The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-05-05
ARM CITIZENS,
SUGGESTED AS
CURB ON CRIME
More Guns and Ability to
Use Them Declared
Advisable.
BY WILLIAM r. COLLINS
Times Special Writer

BY WILLIAM r. COLLINS
Times Special Writer
I am torn between two desires, if
that adequately describes my state
Of mind. TO write to the enthusiast
who wrote into print on May 2 IN
the Message Center Of The Times
demanding the government do the
same to guns it did to gold or to let
the thing take its natural course
and let the government in its in
finite wisdom decide the issue. II
will do that anyway, no doubt, all
contrary opinion on file notwith-
standing. However. 1 want to make
a point and let the reader make his
own decision about this gun bust
ness.
I vas born in a country where
every one packed a gun and 1t
wasn't called a rod or a gat or
carried m other name than plain
gun. II was the wearer's guarantee
Of immunity against personal mo-
lestatiOn.
The only person in my memory
who came to grief by the habit was
n Curly Davis, a ranch hand on
the NiObrara, who thought his gun
needed a decorative notch and set
out to earn it. The only trouble
Curly had was in picking the wrong
man, a cousin of mine named jim
Fraser who happened to be sheriff
of Cherry county when Curly came
to town.
Curly'S ambition was laid to rest
and so far as 1 know the buffalo
weeds and the dog tooth viOlets
that always spring up over fresh dug
earth out in Nebraska still mark
the spot.
Possesses Many Weapons
I didn't learn to handle a hand
gun cut there, I was too young. but
was vaccinated for the idea and
later on it "took."
At present out in my freSide
arsenal there are several dozen Of
these lethal weapons ranging in size
from the wagon frame type designed
TO thoroughly ventilate corporal
entities down to little crow shooting
pistols about which the old west
erner remarked:
If YOU ever shot me with that
thing and I found it out, I'd make
you plenty of trouble"
But having these guns don't make
a pillinger. of me, not by a joyful.
Among the assorted activities I have
tried to rest my mind while off duty,
I have found the same wholesome
fun In shooting that our fathers got.
Twenty-Five years ago the shot OF
a gun did not herald a robbery, it
was a signal to come on out and
timber up the eagle eye on a match
shoot.
At my summer camp, trequented
by dozens of sportsmen and legion
naires. I have discovered hat sec
ond to no other sport most men en-
Joy on opportunity to throw lead at
a target.
I have discovered that thirty
minutes with a hand gun out near
the targets gives me down
right recreation by changing my
whole process of thinking than any
other activity I enjoy.
When you shoot, your whole men,
tai process is readjuSted to a new
path and you simply can not take
time off to worry about anything
but the desire to get the lead in the
little round spot.
Advocates More Guns
In place of diSarming the nation.
c%on1scating its guns, if I had any
thing to do with it. l would donate
a good hand gun to every reputable
sportsman and fine him if he could
not score a possible in three months.
Then. after he had demonstrated
his ability to handle himself. COM
pei him to carry his gun or his hip.
I have often wondered what would
happen to the budding DillingerS if
the first man he held up belonged to
the HooSier Rife Club. had quail
fed out at Fl. Harrison and had his
gun handy at the time.
1 have in mind a buddy of mine
who started a filling station at Creve
COuer Lake. He qualified with a
forty-hve in the army. When four
men held him up on the night of
June. 1898. the only thing the police
had to do was call the morgue
ambulance.
I know the names of a dozen
men in Indianapolis who would be
very bad medicine for any mobster
given an even break and if they
happened to be among those
present near a holdup no hot guy
would be safe up to 500 feet re-
moved.
Why should any man be allowed
to carry a gun: he can have but n
purpose. that is to kill some person
I indorSe this.
Outlines Crime Deterrant
If these gangsterS knew that the
majority of men in their neighbor-
hood were armed and what is more
important, could outShoot them,
there would be less urge to go about
banging a diSarmed citiZenry on the
head or filling it full of lead. The
desire TO kill some one would be
placed on a more even footing and
the rough boys would be more care
full abut having their fun.
Don't believe that when you dis
arm by government edict you Will
accomplish much more than the dis
armament of the law abiding citi-
zen. The gangster will have his gun
and it need not be the product of a
factory.
I have the facilities in my base
ment to make a thoroughly reliable
shooting weapon in five hours. and
the only ingredients would be a
length of Shelby tubing. a pipe cap,
and eight penny nail, a screen door
spring and a soft pine board; mate
rails that can be bought in any town
~ ~ tina