Rat Shoots Self Dead, Takes Pictures Of The Act

[MrRING]

What could this 1935-era scientist have been thinking?

Trapped Rat Shoots Self and Photographs the Fatal Event
TRAPPED in an ingenious contrivance built by George W. Fenner, Syracuse photographer, a hungry rat shot himself and left a picture of the event in a camera trained upon the device.

A piece of bait was suspended from a wire at one end of the trap. Nibbling eagerly at the bait, the rat released a catch which dropped a spring-operated hammer, tripping the trigger of a revolver mounted at the opposite end of the trap.

The shot not only killed the rat but also cut a piece of string connected with still another spring. The latter set off a flashlight, supplying the illumination necessary to take the picture. In addition to the camera and lethal apparatus, a watch hung near the gun recorded the time of shooting.

Link is dead. The MIA webpage can be accessed via the Wayback Machine:
https://web.archive.org/web/2006120...-shoots-self-and-photographs-the-fatal-event/

 

[Dingo667]

Thats just sick but then if it was 1935, they didn't really care about much then. Bloody lead-cigarette smoking bastards...

 

[AMPHIARAUS]

There is plenty in that pic that doesn't look right. I lean toward some kind of joke in the magazine - perhaps a 1930s April fool piece.
Why that opinion?
The rat is uncontained outside the frame, which means there is no way to guarantee the gun is going to be aiming at the rat.
The expanding gases from the shot are well extended, but no obvious bullet strike through the rat or framework
The rat looks like its stuffed and postioned - its not a natural braced position for pulling the bait
There may be a ball touching the rat (or a trick of the light?) the revolver would fire a bullet not a ball
Bullets / balls don't cut string very well (tend to just nudge it aside - don't ask how I know that )

 

[Anonymous]

The rat looks odd, but the string could be cut easily as it was also attached to the floor - having been a pistol instructor, I guarantee you that you can shoot through taut string.
I don't see how the stop watch is connected.
Judging by the size of the gun and rat it would appear that the revolver is something like a .22. This would not damange the wood too much nor destroy the rat. Most people think of revolvers as 357s or 38specials. Now that would've done more damage.
I don't think the trap practical, but hardly inhumane. At the end of the day, rats get trapped and killed in cities because they are a barely contained menace. Being shot by a 22 would be instantaneous, indeed, even a supposed wounding shot would kill due to hydrokinetic shock. Perhaps not nice by modern standars, but practical in a mad inventor(y) sort of way

 

[AMPHIARAUS]

The rat looks odd, but the string could be cut easily as it was also attached to the floor - having been a pistol instructor, I guarantee you that you can shoot through taut string.

Fair point, assuming that it was that taut. I have tried it, but with only a weighted string and my experience is that unless you have something to crush the string against it never cuts. There is a fairground con which works that way (albiet with air guns)

Judging by the size of the gun and rat it would appear that the revolver is something like a .22. This would not damange the wood too much nor destroy the rat.

I would have guessed a .32 short given the vintage of the gun. But even a .22 rf would leave ragged splinters after poking through an inch or so of pine at that range - you would expect to see some evidence of a strike. Also the rat would show some evidence of bunched muscles or lifting fur at exit if struck. And whats the strangely placed ball against the rats belly? It doesn't follow the line of the barrel and flame which would put a bullet through the rats neck.

Nah... my virtual tenners on George W Fenner being a 30s wind up merchant

 

[mindalai]

Am I looking at the same picture? It doesn't even look like a photo to me - just a pencil drawing. There's no way that this is real.

 

[citizencane]

It would have been logical to use a ratshot shell for this application,and may be what was used,which would be a spray of pinhead sized shot.
The string is close enough to the gun barrel to have been cut by the flames emitted by the blast , or the mass of pellets.
A .22CB could also have been the projectile , which is a small spherical pellet used for target and small vermin at close range,as is the ratshot.
It does look like an artists conception drawing though.
The size of the pistol compared to the size of the rat is very out of proportion.
Either a miniature gun,or a very large mutant rat.

 

[Anonymous]

Gone back and looked again. It could be a drawing. Also need to take into account time for string to set off flash - how fast a film would be used (if a pic)? could the pic be taken before the rat is hit? Agree with ratshot etc. Also agree it could be a .32, but .22 revolver still seems likely to me.

 

[Graylien]

The position of the rat is certainly odd. I've kept pet rats for years and they always keep their tails stretched out behind them - not in front of them - when they stand on their hind legs.

 

[Anonymous]

So. Empirical evidence from our 'lien friend that the pic may be a drawing or the rat be stuffed. I'd say the rat were stuffed anyway considering it's being shot....I'll get me coat...

 

[EnolaGaia]

Here is the image of the article as reproduced in the MIA webpage.

SALVAGED FROM THE WAYBACK MACHINE: https://web.archive.org/web/2006120...-shoots-self-and-photographs-the-fatal-event/

 

[maximus otter]

Here is the image of the article as reproduced in the MIA webpage.

View attachment 44473​

SALVAGED FROM THE WAYBACK MACHINE: https://web.archive.org/web/2006120...-shoots-self-and-photographs-the-fatal-event/

I can’t swear to it, but l’m going to say “No” to what we see versus what’s described.

The revolver looks like an early Harrington & Richardson Top Break style; l’d guess in .22LR from its apparent size in proportion to Ratty. That would suggest that the bullet would leave its barrel travelling at about 700 to 1,000 feet per second, depending on barrel length and ammo type. That in turn suggests that the tableau depicted all occurred in about 1/250th to 1/500th of a second.

The idea that the system we see, with all of its “strings ‘n springs” mechanical lag time, tolerance buildup etc., could catch that precise instant so perfectly…

maximus otter

 

[Xanatic*]

Let's use words Max.
It seems to be simply a composite photograph to illustrate how the device works. Not an actual photograph of it in action.