Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1905-07-31
CHAMPION SHOT PROVED AN
ALiBI WITH A REVOLVER

Captain Hardy, the champion fancy
rifle and pistol shot of the world,
lives in Lincoln, Neb, when he's at
home. and is known among sports
men as a marvel in shooting. Some
of his feats appear almost incredible
He is about 55 years old, but has
been good shot since he was h..v.
says the Sioux City Tribune He
and his brother were once under ar
rest at Hyannis. Neb., charged with
assault with intent to kill brakeman
Who had booted Cap off the train.
Cap" and his brother, number
of years ago decided to beat their
way on freight trains from the old
home in Ohio to the Pacific coast.
Both were good shots. cap" especial
ly so. They had a code of signals ar
ranged while jumping thains. so that
they would not be separated. If one
was caught by train hand and Rad
to get off, it was his duty to Ere his
revolver to let the other know he had
failed. Whereupon the one who had
successfully boarded the freight
would jump Off
In Hyannis the boys tackled train.
but "Cap" was detected and had to
jump. AS soon as he struck the
ground and while the brakeman from
the top of the car was watching him,
he pulled out his revolver and fired
a shot into the air. The "brakey"
ducked. the train was stopped and
the brothers taken into custody
They were charged with assault with
intent to kill and. being strangers.
there appeared to be no way of their
lodging the penitentiary "Cap"
was picked out as the particular
bloodthirsty individual who had at
tempted the life Of the brakeman.
who swore that he had pointed his
gun straight at him at distance of
10 feet and attempted to shoot him
from the cars. The Hardy brothers
told their story about the signal they
had arranged. Although shabbily
dressed. their apparent refinement
made an impression on the jury, a
fact a young attoroney appointed to
defend them was quick to note.
"Your honor he said. addressing
the Judge. "this brakeman is mis-
taken about Mr.. Hardy here trying to
shoot him. If Hardy had tried. he
would have succeeded. If you will
place the jury in charge of the sher-
if. adjourn court and come with me
and the defendants to a vacant lot
near here I'll illustrate the point
Considerably mystified. but inter
ested by the novelty Of the request.
the Judge took a recess and every
body went down to vacant lot near
the Jail. There "Cap" Hardy was
given the pistol which he carried at
the time of the trouble with the brake
man and told to show the jury what
he could do.
Hardy put up a tomato can about
90 PAGES away and emptied the re-
Nolver into it, Then dozen oys-
ter crackers were placed on a fence
rail and Hardy, stepping back 10
PAGES. shot them off, one after an
ether. as fast as he could pull the
trigger When he put three bullets
Into can thrown in the air and
wound up his exhibition by shooting
breaking the glass. the crowd cheer
ed.
My point is resumed the attor-
ney for the defendant when court had
reconvened, ssthat Captain Hardy did
not shoot at this brakeman I believe
you will agree, if he had, there would
have been one less brakeman in the
world"
The jurymen thought so. too. and
returned a verdict of acquittal with
out leaving their seats.
,'Cap" Hardy takes an ordinary
22-calibre rifle and, hurting out an
empty shell turns and blows it to
pieces with a bullet from the same
gun. before the shell reaches the
ground He takes a mirror and look
ing into it picks off with a revolver
dozens of small targets the size of
quarter. With a rifle he outlines
en- board an Indian chieftain's head.
pricking in the feathers and hair
with bullets He is also a clever
hand with the shotgun