The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1885-10-29
THE MAD MARKSMAN.

THE MAD mARkSMAN.
had Just taken turn, in company
with Doctor Noirot, through the vas
gardens that surrounded his hospital
and was advancing with him toward
the stoop of his own special dwelling.
The celebrated physician, whose par
ticular field was insanity, was explain.
ing to me the case of one of his pa.
tients, whom we had met in an alley,
| and who had saluted us with patron
ising air.
AT that moment an explosion re-
sounded few PAGES from us.
grasped my hosts arm.
What's thatp" l asked. "Has one
| of your patients shot himselfP"
Doctor Noirot smiled.
NO. said he; ''re-assure yourself
It's still another curious case l want
you to see."
And turning obliquely to the left, he
drew mo toward small pavilion, hid.
| den behind a grove of trees. He I'M
locked door. led me across a narrow
vestibule, and we found ourselves in a
sort of long court, surrounded by
walls. A man was there, of lofty
stature, clad in n strange hunting cos
tune, recalling by certain details the
Mexican fashion. He had his back
against the wall of the pavilion, and,
at the moment we entered, raised his
right hand, armed with a pistol.
Our arrival did not disturb him. He
aimed slowly, with sure hand.
followed the direction of the weap-
on and saw, about twenty PAGES dis
tant, at tho foot of the opposite wall, a
white face with a dark hole in the
centre of the forehead. 1t was, as well
as could judge at that distance, the
plaster mask of a Greek head, in which
l thought / recognised the classic type
of Diana, the Huntress.
The pistol was discharged. The
head did not move, and not fragment
flew from it.
Look" said the doctor to me in q
low voice. ''It's very curious He
never misses his mark" "
He never missesP"
mo. Ali the balls are lodged in
the same place, in that dark hole,
smaller than piece Of hundred
sous"
The man had drawn another pistol
from his belt He fired. AS before,
tho mask remained intact. The weap-
on being loaded with several bullets,
in the American fashion, the marks
man successively discharged five more
balls. Not ono OF them cut the fore
head of the white face.
The doctor laid his hand upon the
shoulder of the marksman, who Wheel
ed about. His visage, though en-
framed by u strong beard, had an ex-
preston ut once energetic and sad.
stop an instant" said the doctor to
him.
The man made. with his head. a sign
of assent Then the doctor led me to
the other end of the court. and, behind
the plaster mask, showed me q plate
of blackened iron that protected the
wall. In the centro of the plate, q
round spot glistened with reflections of
lead, produced by the fattening OF the
balls.
.'You see," said he. showing me the
exact correspondence of this brilliant
spot with the hole that pierced the
plaster mask, 'you see that all the
balls pass through there. You will
not find one of them elsewhere"
'.It Is marvellous" answered l.
''But what strange history is associated
with this man?"
Come" said the doctor to me; 81
will tell you all about il outside"
We again crossed the court and the
vestibule of the pavilion. And this is
what DIR. Noirot told me, while behind
us the detonations recommended with
regular intervals between them:-
This unfortunate man." said my
host, ''calls himself Guido Ventura Is
he an Italian, Spaniard or an Ameri-
canp That's what we don't exactly
know. Probably he is an American,
for it Is the new world particularly
that sends us these virtuosos of the re-
volver and the rifle. 1t was from
there, at all events, that this one came
to France. You may have seen him
last year at the Alcazar d'Automne,
where he gave four or five exhibitions,
and would have had all Paris running
to see him if a terrible event had not
suddenly interrupted the course of his
representations.
"But we must begin at the begin
ming. There is an exciting story in
volved, that 1 certainly am the only
person acquainted with, having with
out aid, during the six months this
man has been an inmate here, succeed
ed in reconstructing the details OF 1t
thanks to certain words that an inter-
mittent, delirium snatches from him.
Hence will give it to you as see it,
sure that my vision does not deceive
me.
Guido Ventura, when he came to
Paris, was accompanied by young
A,.,h hall hn
was a superb creature, scarcely twenty
wears of age, with the head of god
dess, and the figure of statue. Ad-
mirers were not lacking, and in less
than a week it had become the fashion
to go and see the splendid Arabella aid
in his exercises the celebrated marks
man, Guido Ventura. She stood
proudly, her ans folded, her visage
impassable, fifteen PAGES from Guido
Ventura, who directed upon her the
vain menace of his pistol, the infallible
ball of which cut a card between her
fingers, broke the bowl of Il pipe two
inches from her lips, and crushed the
shell of nut placed upon her head.
"a slight trembling of the marks
mans hand, and all would have been
over with the superb Arabella But
the hand of Guido Ventura never
trembled.
Evidently Guido Ventura loved this
creature like an idol. To be convinced
of it, it sufliced to notice one of those
flashes that shot from his eyes each
time when in the foyer of the theatre,
where he was awaiting his turn to 60
upon the stage, some gallant was I'M
usually attentive 10 the handsome girl.
Was he Jealous, alsoP Certainlyi and
he must have suffered atrOciously, fol-
his companion, as coquettish as beauti.
ful, seemed to delight in exasperating
his jealousy.
"On one occasion, the manager OF
the Alcazar d'Automne stopped her in
The wings as she was escaping with g