Extraordinary Shooting.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 2, Issue 170, 19 October 1880, Page 2

Extraordinary Shooting.

The New York World of August 23 describes the shooting by Dr. Ruth and wife. Mrs. Ruth began with shooting at glass balls, and they were shattered in almost every case with a pistol held sideways, there was a miss or two, but generally every shot told. When the pistol was inverted, and aim taken below instead of above the line of fire there was no apparent loss in percentage of hits. When a ball was hung by a string and set swinging Mrs. Ruth stood eighteen yards off and made a clean break on her first shot. The rifle was then handled through the same series of shots, and the usual want of grace with which all women handle guns was apparent. When the balls were thrown up in the air Mr. Ruth stood a good distance off and shattered a dozen out of fifteen, and this feature, when encored, was equally good. While the lady shooter stood chatting with lady spectators, Dr. Ruth began to show his ability as a snap shot. The sights of the rifle seemed to be of no special assistance to him, for when they were covered by a cord he used the weapon on balls placed on a stand, and again at glass spheres thrown into the air with wonderful effect. Some of the balls were thrown on the ground a dozen yards off, and the Doctor, aiming at the ground below the ball, would send it spinning up into the air and then rapidly unloading and loading his piece would hit the ball in its descent. This double shooting drew out plenty of applause. Again, when the balls were thrown up, the rifle was given a turn about, after the manner of a flail handle, and it fell into position soon enough to enable a breaking shot to be made on the ball. Balls thrown from aide to side 'were hit, whether coming from right or left. When tired of breaking glassware, Dr. Ruth picked up a fragment of glass and, stepping off a dozen yards, held it off in his fingers while Mrs. Ruth, picking up a small-bore rifle, took careful aim, and the glass was shattered into powder. With an ordinary visiting card held in his mouth, and turned so as to show a side, Dr. Ruth permitted his wife to put several bullets through it. Dozens of other similar ways of testing the quickness of sight and steadiness of nerve of the shooters were improvised, and generally it was found that anything fired at was hit almost every time. There was a good attendance, including several expert shooters.