Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-06-14
DEATH STARTS WAR
AGAINST SPARKLER
Mayor Will Be Asked to Put Ban
on Fireworks Causing
Fatality
FIRST VICTIM THIS YEAR

Mayor Moore will be asked to pro-
hibit the sale Of harmless Fourth
Of July sparklers today. A delegation
of city officials will ask such action as
the result Of the death Of Cotter Slack,
seven years old, this years first victim
of the sparkler.
'Cotter, the only child Of Mr.. and
Mrs. Harry NJ. Slack. ia South Fifty
ninth street. died Friday night after
four days and nights OF agony. His
clothes were ignited Monday night while
he was playing with harmless"
sparkler. The funeral will be tomor-
row.
Although no less than thirty seven
little boys and girls of this city have
met death in the last thirteen years as
a result of playing with the 'harm-
less" sparkler, the police department
thus far has persisted in its attitude
Of not including the deadly toys in the
restrictions governing the sale Of fire.
works sent to the dealers each year.
This years regulations, issued by the
police last April, again failed even to
mention the sparkler.
CortcIyou Investigates Boys Death
Prominent members of the admins
tration are determined that this con =
dition must be changed at once and for
good and all. Director Cortelyou. OF
the Department Of Public Safety, yes
terday began an investigation Of the
Slack bows death. He has pledged
himself to do all in his power to have
the ''harmless' sparkier placed under
the police ban, and he is one OF the
men who will confer on the subject with
the Mayor today.
Another member Of the city govern
ment who has promised to use his in
flucnce for the protection Of Philadel'
phia's Youngsters Is Edward A. Mop
pcl. assistant director of the Depart.
ment of Public Welfare and chairman
of the municipal committee on SAFE
and sane Fourth celebration.
dreadful though the fate. met BY
that little boy undoubtedly is,' sale
Mr.. Noppel yesterday, there Is on'
hopeful point in the case. Cotter Slack
death may be the means of protecting
hundreds of little children in the future
The harmless sparkler must go. Chill
dren should not be exposed to a grue
some death by faulty police regulations
and parents should be spared the heart
breaking agony of losing their littl
ones through those horrible playthings. ,
Mr.. Noppel today will place the mat
ter before Director Tustin. of the DE
partmcnt of Public Welfare, and h
also will call upon Mayor Moore.
Police Captain Sympathetic
Captain George S. Tempest. assistant
superintendent of police, yesterday ex'
pressed confidence that Director Cor
telyou's investigation would result ir
an order forbidding the sale of tn,
harmless" sparkler.
The order has to come from th'
director" said Captain Tempest
without his approval, the superin
tcndent can do nothing in case lik,
this. But I am confident the ordei
will be issued.
1.-THE most important phase of thi,
entire thing is the human aspect. Direc
tor Corte!you has children of his own
and he appreciates the danger; he. too
can imagine what the father and mother
Of this little Slack boy are suffering.
have little ones myself, and it is no
difficult for me to put myself in thcii
place And the big police captain wa!
visibly affected as he added:
mo one wants little child to die
and least of all to burn to death"
Cotter Slack met his death abou
three weeks earlier than any harm.
less sparkler victim in the past as ,
result of the strategy" of the fire
works dealers, 1t was explained b,
one of them some days ago that th
death dealing goods have been dis
tributcd to the trade several weeks
earlier than usual this year. in ordel
to forestall the annual fight of the PUB
Lie LEDGER, which, as he put it, put!
crimp in the business each year"