Nobody knows for sure if it’s a colossal coincidence or a hoary hoax, but the story of the patient bullet continues to fascinate.

As the story goes, Henry Ziegland was born during 1861 in Honey Grove, Texas and grew up on the family farm, which he later inherited. In 1878, he began a relationship with a local girl whose name was either Sharla or Maysie, depending on the version you read.

Five years later, Ziegland dumped her, leaving the woman so distraught she took her own life. Her enraged brother confronted the former suitor in his barn and fired a pistol at him.

The bullet only grazed the intended victim’s cheek but Ziegland had the presence of mind to pretend he was dead. Thinking he’d killed the man, the assailant turned the gun on himself.

Two decades later, Ziegland wanted to remove a tree in front of his barn with help from his brother, Jacob. They tried chopping it down, but it was extremely thick, so the men came up with a short cut.

They attached a small amount of dynamite to the trunk and backed off after lighting the fuse.

The tree was obliterated. But the explosion dislodged the bullet that had been there since the attempted murder of Ziegland all those years before. It hit him in the left temple, killing him instantly.

More than 100 newspapers carried the story, with a captivating headline: Bullet Fired 20 Years Ago........

© Sarnia Observer