Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-06-22
TO BE CONTINUED.
Miseellaaeous Rsadine.
NEW YORK PISTOL ToTERs.
One Man In Five Carries Gun In His
Pocket.

| tSFFN ~
One Man In Five Carries Gun In His
| Pocket.
| When Bat Masterson came here
from the west to be deputy United
States marshal, he said: More men
carry revolvers in New York, in pro-
portion to the population, than in any
western town In which ever lived"
The police say that now one man
out of every five carries a revolver.
and In some parts Of the city the ratio
Is even greater.
| Skeptical persons can have no better
proof Of the truth Of these assertions
than Is contained in the record of the
events Of almost any day. Scarcely a.
day passes that an argument, an as
sault, or an alarm Of some kind does
not collect crowd, and in the crowd
can always be found enough pistols to
put Deadwood to shame.
And do not think that New Workers
carry revolvers merely for the sake Of
carrying them, for on the slightest
provocation they draw them and be-
gin to shoot.
Only a few days ago negro, ar
rested by a policeman, broke away
and ran up Broadway. A passenger
just alighting from a car drew a, re-
volver and began shooting at the fugi-
tive. man in an automobile drew
a revolver and fired few more shots;
man standing In front Of a hotel
Joined in the bombardment, and the
negro for his own protection stopped
and allowed the policeman, who alone
had refrained from shooting, to re-
capture him.
Members of wedding party in FL
bridge street drapk too much. A fight
started and in the twinkllng Of an eye
four revolvers were flourishing In the
little room.
A policeman is authority for tine
statement that every other Italian
carries a revolver and some Of them
two.
Two small boys, one thirteen and
the other fourteen years Of age, near
ly caused a riot in Brooklyn one day
last winter by drawing revofvers and
shooting at the school house because
some of their companions had been
kept In.
Detective Sergeant Dominick Henry,
of police headquarters, was on his way
there early one morning last winter.
Two men and two women on their
way home from an evening Of pleas
ure were directly ahead Of him. Sud-
denly an argument started and one Of
the young women drew revolver.
Detective Henry was quick enough to
prevent trouble and the young woman
was arrested.
The custom of carrying revolvers
has steadily grown in New York. de-
spite more and more stringent laws to
prevent it. At one time more than
5000 permits to carry revolvers were
in force In the city. The reckless use
Of them. however, became so common
that all but 400 of these permits were
revoked.
| Rut although the police made fire.
uuent arrests for the violation of the
ordinances forbidding the carrying of
deadly weapons, the $40 fine was not
sufficient to impress offenders. 1t was
changed to a short term In prison,
and now it is fine of $3.50 and six
months in prison. But notwithstand-
ing that, the habit continues to spread.
| The very lowest estimate made by
the police places the number or re-
| volvers sold daily at something more
than 100, and Of that number about
one-fifth go to women.
How many Of the handsomely
dressed and dainty looking women
who wander daily through the depart
ment stores carry little pearl-mounted
revolvers in their spacious shopping
bags Is hard to say. but that has often
been proved.
The cost Of revolvers carried in New
York ranges fl rom 81 to $3.50. Some of
the little short-barreled, pearl-han-
| ultu TtNOlNtlS liCu w "O'iSh 49,
set with jewels and laid with gold and
silver. They are of little practical
use.
At the time of the riots between the
rival factions of Chinese a search was
made of all the Cinnamon found on
the streets and in the houses of Chi
natown, and every one carried a re-
yolver. More recently a search or
Italians was made, and out Of every
fifteen searched, fourteen carried wea-
pons.
| To secure permission from the po-
lice to carry a revolver, Ii is necessa-
ry to make a formal application to
the captain of the precinct I'm which
YOU live. The reasons you give must
be good and must stand a thorough
investigation before he approves Of
your request. If he does, and he usu-
ally does not, your request Is sent to
the inspector of police and second
investigation Is made. If he. too, ap-
proves of your request 1t is sent TO the
commissioner of police, and you re-
ceive your permit.
| or those holding permits at present
the greater number are men who are
daily forced to protect properly OF
value that renders them liable to at
tack, drivers of mail and express wag-
ons, and watchmen. Very few private
individuals now have them, though
several presidents and cashiers OF
large banks do.
Revolvers they are called In the
store. but the men who carry them
daily in defiance of the law nave
dozens of other names for them. The
members of the Paul Kelley gang
might know what you meant If you
spoke Of a revolver but they would
far more quickly if you called 1t a
cannon, barrel, cracker, Fourth of
July, wowski, canister or kicker
New York Times.