Evening journal., 1909-10-27
M'CREA A WIZARD
WITH THE RIFLE
Young Mans Workmanship
at opera House Astonishing
to Everybody

Just at this time when the state IL pro-
vlding rife ranges 70 furni4h the neces-
sary opportunity for the miliiamen Of Is
state to practice rifle shooting and prizes
are being offered to those making the best
scores the work OF Frank McCrea, now
appearing at the Opera House. will be
found particularly interesting.
SO daring are the feats performed by
Mccrea with his rife that some wno have
witnessed his performance are almost led
to believe that there Is some trick about
It. There is not. He uses an ordinary re-
peating rife Of standard make and a 22
calibre bullet.
A reporter found Mr.. McCrea to be
stockily built young man Of about 25
years with a cool head and a steady hand.
He is not inclined TO talk much about his
feats. II was possible to got out Of him
that he had been on the vaudeville stage
for six years but previous to tina, he had
been shooting. "Ilow long have you been
shootingY" was asked. Twenty years."
he replied in his que. way d then 4eei 8
that the reporter was trying to figure out
how that was possible, he added. you
see | was only fve years old when be-
gan. My father had a shooting gallery in
Pittsburg and also gave exhibitions az
various places close by and l began shoot
ing as soon as / was able to hold up lit
tic rifle"
Asked II he had ever had an accident
Mr.. McCrea replied that he had not and
then added Maybe I am lucky. but /
never think OF having an accident
Were you ever stopped from giving an
exhibition" was asked.
mot In a theatre" was the reply. In
Ottawa, Canada, recently ! was stopped
from giving a public exhibition on top Of
low building by the authorities but the
reason given was that there was a law
against putin of firearms on the
streets"
According to the Ottawa newspapers
there was a lively time over the proposed
exhibition spoken Of. The auth rides were
afraid that the William Tell act pr posed
would result In injury to someone and
they stopped McCrea from shooting an
orange off the head of his assistant.
Az a matter Of fact Mr. McCr,a at each
performance does William Tell act
which places the ottawa attempt in the
shade. His assistant PAGES sort of
leather cap upon his head ana alb ,ut this
and within less than an inch from the
mans skull are fifteen gas balls which
McCrea skaters faster tnan the ave age
man could shoot a gun without taking
aim. Neither McCrea nor MS ass slant
consider that there is any DANGER I'm the
feat. Perhaps the. feat which as at
he
mon Is the double shooting act which he
performs. A glass ball Is placed on a
screen nd the assistant who Is several
feet distant from the glass ban places a
pipe in his mouth. With a rifle IN each
hand and firing both rides at once Nc
Crea skaters the glass ball and the PIPE
In the mans mouth AT the performance
| this afternoon and evening WIN be the last
opportunities to see this marksman.
The remainder OF the bill mot with
marked success at the Opera House yes
terday Fred Hamnl and his Bathing
Beauties responded to an encore aud also
to answer a number OF curtain calls al the
performances. Kent and VIII ans contin-
ued to extract hearty laughs out Of the
I audience. Kyle. Gurney = Comuanv
made new friends with their playiet '~fne
Cowpuncher's Boss" The Aerial Wilson's,
who might be termed aerial come isns,
kept the audience laughing and a t7nishod
by turns and even the pictures were ap-
plauded, for they are among the best
pictures yet shown at the heatre. To-
morrow there will be a change Of bill and
some more attractions of more than usual
( merit have been booked FOR the la I three
days Of the week.