New Britain herald., 1926-03-10
KEEPING REVOLNERS
 FROM YOITUS.

The youth who escaped from 'ho MoriIn school for boys and came to 'his city, whore ho procured L revolver and lo'cr dcclarcd rc- oord.ng 10 police. that he had had . ambitions to become a ho'1-up man, typ0es one ot the modern problems in our attempt a' crime control
 The youth being 1T years ct osc could easily pass for one Of 1S| years. f he could stand 10 he investigated os 10 inc purposc .or which he wanted tho revolver, ho probably could gc' i', In our opinion, however no youth buying a revolver without ;he written consan, Of raron' or guardian shoudl be allowed 10 receive one, and the desire 10 nuke sale should not b" so strong in any dealer as 10 lend himself 10 such a plan. But that is only our opin- ion; some dealers fl appears, arc not as particular in this respect es common stnsG wouli dictate, else the youth in question could not have secured the revolver from q pawn shop.
 The key to controlling crime Is 10 prevent gunmcn, quasi-gunmcn, immature youths and Irresponsible people generally from procuring revolyers in any way whatever We cannot buy dope or poison without a doctors prescription, and when all is said and done, rcpu- table physicians are not doling out such prescriptions without full and 1 sufficient reason. The same system should apply to the distribution Of revolvers. Men of probity and Of 1 good reputation, if they desire weapons for defense, ought to be able to obtain them--as indeed they arc-but others should not even be sold cartridges, Society is not bound to supply embryonic crooks and real crooks with the implements of their profession. The loss to society in lives and loot is
 immeasurably greater than any possible gain.
 In Massachusetts last week |
 boy killed another with revolver
 he purchased through mail
 order house, The cartridges he pur-
 chased in his home town. Why
 should mail-order houses be allowed
 10 sell such weapons to all corners
 without investigation or proofs oi
 good intent and character? The
 government prevents certain things
 from being sent through the mails
 but there seems to be no objection
 against providing crooks and boys
 with rcvolvcrs in this manner It <
 time the postal department and tho
 express companies became more par
 'ic'tar upon this score, as even pos , offices and express offices have becl , he'd mp with revolvers procured through the mails and by express. , 4 week or so ago came q rcpor from Omaha, aftcr ruth}cs
 killer" had been approhondcd, tfn he secured q "siIcncnr" for his rc yolycr through the mails from man in Connecticut, The uso Of shcnccr is sns2ic!ous in itself %c l here We find an admission b,Ini , made in Omaha that tho mails Wcr , used 10 get such q contrap'!on vt ! no more inconvenience than Ecndin for it,
 The duty Of the postal and c%rrrs . authorities is plain; and if they can o not Sec their duty clearly, ConSrcs
 could very well find time to promot
 an air'igh. law placing an cmbarg @ upon the sale O. firearms throug
 the mail The only logical Way | r buy such merchandise should !
 through responsible local dco!or .. who know how to refrain from sci
 ing to irresponsible or Bnspiciol '. persons,