The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-08-22
HOW ADAM GOLDIE SHOOTS.

Successive Bulls Eyes Mt n Thousand
Yards-A Lone Range Duel.
In Shannon county, No., lives a man
who is greater adept with the rifle and
has performed more real and marvellous
feats OF Workmanship than even those
with which DR.. Carver has of late been
astonishing the world. Capt. Bogardus
and the noted English marksmen, Lord
De Grey, Aubrey Coventry, and Chol-
mondeley Pennell are completely
eclipsed by this hitherto unheard of phe-
nomenon. The name of this wonderful
handler of the rifle is Adam Goldie, and,
as above mentioned, he resides in Shan
non county, Mo-, where he was born.
He is about thirty-eight years of age.
| Adam Goldie is man in the prime of
life, about five feet eleven inches in
height, and with a most wonderful
physique. He has frank, open coun-
tenance, with large, bright blue eyes,
which have peculiar appearance. They
are restless and ever in motion, and
there is peculiar sort of twitching ac-
tion perceptible, which almost conveys
the impression that his vision must be
defective His light brown hair hangs
in long, flowing locks, and long, flow
ing beard covers his chest. His face is
a taking one-open, affable and free
and when he talks, his voice has ring
ing, CHEEKY tone about it that is pleasant
to the ear. .... ..
Some of the feats which he has per-
formed seem impossible. He has broken
299 glass balls out of 800 in twelve
minutes, with forty-four calibre Win
chester rifle. He can break 100 glass
balls five times out of six, without a
miss, in three minutes. These feats are
unparalleled, and surpass DR.. Carver's
wonderful shooting. A seemingly in.
credible feat that he performs is as fol-
lows: A soda water bottle is thrown
into the air in certain manner, and be-
fore it falls Goldie will send bullet
down the neck of the bottle and make a
hole In the bottom. There are other
feats that he performs with bottles.
At fifty yards distance bottle is placed
on forked tong, and Goldie will send six
bullets in rapid succession down the
neck and through the bottom, only per-
foratlng the latter in one place.
AT long distances this wonderful marks
man performs Just as marvellous feats.
At 1000 yards he will hit the centre of
the bull's-eye and then send six bullets,
one after the Lfher, hitting the very in
dent made by the first. A potato thrown
in the air Goldie will perfOrate with six
bullet holes before it touches the ground.
Perhaps his most astonishing feat is his
breaking two balls at once. This is
done in the following manner: The balls
are thrown ciosswise, and as they pass
each other on their course, with quick,
| MI ,rx1,f
Goldie will speed bullet through both.
Another feat is the placing of an inch
strip of tin about three feet long in
position, at thirty feet distance, and
perforating it from top to bottom with
thirty-six holes, all exactly in the centre
OF the strip, and all at even distance
apart. Goldie says he does not know
where his wonderful skill comes from.
He never handled rifle until he was
eighteen years old, and to him it seems
like an instinct. He would take aim
and fire with unerring accuracy, and his
wonderful feats soon acquired for him a
marvellous reputation among his neigh
bors.
Some five years ago Goldie left his
native county of Shannon, where he is
engaged in cattle raising, for North
western Texas, where he passed two
years, and there one of the most exciting
incidents of his career happened. His
fame as o marksman among the Texans
soon became notorious. In the vicinity
Of Goldie's ranch lived one William Oar
rell, or, as he was more familiarly
termed, Bloody Bill. This Bloody Bill
was noted ruffian and desperate, 6
reckless daredevil. His feats in mark
manship were likewise astounding, anC
: probably no man in the Lone Star State
excelled him in handling the rife
Bloody Bill had been engaged in many
deeds of daring, and was nearly always
mixed up in some row or squabble. H.
had already killed three men, and hi
numerous acts of ruffianism had mad,
him terror to the frontier. Few caret
to cross his path, as his dangerous char
acter and dexterity with the rife were
we'll known. Goldie had met Bill OF
several occasions, but had never beer
involved in any difficulty with him
Knowing his turbulent disposition, h
always sought to avoid him. On on,
Sunday, however, Goldie was sitting il
company with score of Texans, whel
Bill rode up and joined the party. o
late he had become quite jealous o
Goldie's notoriety as a marksman, ant
had frequently spoken disparag ingly O
the latter. At last tue Texans began t,
relate some of their "reminiscences, an,
Goldie commenced relating an inciden
that had occurred to him. Bill, VIII
, had drank heavily and become rathe
moody, in the midst of the narration
suddenly jumped to his feet and insulte,
Goldie, at the same time striking bio,
, at him. All was instantly commotion
The whole party were on their feet an
/ revolvers were drawn. Goldie demand
, ed satisfaction for the insult, and Blood,
Bill, with scornful laugh, suggeste
that they had better make it trial @
their respective skill with the rife. TIL
idea was caught up by the Texans, an
, after a short consultation they decide
: that q duel should be fought, but, i
consequence of the extraordinary skill c
, the parties, at long distance. On th
open prairie, about two miles distant
grew two post oak trees. They wer
: 400 pards apart, and were the only tree
on that spot. ALI around was open
? timberless prairie. 1t was decided ths
. Goldie and Bill should both take thei
s rifles and each take up position be
hind the respective trees and then blaz
away at each other. The Texans hope
. by this means to prevent bloodshed, c
' at least to prevent fatal termination t
: the duel. The preliminaries bein
/. settled, the whole party mounted thei
D horses and rode out on the prairie to th
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