The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-01-18
A LONG SHOT.
New Orleans Times Democrat

New Orleans Times Democrat.
Professor Wild was delivering conrse of
lectures on science, to large audiences. He
was great favorite with the public, and his
lectures we're invariably entertaining aud
instructive On the night of the oath of
April his subject WAS, "Pcojsctiles." He be.
gan fer back In ancient times, aud described,
with wonderful distinctness. the curions old
machines which the Romans used In sieges,
for throwing great stones against the walls
and Notifications of beleaguered cities.
Thence. down through the middle ages, he
traced the many changes aud improvements
In the science of prof sctiles until the inven-
ton of gunpo"der. Here he laid himself
out, and gave, with minute accuracy, the his
tory o. artillery aad small arms up to the
period, some forty years past when first
began the series of improvements in long
range guns, which eliminated in the wen
derful rifles and Iifed cannons of the presen
day
He illustrate the subject with diagrams
on . very large black board. showing The
piece, cannon or rifle, elevated for q long
shot, and the trajectory or path Of the
elongated, conical ball. For a great distance
from the gun, the track of the prolectile was
apparently straight and ascen ding To crest
height, then it began TO curve downward
and the curve. slight at first, grew rapidly
more and more decided, until al asst it was
more downward than forward. Pictures of
the probe ctile were drawn at q several points
along It's path, and the Professor called par.
ticular attention to the fact that the axis OF
the ball. that is, the imaginary line passiD z
length wise and centrally through it, pre-
served its parallelsm to the barrel OF the
gun throughout its entire course. In other
words, If the gun was pointed upward at an
elevation OF thirty uegrees. the projectile
would AL the way point upward at the same
angle, and finally strike its distant target,
not directly point foremost. but some what
sidewtse, point upward aud base downward
and make Q hole through it Of an elongated
shape. more or less, according to the elevR
tion OF the muzzle of the gun above its
bYeech.
He was 90 clear in his explanation Of prin-
ciples that the 6ullest listener could not fail
to understand him. There was one in the
crowd. On ignorant man In book lore, but
one of . remarkably clever perception. who
Wa much interested In the lecture and thor
oughly comprehended what ne heard This
was Policems Powers. 1t was ordered that
an officer attend every lecture and Powers
had been detailed for that nigh s.
More than week had elapsed. and two
other lectures mad been delivered. On the
third day of May the Professor had gone
soon after breakfast, TO the lecture hall, to
draw the diagrams necessary for eiucidation
Of the subject to be treated on the ensuing
night. He had finished his drawings and
was leaving when he met policeman st the
door
Il beg pardon. Professor, for stopping you.
hv1e hA "a
you'll be 30 good, to ask your ala in matter
Of business. My name Is Powers, and b.
long to the city force
ITO ask my aid, Mr. Powers?' said the
Professor. why how is it possible for a man
In my business to aid one in yours?''
I'll explain, sir, il you please" answered
Powers. "You see, sir there's been a shock
Ing murder, or at least a killing. for it may
have been an accident, and We are all al
fault about it It's very strange, as youll
admit when tell YOU"
well, proceed Mr.. Pc xers, and tell me, y
replied the Professor.
Eyes, sir; I'll be short about it," and he
rapidly gave the folio wing particulars:
Henry Vandyke, very wealthy man,
forty years of age and unmarried. owned
vacant lots on the remote borders of the city.
On some of them be had erected we'll ar
ranged residences, suitable for business men
Of moderate incomes, and IN one of these he
had lived for nearly twelve months. He
nlept in . room on the second floor. and his
bed stood near q window looking out across
= vide waste of unimproved land. Ths re
vas no building within three quarters of
mile in that direction. except an unfinished
boilding about 800 yards distant, upon
which wovkmen were then engaged. Mr.
Vsndyke had come home In cab at late
hour and gone to bed as usual the night be
tore. On that morning be was found dead
IN his bead. shot through the heart. The
ball had passed through the window-glass.
through the curtain, through the bed cover,
through his body, through the bed raj,
Glanced from the floor, and stuck in the op-
poeite wall. 1t was very large, heavy. en-
fonrnfed ball, aud must have heen fred
from = gun with heavy charge of powder,
In order to go with Sd much force The
gun. too. must have made q tremendous re-
mort. and yet il Was certain that no report
CT any gun had been heard on that night 10
that part OF the city. nor, in fact,
In anv other part, as was known
from particular inquiries at headquarters
The hole through the window glass was
much higher than the bed, showing that the
I'M vas descending as il it had been fred
from the clouds. The thing was entirely in
20 the coroner and the cor
oner's jury. A man had been killed at
~ hour of the night, when all was hushed
y
have been heard all over the city, aud no
Eun had been heard 1t was hideous mys-
lsry. Bat Powers had an idea. Having
h~Srd that lac ,ure he thought he understood
hoV the ball, IL fired from long distance
nd at an angle Of great elevation. would
resch IT. victim IN . descending curve |
called In among the first, and being an Of |
Rosr, he ordered that the bed should not be
mov,d nor the BODY on the bed, and having
the coroner with jury, re
1ueeted that they should leave everything
= they found it. He then vent in search of
Professor Wild He the only man living"
|houohr PoWsrs who can tell me where /
Dis ball came FROM" His quest resulted in
he interview 1T the hall
Professor Wild PAS deeply interested, and
lGDsused readily To the officers request
Wifhout : moments hesitation they TOOK a II
nab and drove RAPIDLY to the scene OF the
murder.
Ths cororers jury had made the closest
DUamination possible and rendered their