The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-06-26
ENTIRELY TOO COMMON
 IS GENERAL COMMENT
Bodeker Instructs Men Not Even To Fire In Air on Downtown Streets. New Pistol Law In Force
 In a Few Days.

1 approval aSalnSI the ndpll III ally oh" of shooting on the streets, or of using 1 guns at all.
 Mayor George. B. Ward, when ap- preached on this subject, said simply: i "I don't think anybody ought to De i shot unless he has done something to ] be shot for" That is taken to mean that a prisoner arrested for misde- l meanor should not be shot under any l circumstances, that no less than murderer should be shot down when l trying to escape, and that the habit of 1 shooting on the streets does not meet with the Mayors approval.
 This is the opinion of hundreds of business men. Chief Bodeker has made a statement disapproving all shooting while the streets are crowded. While most citizens disclaim any knowledge 1 of the provocation or the circumstances l in the recent shootings, they mean only to speak generally against the habit of reckless sh ooting.
 The John pistol law goes into effect in five days. After that time it will be unlawful for any 'one, policeman or otherwise, to carry a pistol under 24 inches in length. Whether the police will follow its instructions is ques- tion of doubt. It is pointed out that the yalready violate the law against | concealed weapons by carrying their | pistols concealed.
 l Should Be Disarmed. Some people in Birmingham do not l think the officers of the law should l be armed with pistols any more than private citizens. Alex T. London is one of these. He has frequently stated that the officers should be disarmed "It is l one of the greatest causes of pistol toting'" he said, and ought to be stopped. Far too many people are killed with these weapons in the hands l of officers, when there is actually no excuse.
 i q was particularly interested in i Chief Bodeker's statement that he would not allow shooting on the streets. What we need is even more definite action than that. Human life Is not i valued high enough in Birmingham. l Every once and while I see where some negro is killed when deputies are raidng a craps game in the tall grass around nowhere. That is merely mu- der. Reckless shooting ought to be stopped in Jefferson county" Bodeker Has Strong Opinions. l Chief of Police George H. Bodeker l said
 "As far as my department is concerned shooting on the streets must stop unless, l of course, the officer is protecting his l own life, or endeavoring to apprehend a murderer The shooting of the Mexican ] the other night is deplored by no one ] more than myself. I was convinced after i Investigating the case, that the officer fired recklessly and of course felt it my duty to prefer charges against him, be- sides suspending him until the police commission next meets I have instructed my men not even to fire in the air while they are in the crowded business sec- tions of the city. It might be excusable for an officer to discharge his revolver in the air during the early hours of the ! morning when there are few people on the streets but at other times it is dan gerous.'
 Said Maj. Charles J. Allison, clerk of the United States court:
 ''The manner in which officers shoot up our town is nothing less than out rageous. It should be corrected"
 Said Robert A. Brown of Woodlawn:
 "The matter of policemen and deputies shooting on the streets has almost be- come a practice, and the matter is one upon which no amount of condemnation would be excessive. The shooting of the Mexican a night two ago recalls the instance when two officers took the liberty of indulging in a pistol duel on Third avenue, the consequence of which was the wounding of a young woman who was passing along the sidewalk There really ought to be some means by which such regardless men might be prosecuted by law
 George Brown, an attache of the United States marshars office, said:
 'They are too quick to use their guns because they can That is where the trouble lies. There ought to be some means by which this infliction on citizens could be remedied. A reckless shot up A street might prove fatal to more than one life and instead of protecting the people I cannot understand why an off, cer should shoot <among them.'
 Should Be Disciplined.
 Edward H. Warner of the Green Under taking company expressed his sentiments thus:
 Reckless shooting on the part of any one is to be greatly deplored, but when officers show a careless regard for human life there is cause for protest. That men guilty of such acts should be disciplined firmly believe is the sentiment of all law abiding people. The undertakers of Bir- mingham handle practically all of the ac- cidents either by their ambulances or otherwise, and by experience know the great danger which the people of Bir- mfngham are constantly being put to by the careless handling of guns' H. l.. Jackson of West End, who has recently moved to Alabama from Chicago, said:
 .I was standing at the corner of Second avenue and Nineteenth street when Hot Tamale Joe was shot, and my opinion on