NOVEL RIFLE REST.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2084, 20 May 1907, Page 1

NOVEL RIFLE REST.

The military commandant of Victoria (Colonel Ricardo) has invented a novel rifle rest, which promises to increase materially the efficiency of the modern rifle under service conditions. Hitliorto such a thing as a rest has been regarded as heretical, because no one could seriously imagine a soldier in action solemnly drawing out a rifle rest, and setting it up in the ground before firing a shot at the enemy. Colonel Ricardo’s invention, however, is so simple and so effective that all the objections to the use of a rest are swept away at once, On the new short rifles there are no piling swivels, but tbe lugs to which the swivel was bolted are stil lon the top band. To this band the commandant has attached a neat little socket, to which are brazed two -light steel legs, about lOin long. These legs are held together by a small clip, and when the rest is not being used both legs fall behind the upper ri:(g for the sling strap, and are held there in position. When the rest is to be used the clip is pushed forward, the legs fall down at right angles to the barrel and spring apart. When shooting from the prone position the rifle is thus absolutely rigid, a condition which makes more than anything for accurate shooting. In addition, the rest has other advantages. The man’s left band is free to fill his magazine or re-adjust his sights. Indeed, with one of the commandaivtis rests a man whose left "arm was disabled through a wound could lie down behind his rifle and shoot wtih more accuracy than a man with two arms and no rest. The new invention has been submitted to the Military Board and approved. Colonel Ricardo asked fopermission to affix the rest to 50 rifles. The' Board gave orders that it should be fitted to 75 rifles. This has been done, and the cadet is now armed with them for the purpose of

malting an exhaustive tost- These 75 rifles wero made by the district armourer out) of the old cleaning'rods which wore some years ago removed from the Francotte rifles used by the cadets. The rests costs 9d each; but it is estimated that if made in England they could bo imported for: all rifles at a cost' of Is 3d each. When further tests of the rest have been made it will be brought under the notice of the British War Office. DEVIL WORSHIP IN PARIS.... • The cult of devil worshippers whose scandalous orgies shocked all Paris some years ago, has been revived (says a correspondent of the Chronicle). A quiet cafe within a few hundred yards of the detective office appears to have been selected as the templo for the carrying out of the blasphemous ritual associated with the worship of Satan. An upstairs room had boon fitted up in imitation of a church. Anonymous communications acquainted the police with what was going on. The worshippers wero in the habit of assembling nightly at the cafe. Afterwards they proceeded to the upstairs room, which had been fitted with iron shutters, and further protected from prying eyes by the addition on the inside of heavy curtains. Persons of bbtli sexes, of all ages, well-dressed ■men and women, frequented the place. All the band wero furnished with a pass-word. The police inquiries go to show that the ‘‘black mass” was celebrated nightly. There was an altar, covered with black, on which was set up an effigy of the Devil. The whole ceremony was a travesty of Christian worship ; it was in fact a close parody of a Roman Catholic mass. Some of the wonien who frequented this place were closely veiled, and others, it is said, wore male attire. The congregation appears to have been a most fashionable one.. Many arrived in motors, while the leader, or chief priest,drove up in -a carriage drawn by of white horses. On the night of Shrove Tuesday 200 persons attended, and the initiation of novices took place. They remained until the next morning. The' Devil worshippers appear to have been made aware of the intended domiciliary visit, and so they fled in time, thus evading, the police. All they left behind were a number of documents dealing with the ir ritual apd a luxuriously-fitted room.