Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-29

E1F LuOF1E8N NQ40kE&kkEQ Win N1At8
In the District Of Columbia steadily In
crease in number each year. inadequate
laws TO regulate the purchase. posses
SKIN and transportation Of dangerous
weapoT permit the addition Of more
than 1000 unlicensed pistols every IL
months 70 the already huge number
sold here examination Of the records
al the Police Department has revealed.
II has been further determined that
legislati. n proposed t. remedy the sit
uAtion has been perSistently Qu1sheo
through neglect. the latest effort quietly
expiring in the Senate District Com
mittee after IL had passed the House Of
Representatives, in the last session OF
Congress.
An average OF 25o sales per month has
been reported to the p~iice for the past
two years. but only -FOUR permits TO
carry a gun were issued this year, and
less than a dozen have been requested
during the period in which more than
{ 900 pistols we're purchased.
Criminals Can Buy Guns.
Meanwhile known criminals. the In
sane and persons of bad repute can buy
revolver or other dangerous weapons
simply by presenting the purchase
price. Immediate delivery is permitted,
no matter what the state Of mind Of the
purchaser or his past record. The
weapons are on display in the windows
OF dealers and, II anything. are re-
garded as q provocation to certain types
CT mentality.
In a recommendation to the Com
miss;oners written January 6. 1890,
Maj. Henry @. Pratt. superintendent OF
police, urged the adoption Of stringent
laws regarding weapons. frankly adj
hitting that at the present time no
actual control over the sale Of pist Is
exists and pointing out that the use
of reyolyerS in the commission of crime
has grown to such an extent that 1t is
no longer an unusual occurrence 70
have q crime committed by an armed
person"
The communication also strikes at the
present laws here. which provide no ad-
ditional penalty for the punishment
of an offense committed by an armed
person. That Is, the penalty fer armed
robbery Is the same as that for the
identical act performed without the
use Of weapon--although the danger
to the victim in the two cases cannot be
compared.
Concealed Weapons Banned.
Carrying a concealed weapon with un-
lawful intent" Is illegal in the District,
but to transport the same weapon from
ones place of business to ones home
to conceal 1t there, or TO carry a gun
from home or place of business to a
repair shop Is perm sSible.
The possibilities for evasion offered un-
der this ruling were pointed out recently
in connection with the arrest Of three
men residing at 9 hotel here, and the
inability Of the Washington police to
hold them on any charge stronger than
yagrancy, although three pistols and
sawed-cn shotgun were found in their
quarters. The hotel being technically
their home, they were immune to prose-
cution. Had not police IN other cities
requested that they be held, the men
would have had only to post a $500
peace bond when tried for vagrancy.
A man carrying gun concealed in
his pocket or in vehicle cannot be
convicted of illegal possession If he
contends that he was bound for his
ONCE, home or pistol repair shop,
until the prosecution definitely has dis
proved this contention. inquiry at the
ONCE Of the corporation counsel re-
vealed.
Police Powerless.
Thomas +. Cameron, assistant in
charge OF the corporation counsels drive
TO obtain relief through legislation,
pointed out that the position of the po-
lice In controlling crimes Of violence is
made entirely negative, as their duty is
confined to arrest and punishment
rather than efforts to prevent such oc-
currences.
Purchasers of revolvers are now re-
quired to give q name and address to
the dealer, who. In turn, keeps a record
for the examination of the police and
makes regular reports of sales. No au-
thortty exists, however. whereby q sale
may be refused Identification made
complete and accurate or the owner of
the gun traced If false information is
offered to the dealer, II was pointed
out.
The consequent ever-growing popu-
larity Of the revolver as a means of
violent attack Is disclosed in police
records
Gun Homicides Increase.
Concomitant with the inadequate
laws governing the sale and possession
OF deadly weapons, there has been
steady increase In the number OF homi-
cides committed each year with re-
volvers.
In 1923 q report utilized in the an
nual campaign to obtain better firearms
legislation indicates that during che
calendar year 80 homicides were re-
corded, IL performed with pistols and
6 with knives The other instruments
Of violence ranged from razors to iron
pipe.
The year 1927 saw 80 murders en-
acted in the District, 81 of them with
guns. with knives. Two years later
the annual report for 1929 announced
that 50 hounicides had occurred %