The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1923-10-26

] 'AA'ANA W tNat'tNt iaAiHNi NHa WI
known here,
commonly both armed and desper-
ate, and cannot he ourbed except
by suitable power IN the hands OF
the Law. Tho hand gun-reyolysr
or plstoi--is the logical weapon for
policemen, because IL is readily
carried In pocket or IN belt II,
when well ehorn Of ample power,
and Ia IN the hands OF competent
user, horoly effective In the hour
OF need. But 20 b. effective Il
must 10 OF such weight and callbrs
as TO ba really deadly. and Il must
be in the hands OF a man who
/ knows how and when and where
to use ia man who can. when
necessary, shoot quick and straight,
and who. az the recent deplorahle
/ tragedy proves needs 90 be fully
aware OF the possibilities or the
weapon he bears
Now what are tho facts touching
this caseg
| Briefly these; Our police ARE
properly armed; but they are not
as body. and never have been,
properly sehooled In the use OF the
arms they bear. OF IN the eapabll-
jtlea Of those arms The revolver
| Is very difficult weapon 10 mas
ter. Nothing short OF prolonged
practice with II, under varying cop-
| dltions, at different distances and
at both stationary and moving tar
gets and both with deliberate aim
and IN rapid fire can bring about
proficiency in its use. II cannot
be TO emphaticaily stated that very
few men. nowadays. even among
seasoned gunutrs. have learned 10
shoot accurately with a revolver or
pistol, even a. stationary target.
still fewer can hit rapidly moving
mark: while not one in 10000 has any
adequate Idea as to how far such a
gun viii shoot with deadly effect.
what penetration Il has IN different
substances. what angle rieoehst
shots from Il can be expected 10
take. or how FAR they may reason
ably be expected 10 so with power
TO XIII or disable.
No, until recently have our Seattle
policemen been given any target
practice whatever with such weapons
az They use; and. even now. all they
get. I, Is said. Is indoor gallery prae.
tlce, at stationary targets. mostly
with ss,ealibsr target reviewers and
pIStols-to save noise nnd expense
such practice. while II Is much bet
ter than none. and unquestionsbly II
help. certainly does not fRmiilariGe
the men properly with their regular
service weapons, on which they must
depend in y pinch. nor give them a
just idea OF service Neapons pow.
sr. Above al. !, does not give them
the ability 10 bill rapidly moving
marks. nor Impress them with tho
difficulty of doing 70 and the dan.
ger 70 people al distance from the
shooter when stray bullets ny These
things can adequately be learned In
ono way oniy-by personal practical
experience. Some policemen know
them personal test; for
some are expert hand gunner. but
only small minority are.
As Illustrative OF the common IL.
norance on such matters. not long
ago seasoned hunter in Seattle
man who has already killed his buck
this fall assured me IN all serious,
ness that hs would let me shoot AZ
him ali day ut 100 yards with a e.
caiibsr Colt automatic pisiol--tiiat.
even II il could hlt him nj that dis.
lance. It couldn't DO any damage.
And yet that same iltsls minimum.
calihered TOY gun u entirely cap.
able Of hitting man. and OF killing
him. from Pine II. 70 University st.
and even farther A standard police
revolver is capable OF killing a man
from Pine st. 10 Yesler stand
farther The writer knows: FOR he
has fired tens OF thouSands Of shots |
from various pistols and reviewers.
a, all ranges within the power OF the |
guns, and at different targets. test.
ing accuracy and penetration. TX. l
perts OF tho Louisville. KY. Revolver |
club have made a respectable per.
ceniags OF hits. shooting off.hand |
400 yards, on an open range. at or.
binary dinner platesl Good reviewers /
are truly formidable weapons. And |
none are too good for our police.
But DO we prepare our policemen
properly for their user IL an april |
cant passes certain physical and |
mental tests, and appears OF suitable
character. he IL accepted rs police !
man---wo give him n gun, have him
shoot a little a. an indoor stationary
target, and put him out on beat 10
take care OF Us, at the possible risk
Of his own life and OF ours-when. |
perchance, he has never fired re-
volvcr or pistol before In his life. has
no knowledge whatever about how
deadly the weapon he carries really
II, and lacks ability TO shoot even
reasonably well with Il, Then we say
he runs anuck" with his gun when
nv HNsN WIN ~ WIiHh WpuEu uHHpupt+ I
eddy BE- criminally careless in man
gun wise.' Az matter OF fact, we
have not. as n corporate body, edu-
Gated him properly for tho work We
have given him TO do: and yet. when |
tragedy follows. we are shocked and |
Indignant at the tragic results Of his |
technical Ignorance. which VIC our.
selves should have cured before we |
put him on his job.
And. after all. how seldom have we
had cause for complaint That we
have ahnd so few casualtier OF this |
sort In duo more TO the native good |
Judgment OF tho average policeman
than TO our own proper performance
OF our corporate duty in the matter.
We let Mr.. or Mrs. Anybody buy.
own and operate an automobile.
without examination as 10 compe.
tence. or trial as TO tklil--and our
daily death toll on the streets from
careless and incompetent driving Ia
the penalty we pay. But wo don't