The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-11-20
The GUN TESTS.
Interesting Experiments at the Tor
pedo Station.
The Cold Wave Strikes Newport-TIis-
torical Society Wants Rhode Is
lands Stocks and Pillory.
Special 20 the NsiUs.

NEWPORT, Nov. 20.-The naval small
arm board re-conveped at the Torpedo
George Luger, OF Berlin, Germany, pre-
sented his gun for trial. Ii is OF 6-milli-
meter, and has been adopted for
the Spanish cavalry. The first
test for endurance, which consists of
500 rounds without cleaning. There was
only TWO hard extractions. In the safety
and general action test only one primer
dropped out. The tests for defective am
munit ion and excessive charges were
carried out without interruption. In
the. rspidity with accuracy tests
20 shots were made by an
expert IN AZ seconds and by novice.
IN minute and 22 seconds. Two minutes
shooting by the expert 56 shots were fred
and 81 by the novice. The tests for dust
and rust will be made today, when the
burst gun will be taken mp. These tests
are closely wetched by army and navy
people the world over.
In the Supreme Court yesterday the At
torney- Generals docket of criminal cases
was quickly disposed of, there being but
three sentences imposed, which being put
together would not amount to one year
There was some Excitement produced by
the action of Mr.. and Mrs. Alex Ovens
OF Tiverton when their bail was
refused. They bad 10 be elected from the
courtroom and their friend, who had
hopes of gaining freedom, had to 20 to
Jail. Today the civil suit brought by
Patrick u. Sullivan VS.. Savings Bank OF
Newport is being tried.
1t was learnrd yesterday the "Bill the
Brute" or William Stetson as he is known
to the social world has confessed to being
tho person who robbed the Gerry and
Ellis villas here during the summer of
1888, for which he was tried and acquitted.
he is now under arrest in New York for a
similar offence.
The 1e4th annual report OF the Redwood
Library and Atheraeum has just been
issued. II shows that the shelves contain
40.S79 volumes aud during tho lest year
II, ,6li demands were supplied. This is
most agrece bic Institution TO summer and
permanent residents alike.
There was lively contest in the prob
ate court yesterday morning over the
guardianship of seven yesr-old Edward
McMnhon, son of the late james A.
Mcmahon, whose death, his relatives
think, ives due TO foul means. The grand
father petitioned for the appointment,
and the child's mother, who remarked
two weeks after her hus stands death. OPP
posed the appointment. she wanted
the child, but the court decided that the
child would be better of with his
grand father and so made the decree. It
Is a rather complicated affair as the man
who married the cbild's mother 10 now
under arrest for bigamy, he having a
wife and several children living, whom ne
left TO marry Mrs. McMahon, now Mrs.
Charles Taplin.
At an early hour yesterday morning
some young men returning homo found
and old lady, half clothed and without
shoes, on Thames street. She had been put
out OF the house by an unknown man
who then barricaded the door. Kind
friends assisted her and the police are in
vestigatiug.
Postmaster Young has promised the
citizens to try and secure SUNDAY mail
for them.
Mrs. Baldwin has returned from Wash
ington.
The Fort Adams foot ball team have
returned from New York
Newport is now subject to the FIRST cold
wave 81 the winter, striking yesterday
afternoon, and when the sun set the tenn
perature was way below freezing point.
As tho night advanced, colder it grew.
The ground was soon frozen hard and ice
formed nearly an inch thick during the
night. The cold wave was accompanied
by a strong wind which made things
more unpleasant.
Al the meeting of the Newport Histori-
cnl Society held last night 10 was voted TO
ask the General Assembly to turn over to
the society ths old pillorv and stocks now
in the garrett OF the State House. They
were used on Washington square here as
late as 1928.