Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1910-01-07

tendency to run down things and peo-
pie. 1t is sport in the first stages to
make people jump out of the way.
Later it becomes a mania to act as king
of the highway and bowl over every OBJ
stacle of every sort. If people did not
cross the street some chauffeurs would
feel like running on to the sidewalks to
get at them.
The driver who waits after an accident
is rarity The great majority speed
away, only taking thought, on occasion,
to pull up their registry plate by con-
venient string so as to avoid danger of
naturalization. The excuse that they
might be mobbed if they remained at
the scene of an accident is hardly valid.
How many drivers telephone to police
headquarters that they had been in an
accident and are ready to face the mu
sic? 1t is only by detective work and
good luck that such miscreants of the
wheel are captured.
Sharp witted boys have lately won
medals from the National Highways
Protective Society for causing the de-
lection and arrest of runaway chauf
feurs. A case of remark able clever
ness was that of seven-yearold Arthur
Lewis, of No. 50 West 101st street, who
got medal for chalking down on the
sidewalk the number of a machine
which had knocked down a youth and
then disappeared. The chauffeur, Ar
thur " God, employed by lawyer, was
arrested through the foresight of the
infantile detective.
Then there was fifteen-year-old
Geore W. Callahan, who jumped on the
mudguard of taXicab which had killed
Miss Elizabeth Bolts, aged twenty-five,
ober last. The boy rode on the taxi
cab all the way up to 74th street, where
it stopped, and then told of the killing
to some men who took the number of
the machine. The chauffeur, John
O Hanlon, was arrested, indicted and
pleaded guilty to mansaughter.
An illustration of how some chauf-
feurs feel that a killing record is not
anything against them and that they
are undiscouraged by a homicidal career
is given by James E. March, Republican
leader of the Sd Assembly District.
Not long ago. he said, Il had
about decided to engage a chauffeur
who had been handsomely recommend
ed when l CHANGED upon discovery
He had killed two men ridden them
down in the streets. / would probably
have hired that man but for the chance
discovery of his record, and every own
er of car is in exactly that position all
the time. -
In some foreign countries the chauf-
feur carries an Identification card,
which tells the number of homicides he
has committed and other such details.
Mr. Marsh, incidentally, at the last
session of the Legislature could not find
any one to father reform automobile
bill which Governor Hughes had approx
ed.
ONLY ONE CAN GET LICENSE.
There are reasons for the homicidal
and other vilanes of chautfeurs besides
those given. No skill or knowledge of
automobiles is required to become dri-
yer. Any one can get license by send
ing 81 to the secretary of State. 1t is
easy to get license under false name.
There are fifty thousand registered
chauffeurs in this state, and none OF
them has passed an official examination
as to ability or character. Young mer
and even boys of seventeen or eighteen
with taste for an easy life spiced with
excitement become chauffeurs.
The youngsters are preferred, anC
they prefer the trade. They have a
good chance to acquire bad habits, then
hours and earnings are irregular, they
get to drinking, grating and Joy
riding. Drug habits are added to the
use of liquor. The strike of last yeal
against the New York Taxicab Company
brought great many thugs and crimi
mails into the business as strike break
ers some of these have been sent to jai
and the rest have remained to teach
others how to commit misdeeds.
The carrying of blackjacks, slung
shots and revolvers by public chauffeur,
has become common. Technically the
law against carrying concealed weapon:
is not violated, for these weapons OF
crime are not kept on the person, but
are hidden in the tool box or in some
other part of the vehicle. The excuse
is offered that the chauffeur carrie.
large sums of fare money, and needs tC
protect himself against highwaymen
But the record shows that many chauf
feur is inclined to be a good deal of q
highwayman himself.
The revolver comes in handy in kid
mapping girls and robbing passengers
n