Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-03-19
- TRAP AND GUN.
Close Contest Between
Carver and Chick.
THE SAN DIEGO SHOT WINS.
A GrievOus Error Regarding
the ScOring-It is Officially
Disregarded.
TRAP AND GUN.
THE SAN DIEGO SHOT WINS

DlSfegdrUeu.
The announcement that DIR. Carver,
the champion wing shot OF the world,
and Martin Chick, the reputed best
shot in Southern California, were
matched to shoot at pigeons for $3.50
a side, drew large attendance to the
Agricultural Park yesterday afternoon.
The contest took place under Hurling-
ham Club rules, each man shooting at
100 pigeons at thirty-one yards rise
and eighty yards boundary. Five
hap-traps were arranged, and after
the usual preliminaries, J. G. Woods
was chosen referee and H. Payne, Of
the Tribune, official scorer. Both OF
the contestants used hammerless guns,
Carver handling a IL Greener and
Chick a 10 Daley. Although DIR.
Carver was known to be suffer
ing from q severe bilious attack,
having been confined to his bed
for the greater part of last week he
was the favorite in the betting, odds
of to on him being freely offered
at the start, with but few takers. At
2:30 P. M. Carver stepped to the peg
to take the first shot, and with uner-
ring precision dropped his bird
within six feet OF the trap. Chick S
first bird got away, and his hackers
looked rather glum, but when Car
ver's second pigeon managed to get
outside of the boundary line before
falling, it revived their spirits some
what. Both men killed their third
pigeon, but Carver made complete
miss Of the fourth, the bird getting
away without losing feather. No
other f1ukes were made until
Carver stepped up to shoot
at his tenth bird. which sue
ceeded in getting away though NOR
tally wounded and the betting veered
round to even money, at which price
Chick found many hackers, as he was
now leading his opponent by two
birds. Carver missed his twenty
eighth and Chick his thirtieth shot
after a faultless break of twenty-eight,
the bird keeping close to the ground
and getting away with whole skin.
DR.. Carver here raised an objection to
the man who was manipulating the
trap-strings owing to the fact that he
was making remarks in Spanish to
Chick, and substitute was at once
appointed. After the thirty-first bird
had been killed by both men
A MISTAKE OCCURRED,
Though officially it was not noticed.
Owing to the fact that number of
the birds, when liberated showed no
disposition to move away from the
trap, it was suggested that the car
casseses of those lying on the ground
adjacent, be removed, and DIR. Carver,
who was standing at the peg, re-
turned to his chair auithout taking his
shot. After the dead pigeons had
been removed, Chick stepped 10 the
front and fired, Carver thus losing his
shot altogether. Owing to the inter-
val that had elapsed while clearing the
field the umpire failed to notice this
error, though it is stated that Chick
made the remark that he did not
think it was his turn. The HERALD's
reporter who was carefully keeping
private score gave notice to Mr..
Payne that a mistake had occurred,
but that gentleman did not notice the
remark. At the thirty-seventh round
Chick missed another pigeon, making
the score even for the first time since
the opening of the match. Carver
missed his forty-eighth bird and at
the end of the first fifty the score
STOOD
Carver. r....,.............k killed 45, missed
Chick. ....-..........,... 46,
Chick missed his fifty-sixth pigeon
and the score stood again even, but
Carver failed to drop his fifty-ninth
within the boundary, and after two
shots more had been given, recess
of five minutes was taken, as DR.. Car
yer was suffering very much from his
headache. A crowd now gathered
around the scorer anxious to know
how the match stood, and his atten-
ton was called by number who had
been keeping score, to the error that
had occurred. Mr.. Payne protested
that they must be in error, but as
there were at least dozen
score-sheets that were alike and
all differing from his on the same bird
it certainly looked as though the COM
plant of error was just one. After
the recess DR.. Carver. who had been
using cartridges charged with wood
powder, substituted them for ones
loaded with ordinary black powder,
the same that Chick was using, but the
change was not Immediately attended
with good results, as he missed his
sixty-fourth and seventy second birds,
thus giving Chick a lead of three
in the scoring. The Californian
made a failu of his seventy
sixth attempt, however; the eighty
second both missed and Chick lost
another mark with his ninety-fourth,
thereby reducing his lead to one. At
the nineties he still maintained his
advantage, and when Carver lost his
ninety-third bird those who had their
money on Chick became jubilant,
losing somewhat of their hilarity,
though, on the next shot, which
Chick missed, but from this to the
end of the match no further mistakes
occurred on either side, the official
score at the close reading, Chick, 81
birds killed and Carver so.
After the decision was announced
several protests were made regarding
the error that had occurred, but the
officials refused to recognize it, though
offers of 500 wager were made that
the announced score was'incorrect.
The following is a copy of the
official record and also that of the
true score verified by comparisons
with dozen others kept on the
ground:
THE OFFICIAL SCORE.
(1Ol0111110111111111111
1111101111ll111
Carver.} 11l0I1111111110l l