New-York tribune., 1911-02-17
INCREASE IN H0M|C|DES
Aruument in Favor of Anti-Dsn-
qerOus Weapon Bill.
fnv Telegraph 10 The Tribune. ]


Albany Feb l6.-At the hearing this
afternoon on the anti-dangerous weapon
bill OF Senator Tim" Sullivan before the
Senate Codes Committee. G. p. Lebrun.
representing the New York City coroners'
Office gave statistics showing that In 1871
there was an increase OF 20 per cent In
homicides In New York over 1903. Tne
biggest part OF these homicides. he SAID.
took place in gang fights. He declared
that many OF these shootings could nave
been prevented under the provisions OF the
Sullivan bill. amended to require a person
20 obtain a license before he can purchase
a revolver and the registration OF the pur-
chase by the store selling II. MI Leorun
submitted TO the committee letters favor
ing the measure from Dr. Lyman Abbott
Henry Clews, Jacob II. Schin. Marcus VI.
Marks, Bishop Greer. Isaac ". Seligman,
Hudson Maxim and other prominent citi-
zens.
In his letter Mr. Maxim said that since
the shooting OF Mayor Gaynor and the
murder OF his friend. David Graham Phii-
lips, he had been paying good deal OF
attention TO proposed legislation to regulate
and restrict carrying and possessing fre-
arms and other dangerous weapons. tie
believed the Sullivan bill would bring about
a much needed reform.
DIR. Albert T Weston, coroners physi-
clan in New York CITY. gave many Incl
dents 10 show that persons guilty OF mur-
der could not have escaped punishment "
the sale OF the revolver had been regis
tered lie referred particularly to tho mur-
der of Cesar Young, for which Nan Pat
terson was tried and acquitted. lie de-
clared that II the sale OF the gun found
in the cab in which Young was shot could
have been traced the person Responsible
for his death could easily have been con-
victed.
A number of representatives. OF hardware
stores and arms manufacturing companies
appeared against the measure. The objec-
tions OF the hardware men were directed
against both the licensing and registration
| features while the attorneys for the manu-
. facturers confined themselves to protesting
I against the requiring OF licenses. They held
that this requirement would not reach
those whom II sought to prevent from
carving weapons-that is, the burglars and
thugs-but that it would deter from pur-
chasing revolvers men who sought only to
protect their homes with them. The result
would he. they Sdlu, tnsA bnc SiiAHhi"'7
would have a greater advantage over tho
| law abiding householder than they do nov"
Ex-District Attorney Willis. OF Utica,
said:
You cannot legislate murder out ot q
mans heart. There are seven thousand
murders In the United States each year
| while In Germany. where there Is no re
| striction on the sale or possession OF fire
arms, the average is only six hundred. But
in Germany the percentage Of convictions
! is much higher"
! He contended that the man who shot
Mayor Gaynor, the murderer Of David Grs-
| ham Phillips or the assassin of President
Mckinley would have carried out their pur-
pose by some other means even IL they had
! had no revolvers.
II was brought out at the hearing that
there is now being prepared in New York
by Chief Magistrate McAdoo and the Mer-
chants Association a bill even more dras-
tic than the Sullivan measure. Among
other things, this would require that on
applying for a license to procure revo'-
yer ones character would have to be
vouched for.