The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1912-11-08
BULLETLESS GUN NOW USED
A GERMAN INVENTION WHICH
SHOOTS GAS INSTEAD LEAD.
U. S. Government Agents Will Use
It, 1t Gives Protection, But Does
Not Kill or Permanently Iniure.


Not Kill or Permanently Injure.
The bulletless gun has at last
made it's appearance. 1t is a Ger
man invention and instead of bullets
it shoots a gas which temporarily
blinds and chokes the victim, says
the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
The cartridge used contains several
ingredients, which, when exploded,
combine to form a vapor of a pecul-
lar character. The gun itself differs
very little in appearance and mech
anism from the ordinary double act
ion revolver. 1t holds five cart
ridges.
The action of the vapor may best
be imagined by considering the posi-
ton Of the person shot at. The APP
pearance of the weapon, the report
and the flare of the powder combine
to convince the victim that he has
been shot at with an ordinary fire.
arm. His eyes and mouth open in
surprise, and the gases generated by
| the combination of the chemicals en-
velOp his head completely, penetrat-
| ing his eyes and affecting his sight.
For several minutes he is practi
cally blind. simultaneously the mu-
! cOus membranes of the nose and
| throat are irritated and the victim
sneezes and chokes. For a minute
or two the victim finds it almost i'm
possible to breathe.
1t is obvious that no individual,
even if he were as strong as Hercu-
les, would be in a position to put up
much of a fight while in such a con-
dition.
The shotless gun is intended pri-
marily for the protection of tour
lists, commercial travellers, doctors,
cyclists automobiles, bank officials,
mail carriers, Watchmen and police
men No one wants to kill crimi-
nal unless it is absolutely necessary
for ones own preservation, and this
invention is intended to make such
a course unnecessary.
Chief VIM. J. Finn of the United
States secret service has decided to
adopt this weapon for use in the
service. In rounding up bands of
counterfeiters and other offenders
against the federal laws the chief
believes the chemical gun will prove
just as effective and at the same time
more humane than the ordinary
weapon, which frequently kills the
prisoner. Overpowered by the fumes
of this new gun any criminal, how
ever dangerous, may be readily cap
tured and by the time the effects of
the Vapor have worn off the prisoner
is safely manacled.
At the laboratories of Bendiner
and Schlesinger, at Third avenue
and Tenth street, New York, one of
the cartridges used with the chemi-
cal gun was thoroughly analysed. 1t
was found to comprise pasteboard
holder with a Illuminating cap at one
| end similar to that used in the ordi-
nary bullet cartridge. Immediately
next to the cap was small charge
| of coarse grain gunpOwder. Then
| followed large charge of capsicum,
or red pepper mixed with lycOpo-
dium, an infammable yellow pow
der consisting of the spores of club
moss and a slight trace of saltpeter.
The remainder of the holder was
filed with lycopodium.
With the pulling of the trigger the
cap explOdes the gunpowder, and the
force of the explosion unites the red
pepper and lycopodium and produces
the binding, suffcoating vapor upon
which the principle of the weapon
depends.
To test the effect of this cartridge
Mr.. Sclesinger produced guinea pig
from his laboratory and discharged
it at the animal at range of some
three feet. The guinea pig seemed
to suffer no pain, but was unable TO
opens it's eyes for the space of a
minute and seemed to have some
difficulty in breathing, as the fumes
penetrated it's nose and throat.
The test, however, hardly did JUS
tice to the weapon, for naturally
enough, the guinea pig was not in
the least alarmed at the sudden sight
of the gun, as a human being might
be, and kept his mouth shut and
his eyes nearly so. With human
being, of course, the surprise and
shock would operate to open it's vic
TINS eyes and mouth and give the
fumes a better chance to work.