Middletown transcript., 1910-08-20
NIDDEETOwH, DEIa AUG. 90. 1910
rHn NEnpn ..rnTING GUNS"

THE NEGRO .TOTING GUNS"
Two weeks ago at st. Georges
while two colored men were
wrestling, one OF them was ta.
tally injured by . revolver neld
bv the other. Last week 9 col
ored man was shot and killed by
another near Coldwell; on the nc.
torious Friendship camp ground
where one or more colored men
are killed each year, there were
several shot and one horse killed
this year, and at Townsend q few
days ago another colored man
was killed-al results Of this IN.
lawful habit ofcarrying concealed
deadly weapons.
This habit of white men "toting
pistols" as it is styled in the
South, has long been a serious
evil there. The Atlanta Constttat-
ton, in support Of a bill to be in
troduced in the Georgia Legisla-
tnre making the offence felony,
collected statistics showing that
there are now pending in the
Courts Of that state at least BOY
indictments chargesble to this
practice Of carrying pistols. And
adds that:
"But for illegally carried re-
yolvers, che Courts OF Georgia
would not have had to deal with,
and the reputation OF Georgia
would not have been blotted by
at least two.thiFds OF the MUIR
derers, manslaughters, felonies
and misdemeanoFs here re-
ported"
The above small list of colored
killings, all occurring near here
and within o short time, no doubt
represent truly the deadly part
this same pistol and razor carry
ing habit, plays in the felonies
and other grave crimes COM
mitted By colored men generally.
One seldom hears of crap game
suuabble or other quarrel be.
tween colored men in which re-
sort Is had to the Anglo-Saxon
weapon of the fist, but it is the
pocket pistol or the stealthy
razor that is employed.
In the absence Of these dead
aly weapons, 1t is safe to say that
practically all of the colored
maimings and killings born Of
rum and crap-shooting, would be
wanting.
ID The penalty for this extremely
dangerous practice is altogether
too light, viz: ten to thirty days
iii the county Jail or a fine of ten
to one hundred dollars, or both at
the courts discretion. If there is
an offence ia the whole calendar
that richly merits sound dose of
the whipping post, well laid on,
it is1this cowardly premeditated
crime. And a sound thrashing
ut the dishonoring whipping post
nf every back, white or black,
guilty OF this hateful crime, fol.
lowed BY a years Imprisonment
at hard labor in the penitentiary,
would make it as rare as now it
is common.
We repeat it, the punishment
should be made much more Sc
we're, for it is a deliberate and
premeditated crime, and there
fore deserves no mercy, as it can
have no apology or palliation.
Indeed, the fearful consequences
often flowing from it, may rightly
be said to be within the knowl,
edge, motif the contemplation and
purpose of the offender. This
argument that the fellow who in
the midst of a peaceful society,
goes secretly armed with dead
ly weapon, intends all the felon
ious results of his unlawful act
is the same one that the courts
use when defining the rights of q
householder to shoot an armed
burglar. Crimes committed un'
der the heat OF passion or on the
spur of hunger or some unpre.
meditated human frailty, are
commonly viewed by society and
the courts with less severity than
those which result from cool
premeditated purpose.
Another matter. The TRAN
SCRIPT wishes to call the atten.
tion to the common violation OF
the statute making it an offence
punishable the same as carrying
concealed deadly weapons), to
sell such weapons to minors. II
is safe TO say that a majority OF
the colored prisoners from whom
our officers have taken pistols
were minors. The Law of selling
to minors should be amended Sc
Us to make the giving to or buy.
ing or obtaining for q minor Of
any such weapon, also an offence.
Such an amendment together
with q rigid enforcement OF this
law, would greatly lessen these
frequent shootings BY colored
wynSrxop mar