Bill J. called in during Wednesday's (10/5/04) first hour of Open Lines to relate a story about a "gargoyle" statue from Austin, Texas. The statue, which is 9 ft. 2 in. tall and has a wingspan of over 8 ft, is made of solid English Oak and weighs 150 lbs, he said. His friend, a police officer in 1992, came into possession of the object, after being summoned to an Austin neighborhood when a 911 call was made.

A man had begun firing at the statue with a 357 Magnum after he and his wife reported seeing the wings of the statue move and the head shifting left to right. The woman became hysterical and declared "the statue has come alive." Her husband said that the bullets he fired into the right arm and left rib cage of the statue went in one inch and then bounced out. They offered to give the statue to the police officer if he would remove it from their premises, which he agreed to do.

"I believe something happened," said Bill, who was impressed with the unusual bullet markings on the statue, which he has examined. He has sent us three photos of the statue (see below).