The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-07-06
M(J!j Eagle
A REMARKABLE SHOT.
A CITY MAN IN THE ACKNOWLEDGES
SAVES HIS WlFE'S LIFE.

Make Some Really Wonderful Target
shots-He Kills wild Panther with
an Old Colt Revolver Having Two Balls
'HThe best marksman / ever saw in st.
Lawrence county," the Adirondack guide
said, twas a Buffalo man named Birgin,
who came here a few years ago with his
wife. She was threatened with consump-
ton, and the doctors had advised her to
try the air OF the mountains. Birgin had
q neat log cabin built about two miles In
from here early in the spring, and when he
had furnished it handsomely he moved IN
with his wife and two servants. De seem
ed to have plenty OF moLIey, and didn't
have anything to do bat take care Of his
wife and sketch and write alittle and prac-
tice shooting with a revolver.
zone day Birgin showed me shot
would not believe could be made if hadn't
seen him make it three times in succession.
Some hardwood boards bad been left
where the Aoor of the cabin had been laid.
Birgin took one OF these boards and laid it
on the ground, and leveled it up carefully
with little spirit level Ten PAGES from
silver half dollar on tree. Then he got
back ten PAGES from the plank and leveled
his pistol and fired at the center of the
plank. The bullet glanced from the hard
wood and struck the mark on the tree.
This he did three times in succession. He
said that was oae of the shots that had
been taught him, and he had always kept
it in practice. Hesaid that some time his
-sr~lrf no of no tn nd ha
was right about that.
FILLING A PANTHER WITH BIRD SHOT.
after couple Of months Mrs. Birgin's
health was so much better that she was
able TO join us in short strolls into the tim
Der, and she enjoyed them very much. She
would sit on some cushions with one of the
girls an hour OF two at a time, while Biz
gin would ramble around and sketch and
examine tine rocks. On these trips 1 al
ways carried my double baTrefed muzzle
loading shotgun, and it's worth three of
any breecbloaders ever handled. In the
left barrel always had heavy charge of
powder and buckshot, and in the other
barrel a charge of fine bird shot. Deer
were ont Of season, and all we cared for
was a few birds for Mrs Birgin.
cone afternoon my boy, who was then
lad of -, had been out with my shotgun.
He came home at night good deal ex-
cited He had met some of the boys, and
they had told him about a panther that
had been seen and heard IN the height Dor
hood. He talked 80 much about the panther
that he forgot to tell me he had fired the
charge of buckshot, and left both barrels
loaded with bird shot.
THE next morning / took my shotgun
and went over TO the cabin. only looked
to see that it was loaded, and supposed the
load of bucllshot was in the left barrel, as
usual, rs the boy had never interfered with
It before. Ny carelessness, for that's what
1t was, came very near being disastrous.
Mrs. Birgin was feeling stronger than
usual that morning, and We walked long
way from The cabin. One of the servants
went with US and carried a big basket of
provisions We camped for lunch in
pretty little raVipe over near Little River.
After lunch Birgin and myself crossed the
little ravine and left the women sitting on
the bank Birgin had his revolver in his
belt as usual, and began hammering on q
rock looking for specimens, and sat look
ing on, with my gun over my knees.
Suddenly | heard stir in the under
brush on the other side of the ravine. /
tn ned my head, and you can imagine how
felt when ] saw a full grown male pan
Their only few feet back of where the wo-
men sat. It had probably been attracted
by the smell Of tho provisions and was
making ohsaZvaflo2s.
TIE DEADLY sHARPsHooTER.
my first thought was to give the pan
ther a dose of buckshot, and took quick
aim and let so my left barrel over the
heads of the women knew by the light
recoil that sonsthing was the matter, but
could not understand it. Isenb the other
charge instinctively. The panther was
less than LOO feet away.
you can imagine the effect of the bird
shot in the face Of a robust and hungry
panther. It simply maddened him. The
beast prepared to spring upon the women,
but could DO nothing with only an emptE
shotgun. At my FIRST shot Mrs Birgin
had turnsd and caught sight Of the panther
just above her, and fell in a dead flint.
"TIhe huge beast made the spring, but
went wide Of his mark and roqed down tbs
bank to the bottom of the little ravine.
Birgin had been equal to the emergency.
He spraug up instantly when l shot, and
drawing MS Colts revolver sent Il 3S-cRlibre
slug into the pa.uSher's right eve. A sec
ond slug caught him in the center Of the
1OTeneau JIlSSJ IS ne SpEauS clear OF the
ground. He jJlsS gTazed the form of Mrs.
Birgin, and was deed before hs had rolled
down TO the bottom Of tho glen.
'Biryin married up the bank to attend
TO his wife, who soon recovered. and
went to look over the panther. Its face
and neck were pepPeTed with the little
bird shot, but the empty socket and the
hole between the eyes toi$ the story. While
] was oserhaai8Dg the panther Birgin came
down and hooked Gu Now I know what
I have been Prac6icing all this time for
was all no said He told me afeerward
that he did not wait 10 f2irly get the sights,
but has long practice made 1t impossible to
miss his aim
'Birgin and the girl helped Mrs Birgin
back 20 the cabin, half carrying her most
of the way. l skinned the panther, leav-
ing on the head aud claws BirSin took
she skin with HIM 60 Buffalo when his
wife's health was fully restored in tho fall.
For while the boys had q good deal to
say about cunning for panther with bird
shot, but they won't seoR forget the two
shots with which Birgin brought down the
only panther ever killed in these woods
with pistol. "-RocheSter Democrat.