Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-11-08
Officials Believe Legislation Is
Needed to Stop Many Un-
curtaiIed Purchases.
SUPERVISION BY POLICE
OF SALES is SUGGESTED
Permits Issued by Chief Should Be
Necessary to Obtain Pistols. De-
clares Mullowny.

That it was an easy matter for per-
sons contemplating murder or SUICIDE
TO purchase weapons and ammunition
in the District of Columbia has been
demonstrated many times according to
the statement of the police. and sur
prise is expressed by officials that Con-
gress has not enacted a protective
measure.
In two instances the last week wea-
pons were purchased by men who
killed themselves. Under the law gov
erning the sale of weapons, it is stated,
all the purchasers were required to
do was to pay the price charged. walk
out with the weapon and ammunition
and deal self-destruction without the
slightest legal hindrance.
One of the suicides was an inmate
of the Government Hospital for the
Insane who was on town parole. The
other was young man who had been
brooding over the death of his WIFE
Coroner hewitt found that neither had
even removed the dealers tag from
his weapon.
District officials, judges of the courts.
Superintendent of police and coroner agree
that something should be done to throw
safeguards about the sales OF weapons.
Congress has been asked to take action,
but bills having such an object in view
have died
Representative Thetus W. Sims of Ten
nessee would go a step farther than
many others who have Interested them
selves in the matter He would entirely
stop the sale of weapons Last year he
made an effort to get Congress to put
q stop to such sales, bill he introduced
providing that it shall be unlawful for
any person or persons within the Dis
trict of Columbia to sell, exchange, or
give away any pistol, bowie knife, dirk
or dirk knife, blackjack, dagger, sword
cane, Slung shot, brass other metal
knuckle to any person or persons within
said District of Columbia; and any per-
son or persons who shall SELL exchange
or give away any of said weapons
instruments in the District of Columbia
shall be deemed guilty of 4 miSderncanor,
and upon conviction thereof shall be i'm
prisoned in the workhouse for not less
than six months FOR more than one
year, and pay fine of not less than
800 nor more than $500: Provided,
That prosecutions under this act shall
be had by indictment IN the Supreme
Court of the District of Columbia: End
provided further, That any person or
persons selling, exchanging, or giving
away, such weapons to the officers, nor.-
commissioned officers and priva ties of the
United States Army, Navy or Marine
Corps, or to any member of any regularly
organized militia company. police officers.
officers guarding prisoners, officials of the
United States or the District of Column
bia engaged in the execution of the laws
for the protection of persons o. property
shall not be liable under this act
1t is thought that Representative Sims
will renew his effort to have the bill
passed at the next session.
Judge Alexander r. Mullowny, whose
experience with court cases of persons
arrested for carrying weapons and MUIR
derous ASA ultS with weapons covers a
period OF more than twenty years, is de-
cidedly in -avor of the enactment of a
measure that will place certain limita-
tions on the sale and possession of
weapons
Judge Muliowny says he thinks the en-
actment of protective measure is an
absolute necessity.
NO law-abiding citizen could have any
objection to the passage of such a law
the judge said to a Star reporter.
Nor could the manu- acturers of wea-
pons or the retail dealer selling them
have any legitimate objection" he added.
Would Examine Buyers.
Prospective purchasers. the Judge said,
should be compelled to undergo an ex-
animation of some kind. When apply
ing to dealer for weapon. he said the
prospective purchaser should be COM
PEELED to give. his age and address and to
tell for what use he wants the pistol.
1T should then be put up to the police
department to report upon the advis-
ability of making the SALE the judge
said. -'or in other words, let the police
department regulate the sales of wea-
pons.
should an emergency arise" he added,
''the chief of police could issue a permit
authorizing sale without delay / can
imagine how an emergency might arise
and person might need pistol for the
protection of his home, and in such a
case the applicant could get reputable
persons to vouch for him."
No person who wanted a pistol legiti-
mately. Judge Mullowny said could offer
a single objection to answering neces-
sary questions and waiting for his appli-
cation to be acted upon by the police de-
partment, nor could the dealer who con-