Denton and Haughton Examiner, etc. — 1880-10-30 (Denton, Greater Manchester, England)

THE REVOLVER.  There was a time when the people of this  country could congratulate themselves that  the use of" the six-shooter," as the revolver ] was commonly called at first, was confined to America. But that time has gone a good while ago. The Revolver is now almost as much prized on this as on the other side of the Atlantic, and scarcely a day passes but we can read in the newspapers some account of its use or abuse. It is not surprising that it should rapidly have become a popular weapon. It is excellently adapted both for offensive and defensive purposes. Burglars were not long in finding it to be the very thing they needed when there was a prospect of interruption to their nocturnal exploits, and so soon as it had come into such hands as these it was necessary that householders, who possessed jewels, plate, and other valuables worth stealing and worth keeping, should also provide themselves with the useful little weapon which would enable them to bring down their man, and even take away his life if there was no other way of preserving their property. In Ireland, where agrarian outrages have existed time out of mind, the revolver got a ready welcome, especially from unpopular landlords, who had reason to look forward to the rent dayalmost as easilytheirimpeounious tenants At the present time landlords, who live in the disturbed districts, find it necessary to sleep with a revolver under their pillows and to carry it about with them when thay are walking, driving, or ridingon their own grounds and also on the public road. But I the misfortune is that, owing to the sneaking form attempts at assassination assume in Ireland, the revolver is of very little use in the moment of actual danger. The Whiteboy or Rory of the Hills lets fly from behind a hedge or clump of copsewood, and stealthily decamps, whether he has hit or missed his intended victim, before thete is an opportunity of giving him a reprisalshot. Nevertheless, inside or outside bid house, the threatened landlord must alwaya feel somewhat easier in his mind when he has Ills polished little firearm ready to hand. But while freely admitting the merits of the "six—shooter" as a useful weapon in mo— ments of emergency, the fact must be patent to all that it affords fatal facilities to those who are intent on murder or suicide. Of late it has been alarmingly often employed in taking away life. It was with& revolver that the murderer Herbert. on Friday last, shot his sister-in-law in Finsbury.park, and inflicted upon himself the dangerous Wound which necessitated his removal to an bc spite' in Gray's Inn-road, where he still lies in a precarious state. On Sunday last two gentlemen, the one residing at Uxbridge and the other at Gerrard's-cross, committed suicide, both of them making use of the revolver to take away their own lives. It is believed that the minds of both were effected when they meditated the rash act, but they nevertheless carried out their purpose with as much deliberation as any sane man could have exhibited. The misguided and miserable man who, like Herbert, intends to commit murder and then to (lemma suicide' has a weapon, it may be said, made ready to hand for the accomplishment of his dooble purpose in the loaded revolver. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. it can be used witl, fatal precision, and the suicide-murderer Imo 80011 put himself in the state of falling down, bathed in blood, beside his victim. It is this dangerous faculty which it affords for the commission of crime that seems to render it desirable that some restrictions should be imposed upon the sale and purchase of reonly, s, which now make so tempting& dis. p,. s gunsmiths' windows in all the towns of the kingdom.