St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-09-13
sERGr. ROSES GREAT WORK.
He Comes Within Eight Points of
the Army Rifle Record.


the Army Rifle Record.
CHICAGO, Sept. 7.-Drizzlng rain
was falling. and the skies were threat
ening when the marksmen in the Unit
ed States army national tournament be-
gan to shoot at the Fort Sheridan range
to-day. 1t was the last days skirmsh-
ing for the infantrymen and also
their last in the army competitions.
Sergeant Byron Merwin, Company E.
Fifteenth regimennt, stationed at Fort
Sheridan, surprised every one with his
phenomenal score of 14S points IN his
morning run. 1t was the best run ever
made on the range, and probably wins
for Merwin the James 5. Kirk purse Of
$50, offered to the enlisted man making
the best skirmish run. The struggle
fol a berth on the army rifle
team was stubbornly- contested by
the thirty-fye infantrymen that
strove to be one of the fortunate ten.
and it is thought brought out better
shooting than has ever been done in any
previous army contest. Every shot was
made with care. Even "Gunsling' Dave
held his breath and took deliberate aim,
but to no avail at so late season, and
the wiry man from the department of
the Platte goes home as void of hOnOrS
as when he came. Among the distin-
guished men the fight was not
so intense, it being generally
conceded that Sergeant Merwin
would carry off the gold medal, while
the two silver ones would fall to Ser
geant j. w. Davis and Corporal Swein-
hart, with possibly chance of Private
a. U. James forging ahead into second
or third place. James has been in the
10
old man, but still shoots well. and
rounded Up his work by finishing
fourth among the distinguished rifle
men. When the afternoon shooting
began. the weather had cleared
and the final test was soon over Ser
geant Merwin added another 1874 points
TO his score, making his average for the
day al, and firmly establishing him
self at the head of the distinguished
rlfiemen, with total score of $40.
Sergeant j. w. Davis, Company B, Six
teenth regiment, came second, with a
score of $50, and Corporal V. Swein-
hart, Company ID, Twenty-second, third,
with 546 points. Among the contest
ants for places on the army rifle
team, Sergeant +. Rose, Company A
Eighteenth, scored 1856, making his aver
age for the day 125, and his total for the
four days $50, but eight points less than
the highest score ever made with a rife,
which was 597, and made by Lieut..
Ramsey at Fort Bayard last year.
Sergeant f. ID. Powell made liz in the
afternoon, making his average for
the day 119, and his total $50, winning
for him the second place on the
team. The run that elected by far
the most surprise was Lieut.. O'Brien's
score of 136 points, which, together with
his score of 1913 in the forenoon. made
his average for the day $50. Thursday
morning O'Brien ranked thIrty-firSt
among the army rife team men. When
he fired his last shot tonight he was
seventh, had place on the team with a
silver medal and had so far won two gold
medals, viz: The Chicago Herald medal
offered to the officer making the
highest total skiymish score and the
Shirley medal to the officer making the
highest single skirmish run. O'Brien's
total score in the skirmishing is 242,
and his score for single run 1856. 1t is
not expected that any of the cavalry
officers 10 shoot tomorrow will seri-
ously endanger O'Brien's chances for
the much coveted trophies. Sergeant
Rose will, in all probability, be
$500 richer than when he came
from the plains of Texas. The Chicago
Herald purse of 300 for the highest
total score in both known distances and
sklrmish firing made by an enlisted man
is so far his, won by. his score of $50,