SHOOTING AT A MOTOR CAR.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7801, 4 September 1903, Page 2

SHOOTING AT A MOTOR CAR.

CYCLIST GETS EVEN WITH THE MOTOR-MAN. A correspondent writes to a London newspaper, and thus describes an adveature which befell him the other day : — " Cycling along a winding and narrow lane beyond Ealing I was overtaken by a motorcar coming along at a spanking speed, and, as usual, ' pip pipping ' for room. Another cyclist was approaching from ahead 1 our speeds being such that we should have been all bunched together at the critical moment. As the car would not give way (though, the position of things was clearly visible to the driver), I thought it best to pull up, and leaned up against a soft hedge. The other cyclist brought up against a rail fence, which he grasped: The motorman then treated us ,to an exhibition of fine steering at a speed of about twenty to twenty-five miles an hour, which, however, the other cyclist appeared not to appreciate, for as the car passed he whipped out a revolver from his hip-pocket, and fired two shots an rapid succession after it. Though startled at first, I quickly realised .that the tyres of the car and not the driver had been his target. I, of course, fell into conversation with ihim, and found him to be a bronaed and athletic-looking man of the up-country colonial or Texan rancher type. I pointed out to him That revolver carrying was not usual in England, and free shooting not considered good form. ' Well,' said Jie 4 'what are you to do? You can't punch a, man's head when he's in a motorcar ! If he drove like that where I came from, he'd get a bultet in his wing at least before he had gone far.' To my question whether tyre-shooting was not a bit dangerous, he replied^ ' Not a bib of it — I'm not likely to hit a man unless I aim at him. I guess I've got one of his back tyres, 'however, if mot both!' We then parted, and' at the next village, sure enough, I found the car disabled. I gave the owner a piece of my mind, informed him what BiadV happened — for strange to say, he had not heard, or at least recognised, the revolver shots — and was pleased to find that one tyre was damaged beyond the possibility of roadside repair. When I left he was arranging for the car to be towed to the nearest station,, to be cent home by rail."