The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-02-17

in its place came sunshine and happi-
ness.
EXTRAORDINARY CUNNING.
A Californian who Can Out-shsot
DR.. Carver.
The San Francisco Chronicle says:
The celebrated Dr. Carver, who left Cal
ifornia about year ago and has since
perforated the temple of fame with bul-
lets from his "little rife" has now most
formidable rival in the person OF DR..
John Ruth, who yesterday gave an ex-
hibition of his wonderful skill with the
rife at Shell Mound Park, Berkley, in
the presence of about one hundred spec
tators, largely composed of local ''crack
Shots" with both the rife and shotgun.
There was also fair sprinklipg Of ladies
in the assemblage. "a.
The Doctor was accompanied by his
wife, progressing lady of medium
stature, who also entertained the COM
pany by brief display of her skill in
the manipulation of the rife and pis4o
This was Mrs. Ruth's first exhibition in
public, and she manifested considerable
perturbation at first, or, as the Doctor
expressed it, "she was little skittish
upon her first appearance" but after the
first two or three shots the nervousness
disappeared, and the glass balls were shat.
tered in quick succession. ..
The balls were thrown into the air by
an attendant, Mrs. Ruth breaking six out
of nine. She then perforated a glass
ball held in the attendants hand at a
distance of about twenty feet, and re-
peated the experiment with the hammer
Of the rifle held downward. She also
shattered with a pistol several balls
thrown in the air, and also ball held
in the hand. Mrs. Ruth was loudly ap-
plauded for her steady nerve and won
derful craftsmanship.
DR.. Ruth then proceeded to give an
exhibition of fancy shooting at glass
ball held in the hand of his attendant,
he taking aim through his legs with his
back to the object. He also held the
rife with the butt resting upon the top
of his head, the hammer pointing down
ward. He also shot with his back reclin-
ing upon the table. In all these expert
ments he was successful on the first at
tempt. ..t.. ..,., .,.sa..
He also performed the Austin broth
crs' mirror trick successfully. Turning
his back 10 the attendant. he sighted the
rife by the aid of small hand-mirror
and broke the ball at the first trial. Per.
haps the most wonderful feat that he ac
complished, and one requiring consider
able nerve ON the part Of both himself and
attendant, was shooting cigar out of the
mouth of the latter, an experiment which
led many to predict that the Doctors as
sistant would not live to very green ole
age. Another interesting experiment
was shooting without sight, that essen
tial adjunct being covered by piece o.
cardboard placed around the barrel al
it's extremity. The absence of the sight
apparently made no difference, as thu
destruction Of the vitreous spheres con
tinued unabated. .
| The following experiments were also
successfully accomplished: Shooting 1
ball from the head of an attendant, the
latter being blindfolded; the same feat
with the bandages removed from the at
tendant's eyes, and the latter looking
Into the muzzle of the rifle. One-hand
shooting with small rifle, manipulated
| in variety Of difficult ways, holding tht
rifle with the hands placed back Of thu
neck.
In none of these shots did the Docto
fail to shatter the balls from the hand O
the attendant One of the most marvel
Gus feats performed was the following
Placing glass ball upon the ground tn
Doctor shot in front of it, and plowin,
under it sent it flying several feet in tn
air by the force of the c0neussion, AM
before it reached the ground anothe
shot broke it into a thousand pieces.
An exhibition of rapid shooting wa
also given, the Doctor breaking the ball
as fast as the attendant could throw
them into the air. The exhibition close
with display Of shortrrange pistol-pra(
tice, in which the marksman was not q
i successful as with the rife, having, as h
remarked, by way Of apology, had littl
experience with the weapon. All thos
present expressed much astonishment a
DIR. Ruth's wonderful skill, and it SCENE
: to be the general verdict that Carver
proficiency with the rifle was secondar
to that Of DIR. Ruth, who uses forty
, four caliber Winchester rife, which wa
presented to him by the mapufactprer
He will soon depart for the East, il bein
his intention to make tour Of theState