New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-09-10
THE RIFLE AT CREEDMOOR.
BOTH TEAMS AGAIN AT PRACTICE.
TIE ENGIrsHMEN 80 POINTS AHEAD AT FIVE
RANGEs-A MISFORTUNE TO CAPTAIN MELLIsHS

RANGEs-A MISFORTUNE TO CAPTAIN MELLIsHS
GUN-TITE AMERICAN TEAM COMPLETE.
The COMMUNITY of the rlfiemen at Creedmoor yes
tcrday was temporarily disturbed by the discovery
that some mscrcant had tempered with the rifle OF
one of the British Volunteers aud destroyed
its effectiveness. Tho rlle was that
of Captain Mellisb. the youthful member
Of the team, and the discovery was brought about
by discussion among the visitors as 10 the cause
of the Captains small at the long distances
on Friday. On that day Captain &lcllish, after put
ting up score of 50 at the short stage
dropped to 20 points at 500 yards 10
at 800 and II at 1000. The fact did
not excite more than casual remark
at the time. owing to the prevalence of conditions
which affected all the or less nlurlOusy
Yesterday however, the subject came up IN CONVEX
saton the visitors were preparing 10 leave the
firing point Mt the 200 yards range, and one of the
men picked up the captains rifle to examine 1t. lie
detected at a glance that an effort had been
made TO ruin the piece A chiSel or other hard
steel implement had been inserted at the muzzle
and moved about until tho bore had been badly
scratched and the grooves niclied in a manner
which the riGemen present all thought would rem
der it comparatively useless at long distances. A
great deal OF Indignation found vigorous
expression when the fact became known Inc
American rillemcn especially. felt Aeenly on the
subject. Captain MeliIsh aud his comrades were
unable to explain when the injury had been done
They could only surmise through another misfor-
tune confessed by Captain Meliish, which gave a
clew TO the probable time and place This misfortune
was the loss of $50 which had been taken from
Captain MelisRs lodgings at Garden CITY WITHIN
the past TWO or three days. Ihl5 tact led 10 the
conclusion that his room had been entered on Thurs
day while he was absent. the money taken and
the gun tempered with Sir Henry ilalfOrd gave
expression 10 the feeling which was uppeHno'1
in most minds. " It's the work OF those Dlarsied
pOO-scerso said be; and you may put II III your
papers, he added, turning to the reporters, Then
he remarked that such thing would never happen
at Wimbledon because Of tho cOmparatyel nsignh
cance of the letting on rifle matches. There they
are not sporting incidents on winch large
waecrs are laid, rs on hoIse-races r.-..-,
The episode caused feeling OF humiiaIiOh ana
chagrn to the officers Of the Rifle As
socation present, and, headed by the preSi-
dent they hasteued to express their sorrow
and Indignation at the act Captain McliIsh
had little 10 say he borrowed "A rHe, ana
Shot out the stage, doing eNcelently ana THEN WIN
drew and went 10 Ncw-lOrI 10 arrau9c 70 have the
injured end OF his barrel cut Off, The incident
furnished food Tor gossip all day, ana great many
stories about II were soon aiO1t. one WIlch
seemed To have some foundation, was 10 the e.icct
that servant mt the hotel in Garden City at which
the rlemen take their meals. htu
disa2pear9d from cthon F 3aGno my b, r cy
med the gun said there was no qe9lon ~. 1i q,
had been malIc0usy injured. ana when Nir iiomS
made the remark abou the Rlhls'c,l poor 'hci9,
hc loosely iutuate that probably ~ was lhe MoiN
of irish .l,r,olshers "PcIhaps II Wds q lite
nearer home than we thought replied DIT Henry
smiling. III,
The story of the shooting Of the two teams Is ike
fla !, hlci ha, already been twice told Inc con
ditions were extremely favorable aut though me
Americans shot we'll IN comparison win thell
earlier work the British shot Very much better
The teams were short q several mon;
Major Shakespeare and Mr.. Human OF
the Americans had gone 10 their homes
10 look after tnciI business interests, and Mr..
Caldwell. OF the British team. d.d not feet well
enough to shoot. Sir Henry Hailom and MI
Smith devoted their cnergle, % coaching Tue team.
and sergeant Dod> only shot after Captain Nrlllsh
lett the range The British shot through all
the ranges; the Americans stopped, lof reasons
MT given. on completing the 000-,ar s dlstanc
The Wlud in the forenoon blew somewhat Htiully
with general direction from the butts u
the firing point It was not Lothersome
10 an almost perfect cain. With perfect light
thi, rave conditions that could not have been bet
tered. The British improved the opportunity; their
twelve men hammered out $50 points at the first
stage and 1867 at the second. The first figure Is
SIX less than the score made ut tue same
distances by the best twelve on Friday, when the
eleven more than on Wednesday, and iiity more
than on Tuesday. In the second stage the score
was sixty-Oue points greater than on Friday, and
eighteen better than on "Wednesday and Tuesday,
when Che totals al the long distances were alike.
Al the, short distances the Americans did
the absence of TWO strong team ihen and
The ilnc>, of Scrg. ant McNcYm. Nevertheless, IN
the live ranges scot through by them the visitors
exceeded Their score by c!ghtJ nlAc points as seen
in the following tables:
Summary, BRITISH