The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-24
East Side Priest Believes
the Locust in Hands of
Husky Policemen the
One Effective Method
of Subduing the Law
Breakers

subdue the gangsters and gunner is
the niEhtstiCk In the hands of a husky
policeman who is not afraid to use II
when he finds it necessary. But every
policeman should perfect himself in
hitting the object he aims at, for some
times he will not get another chance
If he fails the first time.
The reason for this Is obvious.
Although gangsters and gunner strike
fear into the breasts of law abiding
citizens at the mere mention of the
name. persons who have studied this
class of criminal know that the gangster
and gunman is the worst coward In the
world. Very seldom will he attack when
alone because he is afraid that he will
get the worst Of il.
"IIe also realizes that the chances Of
getting caught are against him when
alone. For that reason gunner and
gangsters always travel in pairs or
gangs, Numbers seem to give them
courage, and then the peaceful citizen
must he prepared for trouble if he hap
pens to run into the criminals When
in gangs they will resort To anything,
! including murder. Their scheme is for
two or three of them to pull their guns
at the same time and fire at the victim.
They fire together and even the gum
men actually do not know who fired the
| fatal shot.
my theory Is that this practice pre-
| vents the other members of the gang To
which the gunner belong from getting
the assassin in their power. You under
stand, probably. all three gunmen shot
at the victim. but nobody knows whose
bullet reached the goal Likewise, it
makes il difficult for the police To- swear
positively who was the actual murderer
and 1t is difficult to obtain conviction
under these circumstances,
AS I stated before, the policeman
who wields the nightstick must be
trained To hit the target on the first at
tempt This applies tn cases where
there is more than one gangster pres
emit II the policeman does not lay out
his man on the first attempt he may not
get another chance before the other
gunner close and lay him out. for the
gunner and gangstcrs are extremely
daring when in groups.
"Tf the policeman does lay out his in
tended victim on the first attempt his
act has such n demOralizing effect on
the other gangsters that invariably they
will Immediately break for cover and
desert their fallen companion While
conditions are in their favor they are
the most courageous persons in the
world. but when conditions are reversed
they are most cowardly.
when the han was first placed or
the nightstiCk used my efforts I,
get II lifted because ! realized that il
would be good news u the gunner ant
gangsters, who held the nightstick il
mortal dread, | visited the City Hal
a number of times and even got in touch
with some of the Aldermen, but the lat,
Mayor Gaynor had become 80 bite
against the use of the nightstck tina
all my efforts proved unayaling.
THE newspapers then took up tn,
cudgels against the use II the night
stick. What was the result? The gun
men and gangsters saw their oppor
tunty to cut loose and they did so. |
was not long after that peaceful Citi
zen uncOnsciously walked into the thlcl
of a gang fight on the East Side an,
when the shooting was over the peace
full citizen lay on the sidewalk dead.
The public then began an agitation
to have the use of the nlghtstick re
stored to the police, Perhaps the ba
was actually lifted, but it H. obviou
that the police even to this day hay
been restrained in the use of it,"
Father Curry while believing that tn
liberal use of the nightstiCk VIII haV
a deterrlng effect on the activities &
the gunner and gangsters thinks tina
more radical measures should he take
"" end the nuisance. lie thinks IN