The Sun.
London, England, 1865-07-12 00:00:00

The Wimbledon Meeting for 1865.

Yesterday was a busy day at Wimbledon. Shoot-
ing commenced shortly after 9 o'clock a.m., and
owing to the spirit with which the International
Match was kept up, and the strong desire felt to
prevent any remnant of that contest from overlap-
ping and thereby embarrassing the opening stages
of Ore shooting for the Queen's Prize to-day, the
clock was again upon the stroke of 9 before the
markers could be finally released from their butts.
The evening, however, was fine, and the light ad-
mirable, so that, except for the enforced duration
of the match, no inconvenience was suffered. The
forenoon was occupied for the most part with the
competition for the prize given by his Royal High-
ness the Prince of Wales, which, apart from the
distinction conferred upon the winner, carries with
it the solid pecuniary gratification of £lOO.
The candidates for this prize were limited to
holders of National Rifle Association bronze and
silver medals, and therefore consisted of the picked
shots of the kingdom, to whom were added two silver
medallists from her Majesty's Indian territories.
Such a rivalry was necessarily productive of high
scores, and when the last round had been fired the
excitement was still undiminished, for a tie had been
made in the manner exhibited by the following
figures :

200 500
yards. yards.

600
yards. Total

Private T. W. Poole,
12th Somerset 13 14 ... 18 45
Sergeant W. May,
sth Sussex ... 14 15 16 ... 45
On shooting off the tie, Private Poole became the
winner.

The contest for the possession of the St. George's
Challenge Vase, value £250, a competition open to,
and therefore interesting, representatives of every
rifle corps in the kingdom, was also entered upon
yesterday. The vase was won for Staffordshire by
the skill of one of its representatives, who re-
tains in acknowledgment of his personal exertions
the advantages shown in the subjoined list. The
60 best shots in the first stage of this competition
are also entitled to compete on a future day for the
Dragoon Cup, value £5O, which becomes the pro•
perty of the winner :

•
ST. GEORGE'S CHALLENGE VASE.

Points
Sergeant T. Penzer, 4th Stafford,winner of vase, gold
jewel, and £6
Private H. Redeliffe, S. Middlesex, winner of silver
jewel and £5
Private W. Bustard, 20th Middlesex, winner of bronze
cross and £4
Lieut. J. W. Thomas, 4th West York, winner of £4... 24
Sergeant J. Mills, 14th Suffolk, do. ... 24
Sergeant W. Allen, 25th Somersetshire f tie for6th anti-/ 24
Private C. Ingram, Ist Lanarkshire 1 7th prizes r
Private J. Read, 14th Suffolk, winner of £3
Capt. J. Harding, Ist Devon, do.
Private J. Holloway, sth Glocester, do.
Sergeant A. B. Hudson, 9th Surrey, do.
Private H. Brown, Ist Lanark, do. ...
Lieut. S. G. Purchase, 14th Worcestershire, winner of
£2 ••• ••• ••• •.• ••• •.• ••• 2,
Colour- Sergt. Cumberland, Robin Hoods, do: 14th ezl 23
Corporal F. Wheeler, 11th Suffolk, do. 15th f 23
Capt. W. Clark, 3d London, do.
Lieut. H. Walton, 17th West York, do. 22
Capt. H. R. W. Crowle, 37th Middlesex, do. 22
Corporal C. J. Saxby, 6th Herefordshire, do. 22
Private F. Crooke's, St. George's, do. ... 22
The Public Schools contest, always a central
point of interest in the proceedings at Wimbledon,
was entered upon at 3 o'clock, and before that hour
groups of relatives and friends assembled in rear of
each of the firing points from which the chosen
elevens of Eton, Harrow, Rugby, Marlborough,
Winchester, and Cheltenham were to contend for
the Ashburton Shield. On this occasion Harrow
enjoyed the rare distinction, not only of keep-
ing the shield in its own possession, but of
carrying it off through its best shot, Sergeant Jones,
the Spencer Cup as well. It is needless to add
that the enthusiasm of the friends of Harrow at this
" double event" was unbounded. Capt. Templer,
whose name is widely known in connexion with the
volunteer movement, was fortunate enough to have
two sons in this victorious eleven, both of whom con-
tributed creditably to the aggregate score. Upon the
termination of the match the representative elevens
were, as usual, entertained at dinner ; and an hour
or two later a couple of omnibuses drove away from
the common with the Harrow colours displayed, and
the roofs crowded with Harrow boys cheering
earnestly in honour of Lord Elcho, at whose inter-
cession an extension of holidays had been obtained
in honour of the signal victory achieved for the school.
The total scores made on behalf of the schools respec-
tively were as follow :—Harrow, 216 ; Marlborough,
209 ; Rugby, 204 ; Winchester, 198 ; Eton, 193 ;
Cheltenham, 183.
The International Enfield contest was one that
excited even more wide-spread interest than the
_ _

