Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1903-11-05
HAYS MEETS COLT.

SO. in obedience to his orders, and
with a letter of credit on the treas
urer Of the Texan republic, Hays took
passage in a schooner that was bound
for New York He was a month in
making the trip, for he started In
September, when the gulf is usually
stormy, and the prevailing winds are
from the southwest-and everywhere
else. They were blown into nearly
every port from Galveston northward
before they got in sight of the Island
of Manhattan. Col Hays went the
rounds Of the firearms realm in New
York 1t was not difficult undertake
ing, for there were but four or five Of
them. But he did not find anything
that he had not seen before In the
way of firearms. One day, however,
a gun dealer said: There is a man
living over in New Jersey at present
that has Just invented a pistol which
/ would like to have you see." What
is there about 1t that makes 1t differ
ent from other pistols?" asked Col.
Hays. "Well, this, for one thing: 1t
shoots six times without reloading."
Col. Hays's interest was Immediately
aroused Indeed, I'd like very much
to see it, said he. VERY well, then,
I'll have him in here with it to-mor-
row about this time" responded the
dealer. So the next day the man
came in. He was about thirty years
old and a gunsmith chiefly by trade,
though he did all sorts of work in fine
steel. He said he had just concluded
an order for sabres of officers for the
regiment of dragons just then being
raised.
"This is my pistol, colonel" said
he. opening a case and handing the
weapon to the Texas colonel. "The
instant looked at it 1 said 1t was
Just what / wanted" said Hays to.
his brother. Gen. Harry Hays, of New
Orleans. There was sixty-foot gall
lery in the rear of the store for }the
testing of arms. They took the model
pistol, which was about like the Colts
pocket arm of to-day In size, calibre
and weight, and the expert fired all
six barrels in less than minute. The
penetration was good, as was the &C
curacy. Now, want pistol of this
pattern, but with larger cylinder, an
S-inch long barrel, taking a bullet of
about fifty grains weight, made as
soon as you can make it. l will adj
vance you $50 on it now to enable you
to purchase the material and have the
barrel rified. II the pistol shoots as
well as believe it will will talk to
you about a contract for 100 Of them,
and also about a rife on the same
principle In two weeks the pistol
was ready to be tested. 1t shot very
well, with sufficient force to kill If 1t
hit man at from 100 to 80 yards
distance At the same time rifle
was constructed on the same princi-
pie. 1t was about "A calibre, with a
cylinder that would contain eighty
grains of powder and carried a round
or an oblong bullet. The arm came
up to Hays's expectations in all re-
spects. He took the model to Texas
with him and submitted 1t to his
Rangers. When 1t had been thorough
" tested, they ordered 100 Of the pis-
tolls and fifty of the rifles. The latter
were so constructed that when the
cylinder was fired it could be slipped
out and another cylinder, already
loaded, put into the arm in one time
and two motions-that is, In thirty
seconds. Shortly after the troop had
been armed with these new weapons
they were tried in a sharp fight that
settled the question Of their superior