The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1879-09-24
A Marvellous Pistol Shot.

Frank S. Lord, the most expert and
finished pistol-shot in the country, is
man of 80, the youngest son of the
late Thomas Lord, of New York. He
is an athelete and gymnast, and
about 1861 began to try his skill as q
shot at the old Conlin gallery. The
feats of Captain John Travers, now
of Cleveland, had became tradition,
though when Sandy Lawrence kept
ten-pin alley on the site of the pres
ent Astor House, Travers' gallery,
attached to it, saw some wonderful
exhibitions Of steadiness and skill
with email arms.
One of Capt. Travers' feats was to
shoot away silver three cent bit
placed between his toes, and when
Blondin crossed the Niagara he al
lowed Captain Travers to put ball
through his bat.
From doubling friend Captain
Trsvers won a diamond ring bv put
ting q shot through the ring, ard his
feat of picking an orange from his
sons head was tried again and again.
Since Capt. Travers' time billiards
have driven out ten.pins, and rife
shooting at long distances has crowd
ed pistol shooting at twelve PAGES in
to disuse.
Mr.. Lord, however, confines his
sport almost entirely to the smaller
weapon, though he is a fne rife
shot.
He ia member of the New York
Club, and his bachelor chambers are
adorned with curious stock of pis-
tolls. In Paris be has met Paul de
Cassagnac and others Of the French
dueling clique. and as'oaishtd them
with the certainty of bis aim. For
ten seasons past he be been chosen
by the English-speakin residents of
Paris as their champion. aud a well
chosen representative be has proven.
On one occasion be perfnrmed among
other feats of accurate rua tsman-
ship. the following:
A cap of al ordinary musket was
placed upon the neck of champagne
bottle, and Mr.. Lord, standing at SO
feet, or II PAGES, with an ordinary
dueling pistol picked of the cap with
out scratching the glass. The same
feat was repeated with the pistol
transferred from the right hand to
the left Two more caps were pick
ed of by the right and left hand fir
Ing respectively. but in these instan.
ces the pistol was held in reverse
position, with the line Of sight below
instead of above the line, of FIRE. The
next shot was fancy one, Mr. Lord
standing with his back to the object
fred at, leaning far forward, and then
with pistol pointed back between his
legs, picking of the cap as before
The last of the six shots were made
sitting in chair, again with back to
target and leaning back till the tar
get could be seen by the head and
eyes bent back. 1t is favorite feat
to suspend bis watch-a fine import
ed piece, costing s250-and put shot
after shot through the loop at SO
feet
A match or wooden toothpick laid
across the opening of the golden loop
is cut cleanly through, and though
the watch has been under fire scores
hundreds of times, it still ticks on to-
wards the day " hich may come when
@ bullets fraction of an inch out Of
the way may scatter the works in a
shower Of wheels and piuions. In
shooting at the word of command, as
in dueling, where the seconds cry
out:
"Are you ready ?" Ready :"
"Fire-one-two-three y the shoot.
er being required to shoot between
the words "6re" and "three,n Mr..
Lord, with dueling pistol at IL pa
ces, struck down six I inch bullets
hung up by threads.
Such an adversary on the field of
honor would satisfy the ehivalric
yearning of about any mortal. At
the word zone" NJ. Lord fred ten
consecutive shots into a l inch cir
Gle, came distance.
In Paris, where fantastic shooting
is very much in vogue, be is known
as 'Lee diable American He has
frequently put 100 shots consecutive
ly into the space of an ordinary play
ing card. On a recent date, showing
his ability for long range firing with
the pistol, he struck two caps out of
three shots at q distance of sixty feet.
As the ordinary musket cap is about
! of an inch across, the mere seeing
of the mark was somewhat of feat,
but to see and hit it as well, was
something entirely beyond the COM
mon. Yet it was done ct certain
hour previously agreed upon before a
large number of marksmen, includ-
ing many members of the New York
and Zet,ler Rifle Clubs.