New-York tribune., 1912-03-12
WEAPONS BURIED AT SEA
Police Collection of Fifty Years
Is Dumped in Harbor.
ARMS OF MANY VARIETIES
Moving Picture Men Are on Hand
to Photograph the Disposal
of Implements.

Every conceivable sort OF a murderous
weapon, from the crude sandbag to the
latest automatic magazine revolver. was
included In the fourteen cases of arms
which were cast into the Atlantic Ocean
yesterday, two miles southeast Of Scotland
Lightship.
The weapons, some Of which had ac-
cumulated at Police Headquarters since the
early SOS, would have brought several
thousand dollars II sold at auction, but
Police Commissioner Waldo thought that
TO do this would be to put them into the
hands of the criminal element OF the city,
and so he decided on burying them at sea.
The condemned weapons were taken out
TO sea on the police boat Patrol, which
left it's pier at the Battery at o'clock
yesterday afternoon. carrying besides the
regular crew a dozen photographers. sew
eral newspaper men and four moving pict-
ure operators.
The first stop was made off Owls Head,
Bay Ridge, where Captain George G.
Lebers obtained the necessary permit TO
dump his cargo from the captain of the
Lamont, the black and white tugboat OF
the Supervisor OF the Harbor.
The Patrol got under way again and
then Captain Liebers, assisted by Detective
Martin Sheridan. the discus thrower, who
was there as personal representative OF
Commissioner Waldo, opened up the cases
and spread the rifles. shotguns, revolvers,
swords. blackjacks. dirks, stilettos. knives,
sandbags and brass knuckles over the after
deck
strange collection they made. All
bore tags OF the date of seizure. Some of
the older weapons had little histories at
tached on tags yellowed with age.
Here was three feet of wood not unlike
a chemists pestle, with lump of lead at
one end. stained a deep coffee color. A
few hairs adhered to the lead where the
stain appeared. This had been taken from
A rioter during the draft riots OF 1868.
Next TO II was a katana. the fighting
sword Of the Samurai, with a hilt OF
sharks skin. ornamented with two bronze
lilies 1t had been used in fight between
two Japanese sailors in a Cherry street
boarding house.
sword cane, taken from a prisoner at
Broadway and Broome street on Novem-
Der 2s 1852 lay on the deck beside rusted
potato pcelor that had figured in sordld
crime OF passion on the same day
A tag tied TO a dirk told OF its being
taken from John Wilson after he tried
to stab and kill" john Dempsey on the
night OF June q during a performance at
the old Bowery Theatre.
After a two hours run the Patrol stopped
two miles off the Scotland Lishtship, and
Captain Liebers. who had taken OF his
sou wester that the gold of his uniform
might show, turned to the moving picture
squad and shouted:
Now, gentlemen, when you're ready
with tho moving picture machines give the
word and I'll get in the middle OF the
picture between the two patrolmen.'
The word was given. Captain ldeoers
got in the middle. as he said he would.
and the two patrolmen. with Martin Sher-
Idan yenturing within the focus or the
moving picture machines now and then
began to toss the weapons overheard
And how they worked! Every movement
known TO Delsartian science was re-
sorted 10 by Patrolmen Grace and Don
molly. who went about their task with a
curse YOU Jack Dalton" look on tnelr
faces. Not once did they smile. NO. nor
even as they held a dozen SWORDS ana
rifles poised in air las per directions OF the
moving picture mem and then cast tnem
gracefully into the sea
Finally the last of the lot were thrown
IN the waves. and the Patrol put about
and stca ned Manhattanward
The weapons included fifteen hundred
revolvers. valued at $1,000; one hundred
shotguns and rifles. valued at A'op and
25O stiIettos. slungshots. blackjacks, brass
knuckles. dirks. knives. swords and mis-
ccllaneous weapons. whose value was not
,utiunatei