Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-05
Unable to Determine Char
acter Of 0'Brien's Malady.
PRISONER CHEERFUL
SURGEONS BELIEVE HE Is AT
FLICTED WITH PARANoIA.
Detectives Informed Where He Prr-
chased Revolver With Which He
Shot Department Employees.


II 10 +ho ho,;ef of tho TAIL nhvsicians that
IL William ]. O'Brien. alias Duffy. the ex-
soldier who did the shooting at the war
Department. is insane. his case is one OF
paranofa. which embodies deiusion OF
persecution SUCH persons, INSANITY eA-
perts say, are the ones VINO usuaiiy resort
TO violence Drs. ROBINS ana HUDSON saw
the prisoner in company with the jail ply
sician and conyersed with him. 'Brien
u,ould CIV notb;no. ahout tho shooting hut
.,,., ,....s -. - ,,s "a o.Aar
"hiieS uisooeSeu MS army nv ano o.e-
matters OF interest to himself. Inc doc
tors were not willing to express an opinion
as to his mental condition from what they
-. 80 ~. ......a -, a. I'll, ~. ea,,ara,
pc" =. mn a,o :. WI. =. - -.
uays oeioie Ills case VIII We iepoi.7u upo"
unless he should manifest unmistakable
symptoms of insanity in the meantime.
secutions It ia said are usually secretiye
as In the case of the prisoner VINO at
tracteo SO mucn aetehtion TINS Meeh. ne
ptaorf,,. this r,o,n,na he aYnrassaI him
self as being thoroughlv satisfied with his
new surroundings, and said he would
rather be given term In the penitentiary
than to return to the asylum. He re-
peated ms statement or Yesterday mat ne
his mind is not affected. He will be kept
under observation several days before his
case Is reported upon.
Rouobt weanon in Second- Hand Store
~f0A - S'SNS
The police ascertained this morning that
O'Rrien purchased the weapon at the Sec
o,a 80 $50 of cooroo co,ahara een n
~ A"u e'oio VI Neoi Sc 0oi"ooA o. wv
street northwest, and paid "a for 1t. Mr..
Goldberg called at police headquarters this
morning and told of having made the SALE
II Is shown nv the statement of the dealer
that the revolver was purchased by O'Rrien
Tbnrsdav morn;nc While On his wav from
IN ns.'1:, ny ~. .n Do VI s Thora
ne ,,o t-,a,o -. 30 oartoi a,snrdar ~ the
49,. a 20 ~ A.. 49,, ~ GIa
appe'. auee VI INC ,sas o. ~
,e "a,.eU uPo ~. ,, .,
volver the same as any ORDINARY purchaser
ana rendered the deaier new % Dill III
and he left the store after he had given his
name as w. u. DuHy ana SAID ne hVeo OH
prospect street, Georgetown.
Traffic and Use of Firearms
her of tho no1ica den.rt,,ent said IN q
Star reporter that he thought the only
thing that would have prevented the
shooting in this particular case would
have been a condition of affairs making it
impossible for the paroled lunatic to have
procured revoiver.
A.. u', ie aousu' 80. % tt; 1 80
~ the d.naerous nractica Of CARRYING
No. $50, ~ re To- on tho snhjoct is IN nv
n,,;rion adann.ta 70 affact q refornn If the
opn.uh, o,,Id r.oLa r,,Ia 70 inonnsa the
..i 20 mo ,,araItn in every case and ac
ma nlaIa ~ u n.,, po :, AZ ''AA
IL T. ~ noearrad 70 tho nroyisions Of the law
h;o, ,.ro,,;da a rnax;nuro nanaltv of s5OO
ona nr % go IN iaii -The law also pro-
anu oxo "a, dn AZ of ue.uons and
Woes Ioi .ne ues.i g 1891 e, - -. irI. "-N
ars ~ ranort all sales tn the headoua rfers
Of the no1ice denartment." the policeman
sayd s.can accomnlish nothing in the way
- nrawen+ine crime Int Ar NAV he of
oreat assistance in the Investigation of a
bannio;da case as js shown in the present
casa "
He said that the persons taken before
the Police Court on charges of carrying
onnoaoIad u,eanons are not always given
the maximum penalty. 1t has been but
few davs. he stated since a man was In
court on charge of carving concealed
weanons-a blackiack-and was permitted
W s,p ,'non gi1ine his nersonaI hond
The Superintendent,s Recommendation.
Mai sylvester in his annual reports for
sevaral wars has called attention to the
nractice of carving weapons and the en-
forcement of the law. In the report SUBJ
mtttad tn tho District Commissioners last
var bo b.d +b,s 70 cav.
L. lfvHrp
oone years aso new oli pio " iui I.a
certain penaItles Ior the CARRYING VI CON
Geaiea Weapo i was Ia1'su anu oeealhe
law, put ssatls.ics 90 not Justny the ciaim
snat 'he oe yes haoi. mas peen a pan,
uoHeu. IN the other hano there mas peeH
d grauuaI increase III tne munhper Oh ap
prenensiohs, as tnere were 100 arrests last
year, as compared Win 20 arrests the pre-
ceuins year.
IN ordsr 10 olminlsh the oHense IL seems
the punishment snoulo De more adequate
ana tnat the indlVIduai VINO Stalks the
streets prepared 10 XIII snouid De sent TO
prison, Where ne would nave an oportu-
nifty TO renect upon the gravity OF such
conduct; Ihe SAFE or dangerous weapons
snoulo De restricted TO persons OF lawful
age ana oeaiers shouid De required to keep
tne NUMBER OF ihark OF pronunciation or
every weapon SOLO; rms is necessary on
occasions 10 estapiish guilt in murder
cases
Ropert ). manning and Arthur Wicker.
tne men VINO were wounded by O'Brien,
are dolng We'll Mannlngs injury is APP
R pare not nearly SO serious as was at