Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-04-19
THIS COWBOY CAN SHOOT.
Feats Performed by Capt. Hardy for
the Governor of Nebraska.

Some remarkable rifle and revolver
shooting was done at Lincoln, Neb. the
other day by Capt. A. a. Hardy, a cow
boy friend of Gov. Savage. When the
governor attended a big roundup Mt
Hyannis last fall he ran across Hardy
who punches cows on the range most
OF the year.
After his return the governor began
telling tales of Hardy's prowess that
were greeted with jeers by local marks
men. To re-establish his reputation as
veracious sportsman, he invited
Hardy down to give the city fellows
some points on how to hit things.
Hardy has never given public exhi-
billions of his skill for money. Here
are some of the things he did before
the 400 sportsmen on the grounds of
the Lincoln Gun Club.
He handed Gov. Savage a handful OF
hickory nuts, and asked him to throw
them up In the air as fast rs he could.
one after the other. Not one escaped
his bullet. Five or six cents thrown
fifteen feet in the air, never came back.
At a distance of fifteen PAGES he cut
clean in two an ordinary business card
held by the governor. He directed n
friend to hold card out at arms
length, and within the space the size of
nickle he placed five bullets as fast as
they could be fired.
Half a dozen hazel nuts. stuck on
skewers, and forming a three quarter
circle on the head of a man. were shot
off in succession from a distance of
twenty PAGES. The six nuts were sho,
off
werc left exactly the same length,
showing that he had hit each nut
squarely in the center.
The captain borrowed a watch from
one of the spectators He marked on a
card Il spot about the size of a cent.
This card he gave to the man assisting
him, and stationed him ten races north
of him.
The captain faced TO the east with
his body, but turned his head due
south. He rested his rifle on his ex-
tended left arm, sighted it by means of
q reflection in the case of the watch,
and put a bullet within a quarter Of an
inch of the spot on the card.
Arching his body until his feet and
his head touched the ground, he PUT
five bullets, as fast as he could deliver
them into a small business card held
by his assistant
Some one called his attention to an
English sparrow roofing in dirt pile
fifty yards away. Hardy picked UP his;
rife, but had scarcely got it to his
shoulder. and had seemingly taken no
aim, when the bird rolled over dead
An examination showed that it's head
had been cut clean off.
He had his assistant throw three
glass balls in rapid succession, as fast
as he could. Each one was splintered,
the last one just as it began the de-
scent.
Some fine revolver feats followed
He filled card three by five inches
with bullets. 1t was held not ten PAGES
from him, by q friend, but his nerve
| never failed him.
Several feats, with thumbing the re-
Volver We're shown. He took the gun
| in the ordinary position, whirled il
round in his hand, ana as it fell into
position, put bullet after bullet into q
| small mark. He Whirled it around his
| thumb, and sent the hickory nuts
4 thrown into the air in every direction.
Then he apclosized because he said
! ne hadn't been practising much lately,
and. besides, he hadn't any parapher-
MALTA that would enable him to do some
more sensational and difficult shots.
such as walking on wire and shooting
| glass balls as he went.
Hardy is a typical cowboy in appear
ance, tall and gaunt, six feet high, and
little inclined to get "ehesty'' over his
| remarkable skill.