The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-08-15
r,,o greatest Marksman fet-..Ihe
sns .ts or adam Geldie. OF Missouri
from the st. Louis EveninS fos''I

an ..ts or adam Geldie. OF Missouri.
,r,om The st. Louis Evening Post.I
:, shannon county. No., lives man who
IL S" adept with the rifle and has
se.,r,,nd more real and marvellous feats
Craftsmanship than even those with
" .,;nh Or. Carver has OF late been astonish-
W. the world. The name OF this wonder
~, M handler OF the rife is Adam Goidie. lie
!! ~: sshnut thirty.ci2ht years OF age, ana pays
sn..os;onal visits to st. Louis. A i.oSt re-
n,rser visited, him at his hotel yesterday. !.
dam Goidie is a man IN the prime OF
s,c about five feet eleven inches IN height.
end with most wonderful physique: he
has A frank, open eountenance' Win iarse'
hricht-bluc eyes, which have pecuilsr APP
,asrance, They are restless and ever In
In,;on and there is a peculiar sort OF
.~;,rhinc action perceptible which almost
.n,.nIs The impression that his vision must
i co.. dc;ectiye. His light-brown hair hangs
!, lang. flowing locks, and long, hoWing
heard covers his chest.
same Of the fea:s which he has performed
.,,,, ;mnossib.e. He has broken 200 glass
Lsjs ont OF 500 in twelve minutes Win
.ar,r.four csllhre Winchester rifle. he can
hunor 100 plass balls FIVE times out OF SIX.
,r;,hnut miss. in three minutes. These
co.'s ore UNPARALLELED, and SurpasS Ur. Car
,.nr,S wonderful shooting. A seemingly
;ncrediblc feat that he performs is as iol-
Low 4 soda-water bottle is thrown into
Tho mir in a certain manner, and before u
coils Gold;c will send bullet down the neck
a, . hottie and make hole In the bottom.
There are other ieats that he performs with
bottles. At fifty yards distance bottle Is
nlaccd on 4 forked tong, and Goldle VIII
tend six bullets in rapid succession down
fora,ing the latter in one place.
A. lone distances this marvellous marks
,,o, performs Just as marvellous feats.
AZ one thousand yards he will hit the
centre of the bulrs-evc, and then send SIX
bullets, one after the other. hitting the
ynrv indent made bv the first. A potato
thrown in the air Goldie will pcrforate with
elk bul,et-hoIcs before it reaches the ground.
PERTAINS the most astonishing feat is his
lrcalinr two balls at once. This is done in
thc following manner Two balls are thrown
crosswise, and as they pass each other on their
course. with quick, unerrlng aim ana liSnt-
,,inn.like rap,dity. Goldie will speed bullet
through both. Another feat is the placing
NJ an inch strip OF tin about three feet long
in postion. at thirty feet distance, ana per-
forating it from top 10 bottom Win tniIty-
six holes. all exactly in the centre OF the
s'rip. and all at even distances apart. Goid'e
saws ne does not know where his wonder
iul skill comes from. He never handled
rife until he was eighteen years old, ana 10
him II seems like an instinct lie Wouid
take aim and fire with unerring accuracy,
and his wonderful ieats soon acquired lof
him marvellous reputation among bis
ncighbOrS.
same tiyc years ago Gold!e LETT his native
county OF shannon. where he is engaged
in rattIc.rai.iug. for Northwestern Texas.
where he passed two years. and there one
Of the most exciting incidents OF his career
happcned. His fame as q marksman among
the Texans soon became notorious. In the
vicinity OF Goidie's rancho lived one Will
liam Darrell or, as he was more familiarity
termed. Bloody Eli. This Bloody Bill was
4 noted rullian and desperado-a reckless
daredevil. His feats in craftsmanship were
likewise astounding. and probably no man
in the Lone Star State eXcelled him in hand
ling the rife. Bloody Bill had been engaged
in many deeds OF daring, and was nearly
always mixed up in some row or SQUAD
bic. He had already killed three men.
and his numerous acts OF ruilianism had
made him the terror OF the frontier.
Few cared to cross his path, as his danger
OILS character and deXterity with 4 rifle were
cral occasions. but had never been involved
in any difficulty with him. Knowing his
turbulent disposition, he always sought to
avoid him. On one Sunday, however, Col
die was sitting in company with score OF
Texans. who were spending cOnvivi1l
hour in q mild carouse. when Bill rode UP
and Joined the party. OF late he had become
quite jealous Of Golde's notoriety as a
marksman, and had frequently spoken dis
paragingly OF the latter. For some time the
party passed the time conviYially enough,
without anything happening to mar the
harmony of the sociability. At last the
Texans began to relate some OF their reml-
niscences, and Goldie commenced relating,
narrating an incident that had occurred to
him. Bill, who had drunk heavily OF the
whiskey, and became rather moody in the
midst of the narration, suddenly jumped
to his feet and at the same time struck
blow at him. All was instantly
commotion. The whole party were
on their feet. and revolvers were
drawn. Goldic demanded satisfaction for
the insult, and Bloody Bill, with Il scornful
laugh, suggested that they bad better make
it trial OF their respective skill with the
rifle The idea was caught up by the
Texans, and after 4 SHORT consultation they
decided that 4 duel should be fought, but,
in consequence OF the extraordinary skill
0! the parties, ut long distance. On the
open prairie grew two post oak trees. they
were four hundred and twenty yards apart,
and were the only trees on that spot. All
around was open, timberIess prairie. 1t was
decided that Goldie and Billshould both take
their rifles and each take up position be-
hind the respective trees, and then blaze
away at each other. The Texans hoped by
these means to prevent bloodshed, or at
least to prevent fatal termination TO the duel.
The prelimnaries being settled, the whole
party mounted their horses and rode out ON
the prairie to the selected spot. Goldie took
up his position behind one Of the trees, and
Bill ensconced himself behind the other.
The remaining party OF the crowd then
rode to a slight unduating eminencc to the
right, where they were to remain as specta-
tors. One Of them was to give the signal
for the beginning OF the combat by firing
his rife in the air, and the report was to be
the signal TO the duelliSts to. begin with
their bloody work. Goldle waited anxiously
the defamation Of the rife, which suddenly
sounded on the air.
Then commenced the duel at the longest
range ever recorded. Goldie advanced
from behind the tree in kneeling posture,
when, whiz his sombrero was perforated
by ball from Bloody Bli's rifle. Quick as
lightning he dropped full length on the
ground in time to escape the two other bull
lets which came in rapid succession. He
lay still, brought his rifle into position, as
he was stretched upon the ground, and
then remained immovable. Presently he
saw diminutive figure which he knew
n n