"admits that he got down from the step-ladder much quicker than he got up...."

   Resisting Arrest -- As a result from a misunderstanding in regard to rent, Mrs. Lyons, who resides on Third street, between X and L, procured a warrant for the arrest of Mrs. R. J. Dunn night before last, upon a charge of disturbing the peace. Local officer Coffee went to make the arrest, and Mrs. Dunn securely locked her door and refused admittance. Coffee obtained a step-ladder, and got up to the transom opening into the room, and as he did so Mrs. Dunn fired a shot with a pistol into the ceiling at absut the center of the room, and quickly supplemented it with the remark, "If anyone breaks into my room, either he or I will be killed!" Coffee admits that he got down from the step-ladder much quicker than he got up. Seeing the warm condition affairs had assumed, it was determined to not force admission, but wait till morning, which was done, an officer remaining in the vicinity during the night. Yesterday morning the self-constituted prisoner thought better of the matter and quietly submitted to being taken to the police station, where she awaits the examination of her case before Judge Henry to-day, with the changes of disturbing the peace, malicious mischief, and discharging firearms in the city limits placed against her.

[Sacramento Daily Record-Union, Sacramento, Saturday Morning, November 20, 1880. Daily Union Series --Vol. LIV--No. 9246. Pg. 5]

Conspiracy Against Rights

Title 18, U.S.C., Section 241
Conspiracy Against Rights

This statute makes it unlawful for two or more persons to conspire to injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate any person of any state, territory or district in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him/her by the Constitution or the laws of the United States, (or because of his/her having exercised the same).

It further makes it unlawful for two or more persons to go in disguise on the highway or on the premises of another with the intent to prevent or hinder his/her free exercise or enjoyment of any rights so secured.

Punishment varies from a fine or imprisonment of up to ten years, or both; and if death results, or if such acts include kidnapping or an attempt to kidnap, aggravated sexual abuse or an attempt to commit aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to kill, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for any term of years, or for life, or may be sentenced to death.

Title 18, U.S.C., Section 242
Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law

This statute makes it a crime for any person acting under color of law, statute, ordinance, regulation, or custom to willfully deprive or cause to be deprived from any person those rights, privileges, or immunities secured or protected by the Constitution and laws of the U.S.

This law further prohibits a person acting under color of law, statute, ordinance, regulation or custom to willfully subject or cause to be subjected any person to different punishments, pains, or penalties, than those prescribed for punishment of citizens on account of such person being an alien or by reason of his/her color or race.

Acts under "color of any law" include acts not only done by federal, state, or local officials within the bounds or limits of their lawful authority, but also acts done without and beyond the bounds of their lawful authority; provided that, in order for unlawful acts of any official to be done under "color of any law," the unlawful acts must be done while such official is purporting or pretending to act in the performance of his/her official duties. This definition includes, in addition to law enforcement officials, individuals such as Mayors, Council persons, Judges, Nursing Home Proprietors, Security Guards, etc., persons who are bound by laws, statutes ordinances, or customs.

Punishment varies from a fine or imprisonment of up to one year, or both, and if bodily injury results or if such acts include the use, attempted use, or threatened use of a dangerous weapon, explosives, or fire shall be fined or imprisoned up to ten years or both, and if death results, or if such acts include kidnapping or an attempt to kidnap, aggravated sexual abuse or an attempt to commit aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to kill, shall be fined under this title, or imprisoned for any term of years or for life, or both, or may be sentenced to death.

Chicago: "Sales of firearms and ammunition show an increase in this city over preceding years that is astonishing..."

Chicago's Fear Of Riot

The Large Sale of Firearms Con-
sidered Alarming.

An Undercurrent of Unrest, Together
With the Purchase of Weapons
and Ammunition Causes Many
People to Dread a Recurrence of
the Anarchist Troubles of 1886.

