The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-03-06
.Rg PISTOL CARRYING habit
GOI PTN IIO LITTLE TO DIS-
GOG u lG.E ~.
rstrr Made SNS Arrests In Ne~ Gsrk
ssRty m lORU ana lIo 20 the
PrIssner> Mere l.et GO bS Magistrates
Ilght seWtene FallOU q aaStealamM

s.Inty In lDRN and llo 20 the
PrIssnrrs We're I.et GO hS Magistrates
Light sentences FslloW CoaVtellanM.
E,.. .u luDs there was a great hula balOO
g. .n., toNu over what WIS termed a
- Ut crime As a result OF tho
ur.l,.-,l uumlpsr ~ shooting ard stabbing
o. - which were brought 20 tbs public
pr.r" md the agitation which arose
'..u his publicity thu Police Depart
r no pat forth exceptional efforts To
Sr.. no" csrryinE OF concealed weapons.
..ut since tbs crimes were laid chiefly at
I'm. door of Italians an amendment 10
a.. = nal Code was procured making IL
o. mr,dsSnessnOr FOR any person over 10
g. AIRY a concealed firearTn without
. censs or for an alien 70 have any deadly
weapon in his Possession in any pnplic
ia,. whether il wac concealed or not.
tpr some time there Vas deal Of
''r.-kine" by the police tn determine
wN-ther any person who looked nc all
'-lsplcious- had a gun or a knife in his
ro-seSsion. Further than this. the cru
a pie encouraged the Justices Of Special
SESSIONS before whom the prisoners were
fought TO give them sentences which
ma ht prove a deterrent to the gun and
kr,fr carrying habit.
Then something else succeeded the
'vave u crime in the public's attention
AMI conditions begnn To revert to normal.
The police kept up their part Of the
crusade. more or less. since the keeping
down OF the carrying Of weapons in a
precinct In the stirest way 10 prevent
that precinct from becoming the centre
~ reign Of disorder and crime; nut
with tho ssIbsidencs Of popular excite
nent on the subject the old custom Of
treating the Law with respect TO carrying
revOlyers as something Of a dead letter
came back into the lower courts which
have jurisd iction over these cases.
For instance. sol arrests we're made
In New York county in the year 1900 ON
charges of carrying revOlvers OT pistols
The number - a fair average Tor year
These cases lie Solely in the Jurisdiction
OF the Court Of Special Sessions. and q
Magistrate has to deal with them only n
he may pass upon the point whether
there il sufficient evidences. against the
prisoner TO warrant hrs being hehd for
trial. Extenuating circumstances and
the merits 81 the case generally are not
IN his province. Yet out Of these al
prisoners the Magistrates in police courts
discharged from custody llS on their own
responsibility Presumably the iiS ca-es
we're not 81 sufficient strength 20 warrant
the prisoners being held for trial: hut
the police say that che preparation OF a
case OF carrying a ccncealed ~eapon e
work OF a policeman. II usually con-
si-ts IN feeling OF a mans pocket. finding
IN" gun. holding the man with one hand
v bile the gan II extracted with the other
and then taking the man and pistol "a
court
The penalty prescribed by the penal
lAw tor carrying a concealed pistol j. not
more than one year In prison or a fine not
o. -Vc-ed SS1O. OF both. This sounds a.
aU.a II
practice u isn't as severe ~ y SOUNDS.
OnI' ~ all the arrests made on this
charge one-sixth. let ~ say. from last
wears figures are discharged ny the
pnhc- Magistrate and five-S,xths are lot
DOWN FOR trial The@e hve-sixths may
g"t anything from a suspended sentence
70 ~" maximum, but the suspended
sentence or a small fine - the rule from
which ANYTHING heavier stands out as
Conspicuous sNce1 ION.
since the beginning Il the present year
hfrv-Hve cases have been disposed OF
nv the OuTt II special Sessions. About
tho usual average of arrests have been
di-ml- >ai ly the Magistrates In addition
% Tins Ugrlfsr. and there are several
Ca-e- now prriIng VA the Court Of Special
Sessions Oit II the iifty-five dlsps-i-
fuu~ LuW-y"r. 'weuty- lone have been
Sl-Dantpi sentences The list inciude>
Eve --ut-nc.-~ Il $40 or two days, two
r.-nt-frp- II So or three days. one sen-
fsuc- II SIS ~ three days. one sentence
81 tive day uu" ~ SIS or tive days. one
81 81 ~ '-u dav- ak - ten days without
1.- alternative two " - days. three Ot
e iays. tive 1T ~ DAYS. one Of - days
. o. su.. e slIne months IN the peniten-
'..-y IN addition. IA" young man Was
49, fp the New York city RefoTmatory
al uns prisoner was acquitted A.
g.'..s. rll. ths nen receiving the more
-. eye pupt-ilins.Its are Italians.
IHr grsdI argument put forward by
. f~rrd- IT ieni~uCy IN the enforce
~s.' 1T he carrying concealed wsapOns
.a.- l- f4at even under the present easy
equine the prisoners ars not brought
o.. .ra. 90 at least are not sentenced until
i....r t-u OF even fifteen days after their
a.r- fld that therefore they already
have 'n-u pretty veil punished. This,
..p.r-f Does not take account Of the
..' ..,r goOdly proportion Of these
a.. ..I.pd Stthin few minutes OF hours
.. arrest and still NOR are hailed
.' r..H they haze been held for trial
.r '.a POLICE Court Magistrate. II ~
- .'.r that among those receiving
a.lat -erI -nc.s and thOse discharged
..- g..Ir- courts are included number
mrH." that they are watchmen Or
's.' a-"-- - one SORT or another.
.H'..aNy Jh- police d. not crttiCtse the
...,. sc Sy.CIsl Sessions. Cnofiictally
... -s. rlsi u ~ not the fault Ot the
apart msUt u the custom of carry
-- '"r.,y"r ana using u when occasion
Overs -fIl obtains ln certain sections OF
80 ..Fv