Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-12-07
PAT. HOLLANDS MisFoafUNE.
A Reputation for Fine work spoiled by an
Accident,

Years ago, in the early days Of the Com.
stock excitement, Pat. Holland, now Post.
master and Coroner in little town IN Ca
chise county, Arizona, was the most re-
spected man in the State. He had the
reputation of being dead shot with e
pistol. OF course this accomplishments
made him feared by everybody, and there
was no man in Virginia go bold as to croas
him in public. Pat. acquired his reputa.
tion by shooting on the stage, and could
knock an apple off his sons head with an
accuracy and carelessness which combined
to impress the public tar more than the
manner in which the pains-taking William
Tell performed the feat with an arrow.
Finally Pat. secured q young lady who
would allow an apple to be shot off her
fiaxen roll, and when Pat. executed the
feat he would throw his keen eye at the
girl and then poll his orbs up into the gall
lery, and without looking at his mark, send
bullet through the fruit. This was put
down on the bills as '' Pat. Hollands psy-
Geological feat Of shooting from memory"
and drew crowded houses. One night he
advertised to shoot apples from twelve
young ladies' heads il succession and only
take one look at the crowd. Piper's Opera
House was packed with men at dollar
head, and when the curtain rose twelve
immaculate ballet dancers were in line |
along the wings, each with an apple on her !
head. Pat. stepped to the footlignts aud !
bowed amid tremendous applause. He !
had siX-shooter in each hand, and the |
stage manager announced that he would |
shoot the last six apples with his left hand, |
Casting his eye along the line, he took a |
long breath, steady position, and then |
faced the audience. Lifting his revolver |
be began TO shoot in rapid succession, and |
the apples began to fly out of sight amid |
the bTeathless silence of the audience.
The curious part of the performance, how. |
ever, lay in the fact that by the |
time Pat. had fired six shots all |
the apples had disappeared, yet he
kept right on banking away with his
second weapon from his left band, amid |
roars of laughter and derision. To cap
the climax, two apples got tangled to. |
gether and remained dangling from the |
edge OF scene in plain sight of the au.
dlence. The trick was az once apparent. |
Each apple had fine thread attached, |
and at the shot was jerked quickly out |
OF sight. the suPes behind the scenes !
who pulled the strings got confused at |
Pats rapid firing, and half the apples |
disappeared before the time. Two were |
snatehed off simultaneously, and the strings |
overlapping in the air brought the apples |
together, where they hupg to the edge |
of the scene. the strings being on each |
side. This ended Hollands career as |
public soloist on the pistol, and the pub |
lie gradually came to look upon him as |
an ordinary mortal. Soon after this he |
got into street row in Phoebe and fred |
twelve shots in densely populated por.
ton of the city without killing a man.
But for attempting to do too much st |
once, he might have gore to Congress
from this State years ago.-[Carson APP. |
peal.