European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 8, 1968, Darmstadt, Hesse The Winchester Model 66 whose storm of fire decimated the russian ranks. By John Reese staff writer few americans excepting possibly assiduous students of european Mil itary history Ever heard of the Bat Leof Plevna. But this Battle fought for Possession of a Small City in North Central Bulgaria in 1877 during the Russo turkish War marked a significant turning Point in military weaponry. Of special importance to american Sis the fact that the weapon which turned the tide of Battle was a famous Ameri can Rifle the Winchester. The turks firing 1866 Winchester repeating rifles against russians in Supe rior numbers armed with single shot rifles decimated the russian ranks time after time. On the morning of july 30 the rus sians massed in front of the fortified bulgarian City. Barely half As Man turks waited behind their earthen breastworks for the assault. Gen. Todleben the russian commander was prepared to lose the leading Waves of his assault troops but was confident that his advancing masses would eventually engulf the russians were armed with Ber clan and Kronka Breech loading single shot rifles. They Felt they would be a match for the american Martini pea body single shots in the hands of the entrenched the Long Range Martini Peabody began taking their toll according to Tod Leben at 1.25 Miles. Perhaps the observers were too excited to estimate Range properly but this seems an exorbitant claim for any Rifle of that Martini pea Boucly was know to have killing accuracy out to 700 Yards but much farther than that appears ques absorbing their losses the russians moved closer to the redoubt until the leading lines had closed to within 200 Yards a pause came in the turkish firing. Then at 100 Yards the storm of fire broke with terrible fury upon the rus Sian ranks. The Winchester scythe Down russians by the thousands until the russians were forced to fall blackout of Range of that withering rapid fire. The russians tried the assault three More times in the ensuing months and lost 30,000 , hat had happened was this rus Sian intelligence had Learned and til reported that the turks had received 30,000 Winchester repeaters the first Soever Bear the company s name. But what the russians did not know was that these rifles instead of being in the hands of turkish cavalry As supposed had been issued to the infantry defending Plevna. It was chambered for the turkish .44rimfire Cartridge and each Turk defender had drawn 600 rounds. At Long Range the Rifle was of no great effectiveness. But when the Range closed the turks switched to Winchester and the massed firepower they afforded was disastrous to the russians. Seventeen cartridges could be loaded into the a letter written later Todleben claimed that the turkish fire chopped prussian divisions of 10,000 men until they contained Only 4,000 to 5,000 carnage was the worst he had Ever experienced in his Many hush settled Over the Chancell eries of Europe that summer of 1877. Ever european nation set about to Arm itself with repeaters As soon As possible. The turks went Back to Winchester for 140, 000 More repeaters and then to German for a Long succession of advanced Mauser Day of the single shot military Small Arm was dead. Bellamy today after a career of meet girl get girl lose by Harold Heffernan Nana staff writer r a dozen years or More Ralph Bellamy played the other Man movies he lost More wives and girl was than he likes to remember. H crowing frustration he saw such ice options of his career As jilt final Straw came when he read Hollywood script describing a Cha Ter As charming but Dull a Type Ralph Bellamy at that Point Amy packed his bags and headed new York determined in his words find a role with found it in fact he s played succession of vehicles that mad handsome Veteran a new Broadways in such hits As tomorrow the r Al state of the Union Detec a Story and Sunrise at Campbel " in which his interpretation of Frank a. Roosevelt brought him world be attention. In found it doubly Gratifying to Beir and secure husband of Jane Ratt in my father and my Moth " on the lbs playhouse. The Draman corned a Man who when life be nes too Complex yearns for Heiple Days of his boyhood. I Don t want to be billed As a tub per said Ralph but this really the kind of role actors dream it might seem to Edge toward. Sentimental and then bang some ing happens to bring you up hat was t the Way it was with Amy in his pre Broadway movies he recalled. With hardly an exception it was Lamy meets girl gets girl loses he laughed. At that it took main amount of Talent to alienate All Fie women. I d be so Good natured1 easy going no Man could resist King Over me. And no woman Couldst giving me the heave to when Leone More attractive came he had one Consolation he lost outto such stalwarts As Clark Gable Gary Grant Fred Macmurray for example. Bellamy made his first movie in 1931,"the Scarlet in the next 12 years he won pm and lost pm in More than80 films including the awful truth dive bomber and lady on a headed for Broadway in 1943 and in 