FATHER ZEGLEN'S JACKET.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXV, Issue 28, 12 November 1897, Page 20

FATHER ZEG LEN'S JACKET.

Wn take the following from the Xno York Tic raid of September 12 .— Father Casimir Zeglen, the Redemptorist priest who recently acted as a target for a bullet-proof cloth of hia own invention, arrived in this city yesterdiy, accompanied by several priests of his Order. He is now on his w.iy to Europe at the invitation of representatives of foreign Governments. England, France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Russia and Spain, it is said, have made overtures to the inventor, and he has agreed to give exhibitions before the rulers of those countries. Fafher Zeglen and his cornp inion-. have arranged to give the United States military and naval ofH-iils a test of the priest's invention at Governor's Island during the present week. General Merritt will have charge of the exhibition, and many prominent men will be present. After the exhibition at Governor's Island the priest will be shot at in private at the British embassy afc Washiugton. At the Governor's Island test the bodies of live animals will first be used for targets. The regulation army rifle is to be used, and after a series of experiments on the animals Father Zegleu will stand up to be shot at by one of Uncle Sam's crack marksmen. Bullet after bullet will be fired direct, at the heart of the priest until ton rounds have been exhausted. | Father Zeglen will stand within fifty feet of the marksmen. Father Z.'glen is a dark featured, retiring man. His solution of a problem that has been studied ftoin au ient times by soldiers and humanitarians wa-s brought about through the death by assassination of Mayor Carter H. Harrison in Chicago four years ago, when he set his mind to work upon the problem of a bullet-proof jacket. '• I made the silk and web in my invention by hand," said Father Zeglen. '• I th»n subjected it to a secret cbeinieal proues.s to make it impervious to the most severe and most powerful bullet." 1