The crime shocked every American but the one who was shook the most was Polish immigrant Casimir Zeglen.
A bulletproof vest being tested in 1923.
The tragic events in Chicago spurred Zeglen into action.
Inspired, he delved into research and experimentation, even crafting vests using layers of silk fabric for protection.
In 1896, armed with his newfound expertise, Zeglen applied for a US patent for his innovative invention.
The next was the main layer of silk.
It was not woven, but consisted of multiple layers of tightly stacked strings.
Threads in each successive layer were arranged obliquely to the ones in the previous layer, and so on.
The whole garment was sewn together with a solid silk thread to form a compact whole.
Later on, Zeglen used human cadavers and animals to test his invention.
When these proved to be a success, Zeglen used live human targets.
Many volunteers came forward ready to test the armor on themselves.
Szczepaniks friend Mr. Borzykowski tests a bulletproof vest upon his servant in 1901.
Zeglens biggest challenge, however, was to design a vest that could stop the Krag-Jorgensen rifle bullet.
However, acquiring such specialized equipment proved to be a challenge.
So Zeglen went to Europe where he hoped to find the expertise and machinery necessary to realize his vision.
Armed with this enhanced material, Zeglen returned to America eager to promote his invention to law enforcement agencies.
However, his attempts to establish a production line were stymied by prohibitive costs associated with manufacturing the vests.
Upon discovering this betrayal, Zeglen severed ties with his erstwhile partner.
However, lacking Szczepanik’s adept business acumen, Zeglen struggled to secure investors interested in backing his invention.
Zeglen passed away in anonymity around 1927, his contributions unrecognized by the broader populace.
However, on this occasion, the vest resembled nothing more than a piece of hole-riddled Swiss cheese.
Regrettably, there is no evidence to suggest he ever followed through on this promise.
Zeglen’s armor proved inadequate against the growing destructive power of firearms.
His ideas, however, did have impact on a completely different technologytires.
Zeglen took his knowledge of weaving and applied it to reinforcing car tires using strong silk fabric.
Despite his failure to find a backer, Zeglen continued working on his bulletproof fabric.
