The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-01-17
ARE ARMED AND READY
Various Devices Adopted as Safeguards
From Automatic Carbines to Crow
ingcOCks.

AT least fifty good citizens Of this
city armed themselves with revolvers
yesterday judging from the sales re-
ported at the various stores Most Of
them were expensive guns too, ranging
as high as sixteen dollars for the Smith
and WessOn hammerless, the pur-
chasers, that is the majority of them,
being determined to arm themselves I'm
thoroughly up to date method and eN-
pend a few more dollars rather than
miss any "enterprising burglar when a
burgling." Fifty cartridges went in
every case with the sales.
Yesterday was not the banner day
either in some of the stores. The top
notch was reached by h. O. Hall and
Sons who sold twenty three on We'd
nesday alone. The increased sales have
been going on steadily for the last
two weeks and il is estimated that at
least two hundred and fifty persuaders'
have been bought since the first of the
year. Most of these have been Of the
smaller calibre, 30 or SO, although there
have been one or two Of the large from
tier Colts which carry a heavy 44-40
calculated to let all kinds Of daylight,
moonlight or lamp light through a
highwayman or other robber, which
have been bought by particularly blood
thirsty persOnages These carry a bar
rel about a foot long and are not in
tended for pocket or parlor use, being
prominently manufactured for bust
ness purposes
Liberal purchases of ammunition
have revealed the existence of any
amount of arms owned by citizens and
now out and oiled into utility II any
of the thugs are sufficiently literary in
their tastes and language to read Eng
fish, they may be enlightened and per-
haps fOrewarned by the information
that there are undoubtedly over five
hundred American citizens, aside from
numerous Chinese who are "heeled" for
their arrival with an armament ranging
from 1910 repeating rifle to a %
saloon pistol
For the benefit of unlimited midnight
visitors, a Waikiki, Prince Cupid has
ordered an automatic Colts, which is
capable of being used as a pistol or
mounted into a Carbne. One pull of the
trigger Will send a steady stream Of
eleven bullets into its target provld-
ing it is aimed straight and as the bar
rel can be moved in a radius during the
delivery in the fashion of a garden hose
the odds are that one shot of the fusil-
lade will come unpleasantly near Mis-
ter Robber
Others less bloOdthirsty, have adopt
ed an ammonia pistol which will eff
fectually put any intruder hOrs de COM
bat although if fired in a room, would
probably neCessitate a hasty exit on the
part of the firer.
Pacific Heights would seem to be arm
ed like a Boer kOpje. c. S. Desky has a
miscellaneous assortment of firearms
and so has j. G. Pratt, for which the
latter was purchasing ammunition yes
terday. Mr.. Desky is said to have
thought of turning his cars into armor-
ed trains provided with gatlings and
mounting NOrdenfelt on the top Of
the hill and also at the curves in the
road if the present situation gets any
more alarming. While a burglar could
make excellent time running away from
anywhere on the slopes of the Heights,
he would present an excellent chance
for a line shot for anyone who is any
good at shooting at running game.
Old maids and other unprotected la
dies whose natural timidity will not
permit them to handle a frearm, have
adopted the ancient custom of prOcur-
ing old hats coats and canes from their
gentlemen friends and placing them in
conspicuous position under a light
that burns all night. Tea trays, tin
cans and strings attached to a bell and
tied across the doors have also been
pressed into service.
Likely looking dogs without a home
have been taken in and provided with
all the luXuries of life in return for their
services as watch dogs. Pedigree
counts for nothing in the present
eXigency, teeth, wakeful habits and a
loud bark are the essentials. Those
citizens who have a good canine at
tached to their premises are only
troubling themselves about possible
holdups. One lady has a rooster who
lords At over a numerous brood of hens
and she relies uDOn his inclination to
crow Justify on the least provocatiou
to appraise her and scare the intending
burglar.
The sales of firearms yesterday were
large everywhere. d. Whitman sold
nealy dozen yesterday as did Pearson
and Potter and e. O. Hall. The w. b.
Allen Hardware Company sold eighteen
most of which We're bought by China
men. one cautious pake buying two
we have sold more reVOlVers since the
first of the year than we have altogeth-
er since we have been i'm business, 3"
said Mr.. Allen and all the other ven
doris of guns speak in the same strain.
To the powers that prey" of the city
the popular saying is reversed and
should now read "Forearmed is fore
warned" and 1t is quite possible that
the wholesale purchase of guns will de-
ter the midnight attempts on private
property and person for quite
while"