Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-09-24
Head of Police Committee of
Northeast Citizens Thinks
Commissioners Can Act.
"LET THE OTHER FELLOW
FIGHT THE LAW" HE SAYS.
DR.. I. A. Walter Declates Resolution
Will Be offered at First Meet
ing of Association for Action.

""The number of homicides and sui
cides committed in this city during re-
cent years." said DR.. L. A. Walter.
chairman of the committee on police
Of the Northeast Washington Citizens
Association, to a reporter for The Star
last night. suggests the advisability
of adopting drastic law to throw ad-
ditional safeguards about the sale and
carrying ofsimplements of death.
''If something is not done in the near
future" he added, 'it will not be the
fault of the association. The associa-
tion already is on record as favoring a
remedial law, and at the first fall meet
ing the committee on police will pre-
sent a resolution dealing with the ques-
ton"
Discussing the question of enacting
a regulation that will make the pur-
chase of weapons more difficult, DR..
Walter said he thought it the duty OF
the Commissioners to take such action.
1t has been limited that the Commits
sioners are without authority to adopt
such regulation, he said, because the
present law is an act of Congress.
But why should that make any diff
ference?" he asked. "It would not be
InS HTSC law INdI the COuTtS Hdo up-
set and it might be the means Of saw
ing human life. If man bent on
murder or suicide and thinking only of
using pistol to commit the deed were
to find it necessary to wait ten or f1f-
teen days in order to get weapon, he
might change his mind and abandon
the idea of participating in the enact
ment of a tragedy.
Under these circumstances" he said,
'fs it not worth making the effort? En-
~ Call
make the fight
The fact that six persons were slain
with the ever-ready pistol last week,
it is stated, has not affected the display
of revolvers of all kinds in store win
dows. Maj. Pullman, superintendent OF
police. says he thinks such displays are
suggestive and bad and should be
stopped, but under the law in force in
this city at this time, he states, the po-
lice department is powerless to put a
stop to the practice.
Dozens of weapons were displayed
in store windows about the city last
night. In some instances tags were
attached. to the weapons to- indicate
the police sayrixs a. .-anzitatioa to some
irresponsible person to enter and make
a purchase.
i Maj. slyvester's Report.
When Maj sylvester was chief of po-
lice he made numerous reports urging
the necessity for change in the con-
cealed weapon law. and Maj. Pullman
intends to continue the fight until
something is accomplished.
William F. Peabody. who has taken
such a deep interest in safety-first
methods, has declared himself emphati-
cally in favor of regulations to prevent
the promiscuous sale of weapons in the
District. . He was deeply interested in
,1x1 soyk nsrww, 4, THI.
Star last year. and at that time he pre-
sented figures to show the disastrous
results Of the use of pistols. He said:
I'VE point with horror to the great
losses Of life in the European war. yet
in the registration area of the United
States in 1911 $3.50 persons came to their
death through firearms. OF these 1853
were suicides, 2,347 were homicides and
1927 cases were the results of accident
or were underlined.
Shooting proved by far the most wide
ly used method of murder. The total
number of homicides was 1907, and of
this portion 2.347 cases were by firearms.
Next in popularity were instruments of
tailed but 638. All other means employed,
added together. were but 922.
I'm suicides firearms proved the most
popular of methods. with but one excep-
ton. This was poison. Yet the total of
those who died by poison Of all the yari-
GUS sorts and kinds was but 1927, as
against the 1853 scored by firearms. The
next two methods dropped more than a
thousand below these two marks
Cases of Accidental Death.
I'm accidental deaths resulting from
firearms, Of the total of 1897 persons
killed the highest number of any group
fell between ten and nineteen years of
The group just above this (be-
tween twenty and twenty nine years)
279. Other groups showing the next high
est totals were as follows: Between five
and nine years, 101; forty and forty nine
years, 107: between thirty and thirty nine.
ls5 deaths. The point | would make is
that the greater number of accidental
deaths from fifirearms occurred in the
cases of youthful and quite probably reck-
less persons.
SIN view of all this it certainly seems
that some rigid action should be taken
to prevent firearms from falling into the
hands of irresponsible persons. I'm
the District should have some
method of curbing their sale"
Commissioner Brownlow's idea of
sale of weapons in the District, it is
stated, meets the views of many per-
sons connected with civic associations
in the District. 1t is more than prob
4 bic that the commissioners Will ac-
lively work to secure the passage of
4 new law at the next session of Con-
gress, law that probably will pro-
vide for absolute prohibition of sales
Of all weapons that may be concealed
in ones clothing.
A bill such as was introduced by
Sims of Tennessee,
which is similar to the TEXAS measure, |
may be favortd by the Commissioners,
,r they may decide upon a measure |
requiring police investigation of appli- !
,ants for the purchase of weapons.
Records of Minors Arrested.
Police records bring to light the fact |
hat the Grinder boy. who the past |
week shot and killed Miss Elsie Sacrey,
vas not the only minor who Travelled |
about the city armed during the past |
'ew years. In 1903 three boys under |
he age of sixteen years and ffty-four |
,nder twenty-one years of age were !
arrested for carrying concealed wea-
,ons. In 1895 six boys under the age
,f sixteen years were listed for viola
ions of the concealeA weapons law, the
.otal arrests for the year aggregatinR
.27.
: During the fiscal year 1914 twelve
Lrrests of boys under seventeen years
Id were made for violations of the
concealed weapons law. the total ar
ests for the year aggregating 200.
Vine boys under seventeen years of
in, he +o%o1