1935-02-25 — Page 15

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY

1935.

HISTORY OF REVOLVER

-SAMUEL COLT'S INVENTION

DAYS OF THE PEPPER-BOX

(By Special Correspondent.)

romance have so Logond and druped themselves about the name of Samuel Cait that it in difficult to dinontangle even a amall amount of fact from the mass of obvious fiction.

now

FANCY DRESS FASHIONS

PASSING OF THE PIERROT

PIRATES STILL POPULAR

(By Special Correspondent.)

London,

The fancy dress "season" has been flourishing for naveral weeks

He was born in Hartford, Con-now, and it is interesting to nbiles necticut, in 1814. At the age of how swiftly and surely fashions feurtech he ran away from school change even in make-believe of this-

kind. and shipped on a vessel bound for

It must be remembered that, like India. It is said that a wooden model revolver, which is still pre-films, fancy-dreas dances may be served, was made by him during divided into two classes. There are, so to speak, the "A" entertain- that voyage

The youthful Colt is supposed to menta for adults, and the "U" for have visited the Tower when his children, and fashions at the two arc very different. Broadly, it ship called at the Port of London, nid that the children's ro-can and there to have seen the volving arquebus which had belong costumes are much more elaborate ed to Henry VIII. Be that as it than their seniors. Perhaps it is may, Collier, an English gunsmith, because they do not have to pro-. had made a revolving flint-lock vido their own! At any rate, carbine as early as 1810, a weapon whether "A" or "U," fashions have which much resembled the Celt changed just as decidedly, if in a

different way. revolver.

A few years ago it was a safe Apparently

Colt returned to school after his experience as a wager that at any grown-up fancy- sailor, and was subsequently a fcc-dress dance there would be at least turer in chemistry. Not until he a platoon of pierrots. Any had passed his twentieth year did who could think of nothing more ho become again interested in his original used to become a plorrot.

This year the plorrot seems to rovolver, and in 1835 patented It in London, Paris, and America, and be practically extinct. The man- thereby founded the immense bust-ager of a well-known firm which ness of the Colt's Patent Firearms caters for fancy dress auggested n physical reason for this. He Company.

Before the days of Colt's the pointed out that the ruff that went most advanced hand-gun was the with the pierrot costurae soon be excessively uncomfortable. "popper-box," an ingenious muzzle-

He went on to complain a little loading, percussion-cap weapon

came

man

The guard of honour, composed of the New Zealand Defence Force, is seen lined up before the city hall in Wellington, New Zexland, na they were inspected by the Duke of Gloucester on hla visit to

New Zealand and Australia.

SPEEDING UP IN known as "the depositions."

COURT

MAGISTRATE'S

SCHEME

TAKING OF EVIDENCE

(By Alfred Fellows

London.

or

FRIGHTENED TO DEATH

A valuable draught horse owned of Heathcote, by Mr. J. Craven Victoria, Australia, took fright and dropped dead in a paddock when it aw elephants which were appear- ing in à cireus locally, go by, says Austral News.

to "lead" a

A statement of the testimony a witness is expected to give, which solleltars hope he will give, is of course no new thing, for it is embodied in the brief of every NEW counsel who has to call one. Lawyers know it as the witness's "proof." Sometimes, they have to lament that the testimory, like wenk spirits, is considerably below proof. No such statement or proof, however, would be accepted for a moment na deposition by the Court above, for the depositions (with before him, might allow examining. certain necessary exceptions) are counsel or solicitor confined to the written records of witness, Le., Indiente to him the to be taken this year by with six borrels which all revolved. any that the plerrot's place

oral testimony. If, how answer he was expected to make. Mr. Snell, the Marylebone magis-warn Though there was a kind of guard the Russian-moujik, commissar: trate, has stated his Intention to ever, a magistrate and his clark If prisoner was represented by to keep the Caps in place, they

Cossack, kulak, or what not. His adopt a new scheme to expedite have on their desks the story an counsel there would be a safeguard, were very likely to fall off the bitterness was due to the fact that, business in his Court.

intelligent and truthful witness nipples, particularly if the platol

Briefly, it appears to be an at-proposes to tell, and the witness but it would be otherwise if ho was carried ready primed in the In the main, this is a costume that pocket. To some extent the curly make or less makes itself, as it tempt in shorten the time of taking repeats it in the box without any were not professionally defended. Colts had the same fault; but the only needs a Russian-like shirt over evidence. That is usually a lengthy material variation, the time and Mr. Suell's plan, though it might

a pair of ordinary evening trousers.

process from the fact that the trouble of writing it all down again apply to the examination of wit- neases for the defence, where such guard fitted to them was a mus It was like, he said, the outbreak of judge or magistrate's clerk, as the may largely be saved.

defence was not reserved, could not more practical affair, and the caps boy scouts" and "infants" a few case may be, ought to take it down were more likely to stay on the years ago, which only

A POSSIBLE DANGER

he carried out for the unexpected needed a verbatim as given. and te not

questions and answers of cross- nipples than fall off them.

