The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-08-23
SHE BITS THE MARK.
Mrs. Leale Surprised the English Vol
untesrs by Her Rifie-Shooting.

unteers by Her Rifle-Shootipg.
From the Netc York Saturday Lumindry.
The English volunteer camp, on Bisley
common, had a great sensation this year in
the presence of a charming young lady
Miss Leale-the daughter OF doctor prac-
ticing in the little island of Guernsey, who
is surgeon-major of the local militia force.
| This young lady took up rifie-shooting in
her island home in Guernsey some eighteen
| months ago, says London letter and made
such astonishing progress that she has beaten
nearly all the best marksmen on the island.
| Her fame soon spread all over the little
island, and when some of her friends sug-
gested that she should go to the great an
nual rifle meeting at Bisley common and
compete with the English volunteers for
some of the prizes she jumped at the idea
| with enthusiasm. When she first made her
appearance in the camp she was not taken
seriously The volunteers, thinking that no
! member Of the fair sex could have the nerve
TO compete in earnest with the crack marks
mon of England's volunteer army, did not
pay much attention to her, believing that
she was merely ludulging the latest femi-
nine craze or fad
Miss Leale, however, soon showed that
she meant business by entering for one of
the open competitions, for which there was
| nothing in the rules to prevent her trying IL
carry Off prize. When the news went
around that she was to compete for the
| Graphic prize, trophy offered by the pro-
prletors of one of London's best known
illustrated journals. there was quite furore
| all through the camp, and marksmen
crowded round the firing point to witness
| the lady using her rifle. The first round in
| the Graphic competition is anything out
child's play. There is no such thing as
| waiting till the wind falls the duststOrms
| abafA Or tho hla ri 70 hahtnI olo
before pulling the trigger. The rules are
carried out with cast precision, and
| every competitor must fire the allotted
seven shots within the short space of two
minutes or they will DO allowed no place in
the prize list.
However, Miss Leale was nothing daunted
| by these conditions. She wore O large
sleeveless cloak loosely over her shoulders,
and when the time to compete came she
| tucked her tweed dress under her, squatted
| down tailor fashion on the heath and got
ready. Having carefully looked to the
| printing of her rifle she brought the weapon
to her shoulder, closed one eye and glanced
along the barrel and sights like any male
competitor before firing her sighting shot.
She then pulled the trigger and the bullet
sped swiftly on its way to the mark right
in the center Of the target
A loud cheer burstH from the men when
the result OF the shot was signaled from the
butts and a group of ladies who we're
among the spectators clappe1 their neatly
| gloved hands most enthu siastically. How
ever, when the enterprislng lady began to
| fire the shots which we're to score for her
she did even better.
At length, when she had ceased firing, the
| dummy, amid ringing cheers, announced
the fact that she had scored no less than
| twenty-seven points There were about a
dozen male rivals of hers in the competition
| whose average scores were about twenty
| four each.
Later i'll the evening she again appeared
in the same competition at the range for 500
| yards. In this case, however she adopted n
new position. First covering her feet aud
| the lower end Of her dress, she lay down
with her face toward the grass, and grasp
| ing her rifle set coolly to work, and, 60 the
delight Of the spectators, scored five bulls
eyes out of q possible seven, thus placing
thirty more points to her credit. When
her first shot had been fired and the regis
ter-keeper called the score there was
loud applause, which was renewed when she
scored three bulrs-eyes running, the last
just as a glare of sunshine burst from be-
hind dark cloud.
Neither the sunbursts, clouds OF the wind
appeared to affect the equanimity Of thi
clever markswoman in the smallest degree
for she shot with wonderful steadiness
closing with two fine bulls eyes, whict
brought out her total to flfty-seYen.
Although the young lady did not succeed
In the competition she was well to the front,
and the whole camp was loud In her praises.
The fair rife-shooter is essentially lsdy-like,
modest, quiet and womanly in all her 40
| tiOns