Smyrna times., 1932-11-02
SHUT OFF SALE OF
GUNS TO CROOKS
Thompson Sub-Machine Guns
To Be Confined To Mil
itary Use
OUTLET NOW GUARDED

the hundreds of gangster killings in
the past six years, lawmakers
throughout the country are consid-
ering ways and means of removing
sub-machine guns from the under
world.
The first move in this direction
has been taken by the single con-
Germ manufacturing the gun. Sale
OF the weapon has been forbidden
except for military purposes.
But the damage has been done.
The gangsters have the gun-hun-
dreds of them-and only time and
unrelenting vigilance on the part Of
police officers will serve to clean
this potential source of sudden
death from the haunts of the law
breakers.
Brig. Gen. John T. Thompson is
Mortified at the use to which his in
vention has been put. Placed on
the market in 1921, the guns almost
Immediately began tsreach the un-
derworld. More and more of the
guns were diverted from the legiti-
mate trade channels into this quar-
ter, as the gangsters began to re-
alize that here was gun vastly su-
periOr to the automatic pistol and
other old weapons.
For ten years there was no super
vision over the sale of the guns.
When occasion arose, as it usual
ly did after a gangland killing, of
checking the ownership Of a gun
the quest always ended at the deal
er who sold it. In most cases ficti-
tious names were given by persons
who bought the guns.
Fake Concern Bought Guns.
Not all of the guns, however,
were acquired by gangsters through
purchase from dealers. Thompson
sub-machine guns have had a habit
of disappearing from the hands Of
the police. bank and Industrial
guards, and other legitimate posses
sors and turning up with gangsters
behind them. That is why the man
ufacturers have stopped selling to
such persons.
I In one case fake company was
organized specifically by gangland
10 obtain the guns in carload lots.
II operated for several months be-
fore authorities discovered what
was going on.
y The gangsters obtained the guns
by hook or by crook" If one state
made rigid regulations for the sale
of all guns, as a number have in the
past few years-the gangsters mo-
tored to an adjoining state, bought
all they wanted there. and smuggled
them across the border.
One of the first incidents calling
attention to the use to which
Thompson's invention was being
placed was small truck robbery in
Elizabeth. y. J., in October. 1926.
Eight gangsters. armed with sub
machine guns. drove up to a mail
truck and without warning, turned
one gun full on the truck. With an
other they laid a protective bar
rage across the street intersection,
driving the populace to cover.
The guards in the truck didn't
have a chance. One was killed. and
three fell wounded. The bandits
fled. abandoning one gun as they
departed with about S1OO.OOO Of
Uncle Sans money which they oh.
tained from the truck.
In the same mOnth-in Chicago
came the Hymie Weiss murder. A
gang leader and foe Of Al Caponp.
he was shot down on the steps Of 4
cathedral where he had taken ref
uge. The killers fred from an M
per window Of an apartment across
the street. and Weiss fell dead with
II sings In his body.
Gun Called "Lawn Mower"
In such ways has the Thompson
sub-machine gun been put to use.
Gangsters call II "lawn mower"
an apt name.
After the Weiss killing there fol
lowed a string Of machine gun muir
ders and holdups too numerous to
mention. The ''tigers" were biting
In the underworld jungle. There is
every evidence that such weapons
were and are An essential part Of
every efficient gangster's equipment.
The infamous St Valentines day
massacre in Chicago, when seven
of Bugs" Moran's gang were lined
MP against a wall and moved
down. brought to light many more
facts concerning the machine-gun
warfare among the cliques Of the
underworld.
A twenty-three-year-old girl. cruis-
ing on a pleasure yacht at Wauke-
gan. ILL.,, short time ago was shot
when a machine gun sputtered from
the shore. sending her to the deck
and imperiling the lives Of 10 other
persons.
No one knows who did II. No one
knows why. II was just another
'tiger" loose IN the jungle Of the
underworld.
William Reese Kitchens, former