shirt and a pair of shorts. Luckily, obliged to use shorthand. In the Thus, if there are many witnesses examination, or of the re-examina- this made all except the FIRM CLOSED DOWN

most preliminary hearing for an indict (in the case before Mr. Snell the tion arising thereon. slim and shrpely look so exceeding-able offence the evidence so taken prosecution proposed to call thirty- The Colt revolver did not nehlovely foolish that the fashion soon down is, if the recured is sent for|five) a case may be considerably į Purely formal and unchallenged an immediate success. Though the ended and ex-Boy Scouts were only trial, read over and signed by each shortened. This, on the face of it, evidence is, of course, taken at con- United States Army urad it against too glad to become "hussara" or witness and countersigned by the appears to be the essence of Mr. siderable speed already, even to the Florida Indians lo 1837, there "knights in armour" once again. magistrate (er one of them) and Snell's plan or experiment. Such a the practice of counsel giving it was, so ittle demand for the new

Pirates, apparently, are still afterwards transmitted to the practice to become valld would and the witness assenting, eg, arm that the small company which popular, and so are soldiers (of superior Court which will try the sooner or later have to be recog "You are A.B. of such and such Colt had started in 1835 ceased the past, not of the present). prisoner. This written evidence,nised by the judges of the King's an address and business?"—a lend- production in 1842, and when Long John Silvers continue to or the portion of it testified by | Beach. A possible danger might ins question to which no one would General Zachary Taylor sent for a flourish, and Mad Hatters continue witnesses for the prosecution, is be that a magistrate, with the proof think of taking objection. supply for use in Mexico there to cat slices of bread and butter were none to be had.

in friendly crowds. Costers and In 1847 the United States pillar-boxes are on the wane. Government ordered thousand One striking fact is the Jia- revolvers from Cult, and almoat at appearance of the "Devil" from the. the same time the settlers and dances of 1935. Not very long ago backwoodsmen recognised its utility Mephistopheles was a sure visitor for defence. The "sixshooter" be to every fancy-dress dance. and came a personal friend to many often there would be the odd spec- thousands, and skill in its use tacle of half a dozen of these thing to be talked about. Ameri- terrifying visitante fraternising at can citizens developed the habit of the buffet. Now one is more likely

"celed," going

and Samuel Colt to see "Three Little Pigs.". reaped the benefit.

The Colt was cocked by drawing

back the hammer with the thumb,"two-gun" work came from this. the cylinder being rotated also by It is not impossible to hit two this action. British makers, who fairly large marks at short range were soon in the field, used the pull with bullets from two guns fired of the trigger to rotate the cylin-almultaneously, though the

feat der. It was not until 1851 that an requires a lot of practice. Englishman, Adams, produced the

double-action revolver, We now Quickness in drawing the revol- have it. The first breech-loadingver was essential, and many were revolvers were made about 1868, the devices for ensuring the gun and the first self-extructors about would be there when wanted, 1875.

particularly by those who wished

HIP FIRING

to conceal the fact that they were armed. The "gopd citizen" in the *Though inanу extraordinaryWest usually carried his gun in atorics of feats with the revolver hip holster, however. became current, even in the carly.

days of the arm, and though much Despite the great development in of the revolver work shown In the automatic pistol, the revolver Wild West film is ridiculous, there is still pre-eminent for accuracy is no doubt that there was a con- and reliability, and one hundred siderable amount of dexterity in years after Colt's first patent the the early days.

British forces are being rearmed Firing from the hip, or oven with a now and very much im- from the pocket, was a develop proved revolver of 38 Inch calibre, ment due to the "bad man," and to replace the well-known 45.

Scene from the Daka-NDLS Glmi "The Old and the Young." The picture concerps the life of the Prussian soldier-King Frederick William (« part acted by Emil Jennings) and bis relations to the young Fritz, who later became known as Frederick the Great.

AIR FRANCE.

CORRESPONDENCES BY AIR MAIL TO EUROPE.

The Company "AIR FRANCE"" has the honour to Inform the. public that from the 1st of February, 1935, its weekly line LONDON PARIS SAIGON will be extended up to HANOI *(Tonkin), on the itinerary CALCUTTA—RANCOON÷BANGKOK-

HANDI.

The time table has been scheduled as follows:

*From Europo, to China: Departure from London or Paris every week on Wednesdays. Arrival in 'Hanoi. the following week on Saturdays at about 10 a.m.

DURATION OF THE TRIP LONDON OR PARIS TO HANOI:

10% days,

From China to Europe: Departure from Hanol every Saturday at

about noon. Arrival in Paris or London.

on Tuesdays of the second following week.

The flying machines on the route are fitted with trimators--

and carry:

MAIL. FREIGHT. PASSENGERS.

For all informations apply to:

COMPAGNIE DES MESSAGERIES MARITIMES

3 Queen's Building,

BOY B

Sole Agents:-

Agents for "AIR FRANCE"

the genuine

Tuborg

Pilsener

GANDE, PRICE & CO., LTD.

Telephone 20135.

THE

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HONGKONG HOTEL; REPULSE BAY HOTEL;

PEAK HOTEL -

& SHANGHAI

ASTOR HOUSE; PALACE HOTEL:

HOTELS LIMITED.

In association with the Grand Hotel dos Wagons Lits, Poking

Penang

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also under the same management THE CRAG HOTEL Penang Hill

IA health station)

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Lord Byng of Viny, a former Governor-General of Canada, Is seen sujoying a cup of ten with Man Wast, famed klonda mogła star

of Hollywood, kl was about this time that the famous soldier was

afflicted with a heart attack.

· Maori tribesmen doing a war dance in honour of the visit of the Duke of Gloucester to Now Zealand.

JÚST OPPOSITE the Dairy Farm's Soda Fountain.

The MING NA

removed

No. 6 Quee

STUDIO

3r

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