The New York herald., 1921-08-26
GUN PERI MITS TO 800
MEN, SAW ONLY FEW
Ex-Justice of Peace of Oyster
Bay Explains Need for
Issuing Orders.
NO SUSPICION OF GRAFT
Practice Makes 1t Easy for
lriminals-Details Barred at
Assault Hearing.
no SUSPICION OF GRAFT

For the second time within a year
case IN a New York city court has
brought out the fact that Nassau county
for a considerable time has been the
source to which professional crooks and
other dangerous characters have looked
for pistol permits to give them immunity
from the Sullivan law.
Last November. in the Court of Gem
cral Sessions In this county, Justice or
the Peace srank Seaman OF Mineoia ad-
initted that he had issued nearly BOO
pistol permits since the preceding jan
nary, mostly TO persons he never saw.
Yesterday in the Gates Avenue Court
Ia Brooklyn Robert Duvai, formerly q
Justice of the Peace at Oyster Bay, ad-
nitted that In the year he had held HIS
Office he had issued about 500, and that
except In a limited number of instances
they went to persons who never came
before him.
Light was thrown on Mr.. puvafs
Wholesale methods yesterday at tho ar
raignment of David Giaoone Of 226
Bushwick avenue on n charge OF fe-
lonious assault and violation of the Sui
Ivan law. The testimony against him
was that he had shot at two men with
whom he had become involved in a
fight on August IA, and as he had shown
the police a permit to carry revolver
and they had informed him that It was
worthless, his counsel arranged with Mr.
Duval whose signature was on the per-
nit. to come to court yesterday and tes-
tify that 1t was genuine.
Reason for Many Permits.
Up to the point where Duval testified
Magistrate Folwell, who was on the
bench, was inclined to consider the per-
NIT worthless because 1t had been issued
In 1919. Pistol permits expire auto
matically within a year Of ISSUE but the
one Giacone produced had been indorsed
Good till revoked by Duval. Since
there was charge OF assault against
G,acone anyway. Magistrate Folwell held
him on and had dismissed the charge
Of carrying a weapon, and then asked
Duval to explain why he had issued the
permit and how many more OF its kind
were In circulation. Duyal, who Is
about SIS years old and has been a resi-
dent of Mineola for many years. did not
hesitate TO tell the court all 1t wanted
10 know.
A good many people in Nassau county
like TO be able to carry pistols, he ex-
planned. because many OF them live In
lonely neighborhoods and nearly every
one out there has an automobile and
may be held up Mt some time. SO
while he was In office, during the year
1919. he had issued a permit to practi-
cally every one who had applied for one
and had never made 1t his rule that the
applicant had to apply sonaliy
1T was not necessary ha - a sTt
a friend OF his known by me % be law
uhf ypttrbaH fnr ha - x.-t,
wanted a permit, usually granted II.
Sometimes ] charged a fee of $2 and
sometimes no fee at all. never charged
any more, and whenever a fee was
paid my clerk turned It into the county
treasury"
Subsequently. after Magistrate Folwell
told him some OF tho consequences OF
issuing permits Unfortunately, Mr..
Duval agreed that Il was bad business.
Favor Change I'm LAW.
Like Justice Seaman, who told about
himself in General Sessions last Novem-
Der, Duval never kept any records of
the permits he granted and he has no
idea how many Of them are being used.
Although ne has been out OF Office more
than a year. many of the permits he
signed were not dated, and with a late
date on them VIII appear genuine TO
police officers who do not know that
Duval is no longer on the bench. Dis
tfct Attorney Lewis OF Brooklyn said
yesterday. as District Attorney Swami
did last year. that he favored an amend
ment to the present law which would
make permits good only IN the counties
in which they were issued. AT present a
permit issued in any county is good all
over the State
In neither Duval's nor Seaman's case
has there been any suspicion that they
we're getting money. but It is believed
that middlemen, who were friendly with
them, got them to sign permits and then
disposed Of them TO gunmen and other
criminals at from SIS to $50 apiece.