Reflections

Reprint of this story from the November 8, 1912 issue of the Grand Encampment Herald brought to you courtesy of Grandma’s Cabin, Encampment, Wyoming. Preserving History - Serving the Community.

Stick a pin in this: The place for the gun-toter is in jail!

Having gotten this statement, to which no originality claims attach, off the journalistic chest, the next thing is to prove it.

Every day the press dispatches - yes, Denver’s own police records - recite tales of ghastly killings that may have been prevented by locking up those who temporarily or habitually go armed.

Ninety-nine out of a hundred of these killers express deepest remorse when they no longer “see red,” when they can count the year-stones on the long journey through the penitentiary or reckon the hours before the march to chair or gallows begins.

To the hot head, who transforms himself into a perambulating arsenal, a fancied insult is too often the weak peg on which he hangs excuse for a gunshot. Far better if he had no weapon and were compelled to swallow the insult or resort to the fists. A lifetime in prison is high pay for the privilege of wiping out real or imaginary wrongs.

Just the other day a man known to hundreds of Denverites — a pioneer of the city — fell back on leaden arguments to settle drink differences with a bartender. Today he stands charged with murder, and only a plea of insanity and a mighty smart lawyer can save him from a prison term.

Sane or insane, had he not had easy access to that gun, the slayer would be walking the streets instead of up and down murderers’ row, while the bartender would still be serving drinks.

And, of course, the shooter is sorry. Which tardy grief does not help those dependent on the dead bartender or reimburse the state for trial expenses. A little less sorrow and a little more prevention will help some.

The gun-lugger is of three classes: The fool — whose seat of reason is as precarious as the hair trigger of his revolver. The coward — who vainly attempts to reinforce a craven soul and gun-bolster a courage he does not possess. The bad man — who eternally hunts trouble and boasts of a bullet bravery.

And of the three, the tribe of fools is by far the most numerous and deadly. But all should be disarmed!

— Denver Times.

Hunter Shot Hand – Don’t Know How

Tom Korlaski met with a peculiar accident, a few days ago, by which he received part of the load of shot from a shot gun in the thumb and finger of his left hand. He was hunting in the hills around Big Creek. Slipping on a rock and starting to fall, he tossed the cocked and loaded gun to one side. In falling he struck his head so as to render him unconscious for a time. When he recovered, he found the end of the barrel of the shot gun blown off and several shot had gone through and into his hand. Being alone no definite account of what happened can be given, but it is supposed that when he dropped the gun the barrel was filled with mud and as it fell over the hammer struck on a rock and caused its discharge and its explosion. Korlaski came to town and Dr. Irwin removed a few shot and dressed the wound, which was not serious.