms could be prohib-
tied by the police, he said: when 1
framed that section 1 had in mind the
prohibiting of the discharge of fire.
arms on all celebrations But by some
oversight the provision was omitted. 1
think, as many other good citizens do,
that firearms should not be discharged
within the city limits except as occa-
sion might require it. While the ordi-
nance does not prohibit it, I think the
meaning of the ordinance is to pre-
vent it, and I know that my intention
at the time / wrote the section was to
put stop to the diScharging of fire
arms at all times and prevent acci-
dents 1 think the people have a right
to demand that no guns and revolvers
be discharged July f. even though
blank cartridges be used. I think that
those who do fire off guns and revoIv-
ers could be fined for disturbance of
the peace
July last year, in Topeka alone.
great damage was done to telephone
and telegraph wires by people using
loaded shells, and several panes of glass
were broken In one instance, at the
corner of Third and Kansas avenue a
person in second story room narrow
iy escaped being struck by bullet
which was fired through a pane of
glass.
The carrying of concealed firearms in
the city limits is at all times prohib-
lted- IL no other way, the police could
arrest all persons carrying firearms
concealed and a stop put to a great
deal of the liability to accident
CITY Attorney Bird says that the or
dinance ought to be amended so as to
cover this, and he says that he will
prepare a section to be added to it and
present it to the city council This. of
course, can't be done before the com
ing celebration.
Ihe police, however, will stop all fir
ing OF guns and revolvers until they
can make an examination of the loads
being used.