1958 won the new York critics Cir Leaward As Best actor for Sunrise at Campobello recreating his portrayal of Franklin d. Roosevelt in the motion picture. That was when his screen career took its upward turn. B Ella my s latest have been project 120," the professionals and Rose Mary s baby which he finished a few weeks ago at Paramount. And be likes to Point out that in not one of them or in to guesting has he been the recently Bellamy raised eyebrows Bya to commercial he did for a widely advertised tonic s usually a hint of criticism if a dramatic actor gives a pitch foursome product he says. But i feel there s no disgrace if you can project that kind of Selling ability. After All that s what acting is. And the Money Good too he said. Bellamy admits to nursing an Odd Hobby collecting newspaper stories about senior citizens doing things like learning to Fly and ski diving and sends them to his just want to show him what older people can do he family joke comes off because Bellamy s father Charles Rexford Bel Lamy of Chicago is 90 and is still go ing Strong. Says Ralph dad retire not too Long ago from his advertising Job. He takes Long walks every Day smokes like a broken Chimney and does t mind a nip of Bourbon now and Page 12 the stars and stripes Ralph with Fay Wray in 1933 movie. He won pm and lost pm in 80 films. Friday in 1958 he won award for Hij portrayal of for. Uhi " i told you the kid would love it i o sphere s a Rumor going around that Al cartoonist Gahan Wilson s work is smuggled out of a mental institution. Ills cartoons portray a macabre world of bumbling and mad geniuses uncanny idiots and incompetent monsters who stroll in and out of everyday life and take on an amazing resemblance to theman in the Street. They also include Santa Claus As a a Skeleton who has been plugging a Chimney for months b a hulking ogre who frightens children into obedience and c a helpless old Man who Dis covers his elves have switched to War toy production. So it May come As a disappointment to his fans and critics to find that Gahan Wilson is not Only sane but a37-year-old introvert who lives the quiet life of a country gentleman in Kent Conn. He does t cackle when he laughs and his eyes Don t even have a mad gleam. Instead t there s a tall hefty individual with slightly shaggy hair a Low pitched voice and a Way of peering quizzically at fellow humans. What offends me More than anything else is that people think i m sympathetic to sadism the cartoonist said Inan interview. My monsters Are essentially pathetic which i think most monsters Are you know like King Kong or Franken Stein s monster who was just a great Clumsy of who tried to make Are an Extension of a human s fantasy about himself How he sees him self. The monster is sort of a misfit. So if people like to dress like Mon sters then monsters probably want to dress like people. There s no line be tween horror and humor. It s part of the same tiling. When things get to horrible people Jln his comparatively few years As a top cartoonist Wilson has attracted an army of loyalists stretching from pay c a analysts to bartenders to politician Sand students and teachers from califor Nia to Cambridge who collect his car Toons and read All sorts of symbolic meanings into them. He also has a Large unwilling follow ing who for Tho life of them cannot see what s funny about such classics As the explorer sitting in a steaming Cannibal pot and craftily poisoning the fan mail runs to dissatisfied customers he said. "1 Don t seem to fall into Neutral ground. They get very very indignant and Tell me 1 dare you to explain your cartoon in Issue so and so 1 always answer but nothing is worse than a dissected cartoonist Wilson. Fans get indignant. Wilson who was borr and raised i Evanston 111., attended the Chicago Art Institute where he claims to be the Only student who Ever admitted he wanted to be a cartoonist. He hit the big time when Playboy Magazine began full Page spreads of his bizarre humor. An now to the Delight of his fans the first hard backed collection of classic Wilson has been published. I m constantly being compared wit Hcharles Addams he explained. I love his work and there s a similarity. But it s a different kind of thing. What kind of cartoonist am i then he shrugged and grinned. Well you know. A Charles Addams sort of a i Don t really think there s a Mes Sage in my stuff but somebody is Al ways coming out with a far out interpret is about As far As Wilson will go in explaining such cartoons As a worried Man dragging a Corpse Down the Street to a trash can marked keep our Cit clean or a Little boy out in a Snow storm pointing to a dead Bird and crying happily look daddy the first Robin his fans however insist that Wilson is a satiric social commentator of the first rank who consistently Points up the ridiculousness of it modern Eishi at Mithat steadily dehumanized its members. And what about giving the Needle Topoor old Santa Wilson won t Rise to the m not anti Santa at All lie said with a straight face. I think he s marvelous p a g a n figure. Very Satis Iti the stars and stripes Page 13
