New-York tribune., 1911-02-19

can be purchased. To-day you can go into
any pawnshop on the Bowery and buy
revolver for anywhere from 60 cents up.
Understand. the permit should give only
the right to own weapon. To carry one. a
special license should be required, as at
present"
William McAdoo. Chief City Magistrate.
a former Police Commissioner. Is working
on a weapons bill for the Merchants As
ISOLATION.
THE present law Is absurd" he said. '1t
IS felony to carry Jimmy for breaking
into mans house. but IL is only mis-
demeanor to carry a revolver to murder
him on his doorstep. II is a crime 10 sell
deadly poisons without careful formality,
vet any man with a dollar in his pocket
can go into almost any pawnshop In the
city and arm himself with a loaded re-
volver And TO use the poison requires
deliberate plan, while the revolver Is
temptation to instant murder in any sud
den fit of passion. The mere presence or
pistol I'm a shop window is an obvious sug-
gestion OF crime to the man who lives
across the street who knows he can buy
Il at any moment. The law against carry
ing concealed weapons simply doesn't work
Z
n thousand-who violate II are caught.
II am in favor Of trying the District or
| Columbia law on the subject. which has
worked we'll there. Briefly. dealers In hre-
| arms are required to be licensed ana 10
| give a heavy bond, which is forfeited IL
| they violate tho law. There Is heavy pen
| atty for selling firearms without q license.
| The dealer must keep register showing
the name and address Of each purchaser
and a full description and Identification OF
the weapon that IL sold 10 him. The whole
| record must be reported 20 the police
monthly. and the register Is open TO police
inspection at any time. That gives tho po-
lice their chance 10 watch anybody whom
they believe may want 20 carry revolver
| about the streets.
"such a law I believe would be good
one 20 start with. II could be amendeo
later, II desirable. Already the District
authorities are trying 70 persuade Con-
gress 10 pass a law requiring license to
own a revolver under any circumstances
The one remedy OF regulating the sale
| firearms was also advocated unreservediy
by John +. Clarke, District Attorney OF
Kings County; Captain Arthur +. CosoS'
lawyer and chairman of the Merchants
Association committee on city conditions:
George P. LeBrun of the Coroners once.
and-in spite OF the reticence OF the Police
Department-by william J. Flynn. Second
Deputy Commissioner.
Under Commissioner Flynn's direction
the detective bureau has begun . vgor-
Gus crusade for the enforcement OF the
present law against the carrying OF con-
cealed weapons. During the latter part OF
1910 400 arrests were made for that cause
and this year there have been 10. On one
day last week the Deputy Commissioner 8
men rounded up seventeen young men IN
the neighborhood Of Chatham Square. all
of whom we're armed with at least q re-
volver. Many carried knives as well.
Before Commissioner Bingham's time the
number os licenses for carrying concealed
weapons was surprisingly large. Almost
any one with friend on 1.-The force" II
was said, could obtain one. OF late years
however the number has been cut down
with a ruthless hand. Commissioner Crop
sey has insisted that the most obvious ana
satisfactory proof that protection is needed
must be given in every case, and he has
recently ruled that the license fee shall be
} raised from 81 30 to $40. For several years
the number of licenses outstanding has
been very small. At the beginning OF Feb
ruary It was only 464
Deputy Commissioner Flynn is proud OF
his men and their record in detecting gun
toters." The bulge OF a hip pocket, the
sag of coat that hangs too much TO one
, side, the way a man steps from crossinE
to curbstone, always raising the left FOO
first, are enough TO awaken their suspi
cions. To avoid their scrutiny the gun
toters' have revived trick that is old In
criminal history, but novel to the younge'
generations of New York's underworld
The revolver is held In holster strapped
| across the small OF the back When the
, man stands erect his coat falls over II
and conceals the bulge. Only in stoopine
or in leaning against the back OF chair
, does il come into view. Even this precau
, ton has not prevented the detectives from
gathering in a creditable number Of IL
deyotees. And in spite OF the record III:
, men have made the Deputy Commissioner
said the other day;
2 "The penalty for carrying concealed
veapons ought 10 be a prison term, with
: out any alternative. And, more than that
there ought TO be a direct check on the
} sale of firearms. The present law Is moi
5 ! enough"