   CHICAGO, March 17.--Sales of firearms and ammunition show an increase in this city over preceding years that is astonishing dealers in that line. Many persons are beginning to foresee in these circumstances preparations for an outbreak such as succeeded the Anarchist riots of 1886. Recent rumors that Emma Goldman has been seen where clashes are likely to occur between strikers and their successors have given rise to the belief that persons with anarchistic tendencies are awaiting an opportunity to take advantage of the conditions produced by the pending deadlock between capital and labor.

   This belief is partly corroborated by the policy of the Machinists Union which has discouraged a strike at the Deering Harvester Works and the McCormick Reaper Works, almost to the extent of forbidding the employes to go out. A few employes in the tool rooms have gone out, but the union has compelled them to keep away from the establishments, and has by direct discouragement sought to keep the trouble from spreading, lest the blame of the consequences should fail upon that organization.

   The reason for this is found in the fear entertained by the leaders that the 10,000 employes of these companies form in themselves an element that might change the situation to one of rioting and bloodshed. Conservative labor leaders dread such a change far more than the bosses, fearing that it would ruin their cause, and they are exerting every influence to prevent the rank and file from getting beyond their control.

   This condition would follow, it is said, in case of violent disturbances. The "Black Road" riot of 1886 has not been forgotten and every effort will be made to prevent a repetition. Mail orders of arms have had a specially large business during the last two months, a volume of goods having been shipped to suburban points where they were delivered without any attention being paid to the recipient, as the goods were paid for in advance. It is said many shipments were sent to points near Chicago, and have afterward found their way back to the city. In this connection it is asserted thirty thousand cartridges have been shipped to Maywood.

   Metal working concerns aggregating $3,000,000 in wealth, and employing 40,000 men, are represented at a peace conference that opened at the Grand Pacific Hotel today. Hope is entertained that all differences between employers and employes in the machine shops in the United States will be amicably adjusted. An adjournment was taken tonight until Monday, when the conference will be resumed. Both sides seem confident peace will be restored.

   The Union Foundry Company has announced its determination to open its plant at Grand Crossing Monday with one hundred non-union men in anticipation of trouble an appeal has been made to the Grand Crossing police for protection. Labor leaders think the non-union men have been recruited from many points and are now hidden away awaiting the hour to go to work.

   An organization of grave diggers and coffinmakers is the latest movement in affiliated labor. Workmen are to place labels indicating that they belong to the union on the handles of their spades, and a union label is to be placed on every coffin made by union men.

   There are estimated to be 250 grave diggers in Chicago and more than 900 coffin makers. In a few places in the Last there are unions of men in this trade.

   The organization of the coffin makers was recommended at the convention of the wood workers, held last week at Detroit, and this suggested the affiliation of the grave diggers. The embalmers and under-takers are already organized and their affiliation with the American Federation of Labor is to be brought about if possible.

[The Times, Washington, [D.C.] Sunday, March 18, 1900. Number 2150. Pg. 1]

Thomas Jefferson: "Laws that forbid the carrying of arms..."

    "Laws that forbid the carrying of arms...disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes. Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed one."

   This is not something Jefferson wrote, but rather comes from a passage he included in his "Legal Commonplace Book." The passage is from Cesare Beccaria's Essay on Crimes and Punishments.[1] It appears in Jefferson's commonplace book as follows:

    Falsa idea di utilità è quella, che sacrifica mille vantaggi reali, per un inconveniente o immaginario, o di poca conseguenza, che toglierebbe agli uomini il fuoco perchè incendia, e l'acqua perchè annega; che non ripara ai mali, che col distruggere. Le leggi, che proibiscono di portar le armi, sono leggi di tal natura; esse non disarmano che i non inclinati, nè determinati ai delitti, mentre coloro che hanno il coraggio di poter violare le leggi più sacre della umanità è le più importanti del codice, come rispetteranno le minori, e le puramente arbitrarie? Queste peggiorano la condizione degli assaliti migliorando quella degli assalitori, non iscemano gli omicidi, ma gli accrescono, perchè è maggiore la confidenza nell'assalire i disarmati, che gli armati. Queste si chiaman leggi, non preventrici, ma paurose dei delitti, che nascono dalla tumultuosa impressione di alcuni fatti particolari, non dalla ragionata meditazione degl'inconvenienti, ed avvantaggi di un decreto universale.[2]

