Evening star., 1921-02-24
EASY FOR LUNAT|CS
TO0BTA|N PISTOLS
Mentally Deranged- Persons
Need Only the Price-Sev-
eraI Citizens Slain by Them.

James Albert Wood, former photog-
rapher in the Signal Corps, entered a
local business house two weeks before
Christmas and purchased a revolver.
There was no legal bar to a quick pur-
chase, and the customer had the price
all that is required when pistol is
wanted in this city.
The customer had BEEN an inmate OF
st. Elizabeth's Hospital. the federal in
stitution for the care Of insane persons.
But he had been given trial by jury,
declared sane and discharged. The
dealer knew nothing OF tho customers
past
Had the law, asked by superintendent
Of Police Gessford and his predecessor
been passed by Congress, 1t is explained,
the police would have impaired to the
dealer informatio which would have
making provision for police investfga-
ton OF the applicant and the making
Of a report within fifteen days.
There was no such law on the statute
taking the life Of Emmett Lanier. a
friend, for an imaginary failure to assist
him to regain a government position.
Lanier hOvered between life and death
for number Of days, and 1t was only
surgical skill that saved his wife from
widowhood and his children from being
orphaned. Wood was adjudged insane,
according to the police, and returned to
the hospital, and Lanier may suffer from
the wound the remainder of his life. All
because Of the lack Of a law to properly
safeguard human life.
The Case Of SIrs. Becalman.
If the people Of the District had had
ft,a infa
lice and others have suggested. David
Bacalman, 707 ~ street southwest,
would not have been left a widower and
his children without the caEe of their
mother
Leila Boynton Wilson. colored, wash
erwoman for the Bacalman family,
wrought up over conditions resulting
from the war. imagined certain things
about her employer and decided she
would end her existence. How she
would do it was a problem easily solved.
Put down the price Of a gun, the kind
that would snuff out life in an in
slant. pay for round of ammunition
and 20 forth on her deadly mission.
The fact that Mrs Bacalman, the one
who had been her best friend, was asleep
in her bedroom with her child did not
AFFECT the negress. She had spent near
lv her last cent for the easily purchased
nistol. and the taking Of Mrs. Bacal-
A
William Joseph Tilton Carroll. forty
four years old. is in Jail under an in
dictment for alleged first degree mur-
der in connection with the killing Of his
wife. Mrs Katherine Carroll. at their
home 1915 K street southeast, two
nerson in this city realizes better than
Email the suffering that would have
hean prevented had the law relating to
the purchase of weapons required an in
uast;eation before delivery Of the
weapon.
Joseph May Pay i'm Full.
Carroll, his wife and children lived
happily in the 4 street mouse until
snIpe time before the husband is all
Ssead to have shot his wife to death.
bich meant his Incarceration on a
ar1a which may result in his own
death and the motherless children
being left to the care or relatives
smarting under family oasagreemenI' iH.
and. under the provisions OF the law
o. Force the police suggested, seeking
inror IN hlv is followed by finding. II
tho seeker has the price. Carroll had
the price of the weapon, and soon ne
is to be put on trlai ior his aiieeeo
crime. ~.
ono ether shootings in this city the
mast few years proDaDiy "ould nave
heen prevented had tnere Deen tne
nrorer safeguarding law against the
purchase and "totin'" of pistols. They
rrscaiied an instance in which a parol-
"a natient from st. Elizabeth's Hos
n;+ai naid several visits to store
whare weapons were sold, examined
the weapons and finally made selec-
ton. 49,.
riained. all that was necessary to con-
summate the deal was the handing
ova, IF the cash. He was able to COM
n,y with such requirement Of the
dealer and was given the weapon. The
next thing heard from the alleged in
sane man was that he had attempted
the life of another man, PROBABLY be-
cause of some imaginary wrong, and
It was no fault of his that he did not
succeed. The bullet simply failed to
strike a vital spot in the victim.
Appeal to Citizens' Association.
An appeal to all the citizens asso-
ciations to unite in the campaign to
Obtain from Congress more rigid
law to govern the gale and possess
sion Of firearms In the District was
issued toc.,v by William B. Westlake,
president { the Federation of Citi-
zens' Associations.
While most of the citizens associa-
tions have repeatedly gone on record
on this question in previous years.
Continued on Page 2, Column 9