The St. Louis Republic., 1903-03-15
POLICE TO HAVE REVOLVER RANGE
IN THE CHESTNUT STREET STATION.
Drillmaster Roemer Establishes
Place for Target Practice and
Will Endeavor to Have ReGu-
lar Work With Revolvers
Instituted in Near Future.

WRITTEN FOR THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC
Police officers desirous of becoming pro-
ficient with the revolver will be given a
chance for practice in the near future. a
range having been fitted up in the Chestnut
Street Station by Dr!lmaster Rcemer. The
range was practically completed Friday and
II will afford the men a chance to practice
at distances ranging from twenty to sixty
feet.
Since last winter when the match with
Chicago was shot, practice in the depart
ment has been carried on entirely by the
individuals, no collective work being car
ried out. The shooting was formerly done
al the Armory, later being shifted TO the
UnicJim range, but as the first building was
unsuitable for work in cold weather and as
lie other range was d private affair. neither
were really suitable places for the police TO
work.
Drillmaster Roemer has interested the
heads of the Police Department in his
scheme of having revolver practice on the
tenn OF shooting for the men will be ar
ranged in the near future. On account OF
the long hours on which the force is on
duty, Captain Roemer believes that prac-
;ice after these hours is impractca BILE. He
will, therefore. try to have 1t so arranged
that officers on duty can report for revolver
practice certain number Of hours a week
curing their time on duty.
No trouble was found in arranging a
ScneOCle OF the sort last winter, and IL Is
thought the various Captains can so assign
their men as to give them practice in the
daytime. Officers on DUTY at night may
have to be made special provision Tor. but
this will be attended to If Captain Roemer's
ideas are carried out.
wholesome rivalry between the various
districts last year caused considerable In
terest to be taken by the men in their
work, and the result was an improvement
In narksmanship most beneficial all around
The fifth and Tenth districts had prob
ably the best average>of craftsmanship in
the squads represented. although individual
marksmen exceiled in the Central and
Mounted districts. The men making the
highest individual scores came from these
latter two districts.
be recalled Captains Creecy and McNamee.
Sergeant Logan and Officers Shipp. Wells,
Gibbons and Longsworth. Several other
good men were in the Central District
squad.
Captains Creecy and McNamee have un-
doubtedly kept up the standard df their
work, as both have ranges at their stations
for the benefit of any men who may wish
TO practice These ranges ere entirely un-
Captains for the use of the men wishing TO
work Captain McNamee was always in
favor of having official range duly in
stalled at the Mounted District Station but
he has not yet succeeded in having the idea
carried out.
1t is thought that the Chestnut street sta
tion will afford the most central point for
the men TO practice. A large room extends
entirely over the upper floor of the station
house. and the room lends itself admirably
TO the purpose.
Frank Fromms score of last Sunday at
the Fern Glen range was the most sensa-
tional performance of the week in the
shooting way around this city, Fromm to-
falling 9 points out of a possible loo at
fifty yards-a score not yet equaled with
the revolver in st. Louis. He also tied the
worlds record for 200 shots at the distance,
making grand total of l,S00 out of a pos
eible 1000.
THE shooting was done with a 4-caliser
revolver on the regulation S-inch bull's-eye
targets furnished by the United States
Revolver Association. The entire total of
scores was shot in less than three hours
actual time, Fromm starting work at 10
O'clock and continuing until noon, then
resting for an hour and completing his work
later.
Weather conditions were favorable for the
contest which was especially remarkable |
for the steadness of the scores. Ten of his |