 Jefferson's only notation on this passage was, "False idee di utilità."[3]

The English translation of this passage which appeared in the 1809 edition Jefferson later owned is as follows:

    "A principal source of errors and injustice are false ideas of utility. For example: that legislator has false ideas of utility who considers particular more than general conveniencies, who had rather command the sentiments of mankind than excite them, who dares say to reason, 'Be thou a slave;' who would sacrifice a thousand real advantages to the fear of an imaginary or trifling inconvenience; who would deprive men of the use of fire for fear of their being burnt, and of water for fear of their being drowned; and who knows of no means of preventing evil but by destroying it.

    "The laws of this nature are those which forbid to wear arms, disarming those only who are not disposed to commit the crime which the laws mean to prevent. Can it be supposed, that those who have the courage to violate the most sacred laws of humanity, and the most important of the code, will respect the less considerable and arbitrary injunctions, the violation of which is so easy, and of so little comparative importance? Does not the execution of this law deprive the subject of that personal liberty, so dear to mankind and to the wise legislator? and does it not subject the innocent to all the disagreeable circumstances that should only fall on the guilty? It certainly makes the situation of the assaulted worse, and of the assailants better, and rather encourages than prevents murder, as it requires less courage to attack unarmed than armed persons."[4]

The English translation of this passage originally quoted above, and the one most often seen on other Internet sites, is most likely a later translation; it may be taken from a 1963 translation by Henry Palolucci.[5] --Thomas Jefferson, Monticello, Monicello.org

"the usual proclamations intended to discourage or stop the use of firearms...."

[The Omaha Daily Bee, Omaha, Friday Morniing, June 09, 1899. Pg. 6]

"but the continued free use of firearms keeps up the excitement...."

[The Omaha Sunday Bee, Omaha, Sunday Morning, November 20, 1898. Pg. 1]

"Boys Carry Firearms . . . The Law Can't Stop Them..."

BOYS CARRY FIREARMS

They May Buy Pistols if They've
Got the Required Price.

THE LAW CAN'T STOP THEM

That's the Conclusion Reached in In-
vestigating the Recent Case of
Young Quinlan, Who Recently
Shot Himself.

   Numerous complaints have been heard of late of pawnbrokers and second-hand dealers selling guns and pistols to boys, and it is said an effort will be made to put a stop to the practice.

   Yesterday the relatives of John Quinlan, the boy who shot himself in the leg in the rear of Hennessy's store. one day last week, were the most recent complainants. They called on Chief of Police Mulholland yesterday and asked for the arrest of a West Broadway second-hand dealer for selling the boy the gun. He could do nothing, as there is no ordinance governing the case, and referred the boy's relatives to the county attorney, but it was found there also that no statute existed under which a prosecution could be had. It is said a recommendation will be made to the city council that an ordinance prohibiting the sale of firearms be passed.

   It appears that young Quinlan bought a small pistol of the second-hand dealer, paying 50 cents for it. A boy who was with him forged an order with which they purchased cartridges, but the gun wouldn't work and while trying to find what was the matter the gun was discharged, the bullet entering the right thigh. The parents were afraid yesterday that amputation would be necessary, but Dr. Wells, to whom the lad was taken, states that there is no immediate danger of losing the leg.

   It is said young Quinlan is one of a gang of tough boys who would like to be very bad, at least it was so stated by three youngsters who were taken before the county attorney during the day by Police Officer Teague. They were Ed Lowney, aged 14: John Donovan, aged 12,. and John Cotter, aged 9. and they said young Quinlan was another of the hand. They were accused of having held up a Chinaman a few night ago and taking a basket of clothes from him. The boys admitted the holdup, but said they did it for fun. Nothing was done in the matter except coming to a decision to take some steps toward preventing the sale of firearms to boys.

[The Anaconda Standard, Anaconda, Montana, Sunday Morning, January 9, 1898. Vol. IX.--No. 128. Pg. 6]