The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-08-16
SEEK BANDITS WITH ARMoR.
Two ChicagOans Will Defy Robbers
in Mexican Mountains


CHICAGO, Aug. 13.-Mexican bandits
are to be defied in their own strong
holds by George A. Flavelle and Fred
Semmek, who leave Chicago Monday
for an eight months tour of the noun
famous districts of the junior republic
Each is to be supplied with one Of
Casimir Zeglen's bullet proof coats,
and possibly a cap Of same texture.
Should any ambush be laid for them
| by the Spanish American banditti, the
tourists are confident that the leaden
missiles Of the robbers will be turned
aside, while their own aim will encoun-
ter no such opposition.
Lieut.. Sarnecki, who is interested
with Brother Zeglen in the new armor,
is working industriously to have the
coats ready for the travellers The
cloth is being made by machinery and
will be of the same thickness as the
samples used in Krag- Jorgensen tests
at Fort Sheridan. Broad-cloth finished
after the fashion of German army
coats will enclose the white material
There will be nothing externally to in
dictate the formidable nature of the
lining used.
President DiaZ has not yet succeeded
in exterminating the bandits along the
Rocky mountains and the travellers are
likely to have many hot skirmishes
with the outlaws. These Mexicans are
seldom known to shoot at the face,
invariably using the body as their
mark. This practically assures the
tourists that they have taken the nee
essary precautions, though a cap may
be taken along as an extra armament.
With the bullet-proof cloth the trav-
elers are confident that they could
ride through the fire of a whole COM
pany of soldiers and escape without
a mortal wound-provided a contract
was entered into before hand that aim
ing at the face and upper limbs would
be barred.
The Chicagoans do not depend alone
on their arms to complete the massa-
ere of their foes. Mr. Flavelle expects
that the robbers when they find the
strangers invulnerable will collapse at
the prospect of engaging such Achilles
like warriors. The trip through the
mountains may, for this reason, turn
itself into a general rout of highway
men and the Americans look forward
to the termination of their soio11rn
as compliment to the Mexican ma
tion Medals bearing the arms and in
sigma of the young republic, it Is de-
clared, will probably be struck to laud
the Keats of the young travelers-if
the dream of Mr. Flavelle and the an
t1ciDated one-sided encounters with
brfgandS are realized
Il have been present at nearly all
the tests of the wonderful cloth" said
Mr.. Flavelle, land I have decided to
take no chance on that Mexican trip.
You see Mr.. Semmek and are liable
to encounter all sorts of disagreeable
people, and you can't estimate the
dangerous chances we run. Our coats
will be like the attire of the German
officer. The armor will be worn as a
lining. We will have little danger to
fear from the heaviest rifle discharged
at close range. AS for pistol balls,
why, we can almost eat them"
will you be prepared to fight brig
ands should you meet them?" was
asked
why not? We will be like a battle
ship in a fleet of unarmored merchant
men. While the robbers are shooting
at us we can calmly look about, aim
carefully and count the dead. 1 think
after our foes have sent several rounds
of ammunition in the air they will be
a little surprised at the way we keen
on our feet, and they will hail us "a
members of the supernatural order
We can then exact terms from the
enemy and lead the robbers away. if
we care to, as prisoners to the nearest
towns