... 26

... 24

... 23

... 23

match between the Public Shools, appealing as it did
to love of country. Any preliminary difficulties that
might have presented themselves were happily ac-
commodated, and the Irish twenty took their places
at the firing points, less with any expectation of im-
mediate success than with the object of making a
score such as would justify their coming forward
with more matured preparations and better prospects
of success on a future occasion. In the present in-
stance, from the time that their claim to participate in
the match was allowed, only three or four weeks re-
mained to Major Leech to collect his squad of Irish
marksmen, and, taking into account the difficulties
he had to surmount, his exertions were very success-
ful. Those of whom he was in search were not ready
provided to hand as in the case of English and Scotch
corps, the most successful shots in which can be
readily ascertained by the captains of the English and
Scottish eights. There are no volunteer corps, and
only a couple offrifle clubs, in Ireland; Major Leech
consequently had first to discover, and, as it were,
fish out his countrymen qualified to compete, some
in Lanarkshire, some in Glocestershire, some in
Durham, and some in Middlesex. One of the Irish
Twenty actually shot in the uniform of the Robin
Hoods ; two others in that of the Civil Service.
Between the English and Scottish Twenties the con-
test was unusually keen, fortune fluctuating with
every change of distance, so that until the competi-
tion was actually at an end it was not known which
of the nations had gained the precedence. The Duke
of Argyll paid a visit to the range, and for some
time stayed looking on with interest at the progress
of the Scotch Twenty ; and the Marquis of Donegal
remained for hours with the Irish squads. When
fortune finally declared itself in favour of the Scotch
a hearty cheer was raised in turn for the two riva:

nationalities by the Irish squad, and the compliment
having been very heartily reciprocated, the Twenties
respectively adjourned to a late dinner, or rather
supper, in company, with a view of cementing the
entente cordiale. On their way back to the camp
the Scottish Twenty, with their leader, Captain
Mackenzie, were received with great enthusiasm by
their fellow-countrymen, who turned out to greet
them, headed by the regimental piper, sounding
notes of the most swelling triumph. The following
is the detailed score of this interesting competition :

ENGLAND. -
200 500 600
yards. yards. yards. Total.
Lieut. Burt, Ist Warwick 20 17 11 49

_
Colour-Sergeant Cortis, 11th
Sussex ... ... 21 21 ... 23 ... 65
Sergeant Robinson, 16th
Middlesex ... 19 23 13 ... 55
Captain Field, Hon. Artillery
Company 22 13 13 ... 48
Private Deighton, 12th Mid-
dlesex 18 ... 15 ... 13 46

Corporal Parsons, Hon. Ar-
tillery Company 19 19 ... 18 ... 56
Sergeant Wright, Ist Notts 15 ... 1S ... 20 ... 53

Lieut. Thomas, 4th West
York 16 ... 23 ..• 24 ... 63

Private Lane, Ist Glocester-

21 21 ... 17 59

shire ... ...

Lieut.-Col. Halford, Ist Lei-
cestershire
Lieut. Marriner, 9th Middle-
_ _

~ 22 ... 22 ... 4 ... 48

Capt. Morris, 9th Middlesex 23 ... 18 2 . 43
Ensign Pixley, Victorias 18 13 11 ... 42
Private Doe, Victoria.; ... 20 ... 19 _ 14 53
Corp. West, 47th Lancashire 21 ... 23 16 ... 60
Private Hall, 9th Middlesex 18 ... 21 „. 13 52
Lieut. Chapman, 12th North
Yorkshire ... 22 ... 17 ... 12 51

Sergt.Halsall,2lst Lancashire 19 ... 18 ... 11 ... 51
Corporal Rurabold, 3d Ilert-

!ordshire ...

... 20 ...

8 11

PrivaieThornbury, Victorias 13 ... 23 „. 5-

Total

393 .. 366 270 ~.1029

SCOTLAND.
Ensign Lockhart, 7th Ayr 19 ... 14 47
Lieut. Halley, 7th Forfar ... 14 ... 11 8 53
Corporal Rogers, sth Forfar 19 ... 24 ... 20 ... 63
Ensign Sprott,sthLancashire 21 ... 17 10
Private Ingram, Glasgow 21 18 10 55
Colour-sergt. M'lntyre, 3d

Renfrew ... ... 24 ... 16 13
Colour-sergt. Clewes, ditto 19 19 ... 16
Private A. Kirkwood, ditto 20 ... 12 47
Sergt. A. Anderson, 22d Mid-
dlesex

... 20 ... 16 ... 20 ... 56

... 19 ... 18 ... 18 ... 55