Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 168, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 July 1910 — “Ready to Shoot" Kokomo Officer Held on Charge of Marder. [ARTICLE]

“Ready to Shoot" Kokomo Officer Held on Charge of Murder.

Oscar Welty, of Kokomo, is held in the jail of that city for the murder of a negro named Edwards. Welty was a constable. He has been in trouble frequently owing to his readiness to shoot. He held an exalted opinion of himself and laborel [labored] under the impression that an officer has a license to shoot and kill whenever he takes a notion. The killing of Edwards was entirely unprovoked and white people are just as highly incensed as are the colored people at the crime. Welty stands a fine chance of serving the remainder of his days in the penitentiary as a result of his faulty belief that an officer has a right to shoot whenever a cltiden [citizen] objects to his action. The officer who murders is no better than any other person who murders and as soon as one demonstrates that he is too fresh with his firearms he should have them and his commission taken away from him. Possibly this applies to game wardens also.