Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 283, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 November 1912 — ANTI-GUN LAW FAILS [ARTICLE]

ANTI-GUN LAW FAILS

Trial in New York Shows Ordinance Fallacious. Has Had No Effect on the Criminal Element, While Law-Abiding Citlzena Are Left Without Means of Protecting Themselves. New York.—One year has passed since the “Sullivan law,” aimed to prevent the carrying of concealed weapons, became a law, and, as was predicted a year ago, the law proved an utter failure. Crooks and other criminals continued to carry concealed arms in spite of the law, which fell. heavily only upon a number of law-abiding citizens who were the possessors of arms for protection and neglected to get rid of them before the law became effective. In other words, the law merely had the effect of depriving the law-abiding citizens of their means of protection, while the criminals, against whom they tried to protect themselves, were left in possession of their weapons. According to the annual report of the coroner. Just Issued, there were 106 homicides by shooting during the last twelve months in Manhattan, only two less than in 1910, when the highwater mark in the number of homicides by shooting was reached. In eighteen of these cases the circumstances did not call for an arrest, while In eighty-eight cases arrests were clearly in order. As a matter of fact, however, arrests were made only in thirty-seven of the cases, leaving fiftyvone cases in which no arrests were made. Under the Sullivan law. it is illegal for any dealer to sell a pistol or other dangerous weapon prescribed by the law to any person not in possession of a license for owning and carrying such weapons. In spite of this fact It is estimated that during the last twelve months more than 5,000 revolvers were sold by dealers 7 'and pawnbrokers in this city in violation of the law. John Schrank, the man who shot Colonel Roosevelt, admitted after his arrest that he had bought the revolver

from which the shot was fired in a shop on Broadway, near Canal street, in this qlty. Another significant feature is that gang fights in which pistols were used were more frequent during the last twelve months than ever before. This clearly shows that the lawless element paid no attention to the law and evaded the enforcement of it, while the law-abiding citizens suffered, just as had been predicted.