Evening star., 1914-11-16
.URCESP|STOL SALE
BYPERM|TS ONLY
Superintendent Be-
Iieves in Rigid Investigation
of All Applications.
WEAPON DEALER INDORSES
POLICE SUPERVISION PLAN
Congress Will Be Asked to Pass Re.
striction Law-Capt. Schneider
Points to Its Need.


The Stars campaign for more drastic
regulation of the sale of deadly wea,-
pons in the District of Columbia is in
dorsed by w. II. Whitaker. superin-
tendent of the District workhouse at
Occoquan, Va.
Mr.. Whitaker is to speak before the
Monday Evening Club tonight on the
subject of the Districts penal institu-
tion, and will ask the club to support
The Star In its effort to bring about
legislation under which it will be I'M
possible for a person to purchase a
deadly weapon without a permit
"Not only am I in favor of a permit
purchase SYSTEM" said Mr.. Whitaker
today. but 1 believe that it should be
rigid in the extreme. Permits for the
purchase of pistols or other killing de-
vices should be issued only under the
most eXacting circumstances and not
until after legitimate need for such
weapons has been established"
Appeal to Congress.
Whether the District Commissioners
chase law may be decided today or to-
morrow. Commissioner Newman is
expected to bring the matter to the at
tentlon of his colleagues at the first
meeting of the boardc Both Mr.. New
man and Corporation Counsel Syme be-
lleVe that there should be more effec-
tive regulation of the traffic in dan
gerous weapons, and it is likely that
the matter will be taken up with Con-
gress.
Early in the session an earnest effort
will be made to get action which will
mean the enactment of a measure that
VIII put stop to the easy method of
purchasing deadly weapons. The police
say they can imagine no reason why
such a bill should not pass
THE passage of such a measure will
involve the expenditure of no money!
remarked a police official last night,
and the good it is almost certain to
accomplish should commend it to the
lawmakers
Dealer Favors Stringent Law.
William P. Bowie, who is in charge
of a department of the store of w. F.
Roberts Company. where weapons are
sold. told Star reporter that he
thought the campaign that is being
conducted by The Star Is one that
should appeal to all thinking people.
Mr. Bowie said he would favor law
to compel the registering every weapon
in the District and one that will re-
quire the immediate reporting of sales
of weapons. The selling of cheap
weapons, he said, has much to do with
the amount of harm.
If cheap weapons were not so p1enti-
full and easy to purchase" he said.
much less harm would be done. The
law that Is proposed should also deal
YIyf h fSs,r NRNe NX-no uto
tainly provide a Jail sentence for per-
sons under the influence of liquor
Carrying weapons"
Mr.. Bowie. said that the law of New
under any circumstances and a similar
law Is in force in the state of Texas.
And yet Uncle Sam will ship weap-
ons into such territory by parcel post"
reap a harvest in the matter of sending
weapons into New York city. and
wholesale dealers in New York ship
stock to Texas"
tive Sims bill to stop the sale Of
weapons in the District was intro
duced he (Bowie) made an effort to
have an anti-shipping clause inserted.
Bowie, sales have to be reported at
the end of each month. and in that
time a man might shoot up the whole
town. The law should compel sales
phone If necessary. and then the police
record would be up-to-date."
Capt. Schneider's Views.
Capt. Henry Schneider. in command
of the seventh police precinct, told a
Star reporter last night that he con-
sidered the present concealed weapon
law as being utterly ineffective. The
captain has been a member of the
force for many years and Is in a DO
sftion to be fully acquainted with the
needs OF law safeguarding the sale
and handling of weapons
As the law now stands" he said
ANY person can go to a store and pur-
chase a secondhand weapon from a
.22-caliber vest pocket affair to some
thing on the order of a gatling gun.
1t is true that the dealers comply
with the provisions of the law by keep
ing what, in most instances is really
worthless record. A new law should
provide against the sale of second hand
weapons of every kind and description.
"A permit to purchase a weapon"
the captain continued. should be is
sued to the would-be purchaser by the
police department, only after a thor
ough investigation of the applicants
character, and dealers should be re-
quired to report sales and return the
permits issued to customers
Failure to comply with the pro-
visions Of the law" he added, SHOULD
result in the revocation of a permit or
license to do business, and q stifY Tail
sentence for 'totin'' gun would be
right step in the direction of break
Ing up the dangerous practice"
Favor Identification System.
1t is the opinion of many members of
the police force that the identification
system should be extended to the sale
Of poisons. Under the law. it Is stated
purchasers of poisons have to register
their names and addresses, and tell for
what uses poisons are wanted Pur-
chasers, it Is stated, may give fictitious
names as easily as those purchasing
weapons. however, and a policeman
who discussed the problem with a Star
reporter suggested positive identif1ca-
ton should be required before sales are
made.
Records of the police department. it
is said. show that many cases of sui
eide followed the purchase of poison by
persons who were not known at stores
where purchases were made.
ut is an easy matter for deSpond
en- person to purchase poison under a
fictitious name and address," said the
policeman, land then go out and take
| life"
The value of records of sales of pois-
ons, the police say, was fully demon
strated in a case several years ago. A
woman committed suicide by taking
I L. u. Il