Evening star., 1926-09-15

tnsls possessing guns be deprived of
the rights Of Communication or compen-
sation in reduction of sentence. rms
suggestion also failed to pass the Leg
islature, due, 1t is believed, to the gun
lobby" and the influence Of lawyers in
the lower house who are engaged In
the practice of criminal law or are
sympathetic to the business Of manu-
facturers Of guns This bill passed the
Senate. It was KILLED" in the Assem-
bly,.
National Curb Pending.
There Is now pending before the
United States Senate bill, Whlcn, IN
the Judgment Of authorities on GRIM
inal law and practice would greatly
curtail the-xsalesof revolvers and make
II more~&iiff1cult for criminals to pos
sess them. This measure prohibits
the transportation OF reVolvers
through the mails except for defen-
sive purposes recognized by police
authorities.
Present methods by which the pro-
fessional criminal secures his supply
of guns are simple and convenient.
One way is for him to lay in a supply
of burglarious artillery through the
fences and pawnshops. There Is even
an easier way and this Is resorted to
every day in the year.
A killer whose tools have been con-
fiscated writes to a New York dealer
from some New Jersey address, in
closing the cash or money order to
pay for a gun. The dealer puts the
pistol in the mails and that Is all
there Is to the transaction.
The dealer gets his profit and the
crook gets his gun to resume his law
less activities. Some way OF plugging
up this gap in the law is vitally
necessary, in the judgment of police
officials. ''2''>.'
Menace Worst In This Country.
Tho pistol menace Is one of the most
threatening features of the so-called
crime wave. Police authorities gen.
orally agree there are proportionately
more armed criminals in this country
than any place else in the world.
Pistols play but Il small part in the
annual criminal record in London and
other large European cities. Hold
ups of the sort which daily occur in
New York and other American cities
are virtually unknown abroad.
Police magistrates and the Judges
of the Special and General Sessions
Courts in New York City and courts
with criminal jurisdiction in other
parts of the country have recently
adopted the policy of dealing severely
with gunmen. Sentences as high as
40 years have been imposed upon
marauders who have used pistols in
holdups. Yet even this has failed to
check the spread of felOniOus attacks.
The professional criminal uses pis-
tolls against his own fellows in under
world feuds. usually growing out of
disputes over the division of loot. as
well as against the honest citizen.
Check Safer Than Cash.
An Illuminating explanation was
furnished the writer by a New York
detective.
: In g. craps game in the Longacre dis
trict one night one of the players
won 100000. The proprietor Of the
game offered him the money In $500
bills. The winner, who noted that
several of the hard featured men in
the room We're moving toward the
! door with their hands on their pistol
I pockets, declined TO take the money.
| Send me check" he said to the
( manager. Il wouldn't get two blocks
/ with that money on me"
6 ! Pistols came in for eonsiderab BILE at
/ tention at the last session of Con-
EresS. when several laws were pro-
/ posed to plug up loopholes in the al :
/ miniStratiOn Of the Country's criminal
code
T
+ exclude transportation of revolvers
Through the mails without official
permit passed the House.
/ The most important Federal step
/ proposed To curb the activities OF
{ professional felonS WAS in the form
Of resolution offered by Representa-.
I Five Morris III. Thatcher of Louis
/ willie. Ky. This resolution provided
| FOR the appointment of a commission
{ OF two Senators and three members
! pf the House, 10 be known as the
/ commission 10 investigate crime.
Il Probe Plan Due Again.
{ During the closing days of the ses-
sion the Thatcher resolution was lost
5 in the shuttle. II Is certain to reap
( pear. however. at the next session OF
! Congress. In explaining the reasons
that inspired him to offer the resolU-
iion, Mr.. Thatcher said he believed
the situation demanded thorough
scrutiny and the adoption of drastic
measures TO make certain the ade-
quate punishment of professional
criminals. As a preliminary step. he
said, a complete survey designed to
expose the weak spots in the laws
and procedural methods employed
by police. prosecuting. judicial and