THE NEW BULLET-RESISTING DRESS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2106, 5 July 1894, Page 34

THE NEW BULLET-RESISTING DRESS.

ASTOUNDING EXPERIMENTS BY RIFLE EXPERTS.

Has t! c German inventor of the bullet proof coat already been relegated to a back seat ? At the London Pavilion (says the Pall Mdll Budget of llih May) a private exhibition was given by Mr Manard Hubner and the Misses Julie and RD.se Manard, who constitute the Manard team of rifle experts, in the course of which was tested the bulletresisting dress which they claim to have discovered. Ib is no exaggeration to say that the half-dozen gentlemen who were present were astounded by the experiments. Mr Hubner did the shooting, and one of bhe youcg ladies played the trying role of target. Mr Hubner commenced operations by putting a few bullets through several 10-gauge rolled plates, to show the velocity of the bullets. Then Miss Manard, wearing apparently a fashionable tailormade tweed walking dress, placed herself opposite the man with the gan 10 yards away. He fired, and the ball struck her in j the chest. She smiled unconcernedly. There was no doubb about the rifle being charged. One heard the dull thud of the bullet as it struck, just as one had heard the sharp ling of the iron plate. Nor was there any trickery in the firing. Mr G. A. Payne, who was looking on, waß invited by Mr Hubner to take a shot at the lady, and the lady pleaded, as if asking Mi- Payne to take her out to luacb, "Yes, do 1"

Mr Payne had misgivings about his nerves, and declined to shoot, but he suggested a good test to prove the presence of a bullet in the gun when fired at the lady. He would, ha B did, hold a card in front of her. "Certainly," said Mr Hubner. So Mr Payne, who h-is had experience of the deadlioess of Mr Hubner's aim before this, held tbe ace o£

hearts a foot or two in front of Miss Manard, and the next bullet which struck her — in the back this time — went fir&t through the ace of hearts, as Mr Payne held ib by its extreme corner. Iv fact, Miss Manard was peppered wich bullets on back and chest without a momentary disturbance of her serenity. Oar reporter had a chat with Mr Hubner before he left the hall. It had occurred to tnis miserably sceptical journalist that the lady might have steel plates underneath tbe dress, although certainly there had, whether through the presence o£ the cloth covering or the absence of such plates, been co ringing as of metal upon metal. Mr Hubner denied point blank that this was the secret of bis surprising exhibition. " Bub is it a scientific matter or a show 7 " asked the reporter, insinuatingly. "Itis a genuine scientific discovery," said Mr Hubner ; " and I am going to submit it to a f ay test the military authorities think proper, if they will let me conduct the experiments. As an Englishman, I should not like to see our Government having yet another article 'made in Germany ' with which to equip our soldiers. The German inventor wants hundreds oE thousands for his coat. On the other hand, I shall present my secret to my country free of a:l charge, iE the War Office will accept it. I should propose that they try it on a horse with the ordinary military rifle. It would not matter much about killing the horse, although I should have no fear for the animal's safety. But, until I bo give ib freely to the Government, I allow no touching or examination of tbe material. No, it is not flexible, unless well soaked. Ib is manufactured from a material which at present lies rotting in India and Africa without use. Unlike the Garman's coat, it is extremely light. You must have observed how eaßily Miss Manard moved about while wearing it. This is an extremely light specimeD, certainly, because the tests are not severe, bub made a little heavier it would sband the riddling of a Gabling gun. I have not patented it. If I had LIOOO or so to spare with which to develop the thing I might do so ; but I have not, and that's why I should like our Government to have it and to develop it for all it's worth. Tbe simplicity of the invention will surprise everyone when ib becomes known. You would laugh if I were to tell you the material, but that must remain a secreb until I have heard from the War Office." Whether there is anything scientific or not about Mr Hubner's bullet-proof coat— and one cannot express an opinion merely upon a hurried exhibition in a music hall — his is an asbounding show.