The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-10-28
PURDY In FINE FORM.
He Wins the State Champion
ship at Live Birds.
COOPER A WORTHY FOEMAN.
The Washington state Sportsmen's AS
ISOLATION Tournament Grand
SucceSS-The scores.


Success-The scores.
Or. Percival 4. Purdy. of Seattle, Is the
champion live bird wing shot OF the stare
of Washington. and in order 10 win TINS
honor he was called upon to beat out all
the first-class men in the state except
Dell Cooper and then shoot for his ME
Taking the contest, or more properly,
contests. for the championship as whole,
there has never been a harder, more COM
plicated and trying ordeal than the one
just closed. The original number of birds
to De shot at was twenty. and the entry
sheet showed twenty names, including
Stevens. Eberly. Ellis. Ware. Sheard,
Capt Miner. Doty. Cooper. Ruppe. Nc
Broom. Easthom. the new star. Young, of
Tacoma; Churchill, Denham. DR.. Smith.
and Barlow. but in order to settle the race
three extra matches had to be shot on,
resulting in a most desperate contest be-
tween Purdy and Cooper. of Vhatcom.
Not until the last bird was killed by Purdy
and his friends raised the cry Of 'Hurrah
for the champion" was the excitement d.
minished in the least.
Purdy's Nerve Remains steady.
1t was cold and chilly and the sky was
overcast with dun gray clouds yesterday
morning when Referee Robinson called
the shooters up to finish the championship
contest. Ware killed his fourteenth bird,
a right quarter driver, with one barrel.
but never let go of his cigar. Then he
said he was nervous, but the twinkle in
his eye belied the remark Stevens in his
usual easy and rapid manner stopped
right circler and then Purdy, who had
closed the race the night before as the
only one with a clean string of thirteen
dead birds, came up. He was closely OBJ
served for many were inclined to think
i1r mt 4ka ctC
TO his disadvantage. Just before he got
ready for action. however. he told Post
Intelligencer reporter that he had passed
a good night and felt confident of keeping
up his work. AS he stood at the score
everything was silent as death. Five traps
were before him, bird in each. but from
which trap the flight was TO take place
he did not know. The word pull was
heard. the gun was at the shooters Shout
der. there was a futter of wings and
dark blue body came sailing directly at
the observed of all observers. Two shots
were heard and the bird lay on the ground
dead. That settled it, Purdy had his nerve
and was centering his birds.
The Contest Reopened.
Eberly came up fresh and cool. and
showed his old time form, while Cooper
Immediately commenced making long
stops. Ill luck started in the next round
when Purdy shot a right quarterer
through and through, but he few out Of
bounds and fell dead This put Cooper.
Purdy and Eberly on even grounds and
they held those positions until the twenty
birds were shot out. McBroom, VINO had
been shooting in fine form, lost his eigll-
teenth with the result that everybody who
had dropped out Saturday came back in.
Ruppe and Wallingford shot strong hut
Capt. r P. Miner and Sheard were not dn
form. Stevens was unfortunate I'm having
his sixteenth bird drop dead over the line
and in missing his seventeenth, but those
very misfortunes put him in third place
and made him a big winner. together
with Ruppe. Churchill and Young, who
had been doing fine work were put in sec
ond place owing TO two birds that fell
dead out of bounds. Doty went home af-
ter missing his tenth bird and win have
the pleasure Of waking up this morning
to find ont that he threw away chance
of winning a part of third money.
Coorer's Quick second shot.
When it was found that the champion
ship race lay between Purdy Eberly and
Cooper, each having scored 10 out OF %,
they decided to divide up the cash and
shoot off for the championship cup at
FIVE birds. Purdy and Cooper scored five
straight, but Eberly dropped out on
black straightaway that went like a
streak of lightning. In this event Cooper
was given hearty applause for his
NoNGtftut lSdN OF kllitGE seemingly
lost bird. He had blue driver and missed
him with his first barrel when the gun
opened at the breech Quick as a fash he
snapped Il together. sighted the fast dis
appearing pigeon and brought it 10 the
ground dead as nail.
In the second shoot-off Purdy's bird
lowered straight up from the trap and
he shot under him. scoring a miss. Cooper
killed two straight and then knocked his
third 10 the ground. A boy was sent out
10 pick il mp. but suddenly The bird re-
covered and few out OF bounds. thus ty-
ing the score once more.
Both killed out and third race was
necessary. Cooper killed a straightawav
and Purdy did likewise with right quar-
teTer. Each man was killing his birds
clean. but Purdy was scoring nearer the
traps and usually with his first, using the
second for safety. Cooper had the mis-
fortune 70 miss a right quarterer. and
Purdy killed straightaway. Then Coop
er got "A driver. which carried MS shot
out Of bounds and fell dead. Purdy made
a beautiful stop of a left quarterer and
Cooper killed right quarterer.
Purdy Becomes Champion.
The score now stood Cooper ? and Purify
2. and it was Purdy's shot. II he killed his
bird Cooper could not catch him. and the
match was ended. Every one held his
breath. Purdy walked 20 the score. care
fully placed MS two shells in the cham
hers Of mis- gun and Got ready. At the
moment he called Pull. a strong bird
started directly away from him bat Pur-
dy caught him IN the twinkling ~ an eve
and down he come Everybody was Wild
with excitement and Wild cheers for Pur-
dy we're heard on all sides The bird
vaised Itself slightly and stevens yelled 20
his companion in field sports
shoot him don; take chances
The second barrel went of In immediate
response. the bird was dead and I1r. Pur-
dy became champion Of Washington.
Clever Men with the Gun.
n che second event John. % Victoria,
accomplished some very clever work with
orc barrel. and Charlie Minor shot i7 his
usual steady fashion. killing every bird
Tire miss and out contest proved hot
one and finally settled down 70 a 80 se
tween Cooper Robinson and McBroom,
WHO divided s44
Taxing all the shooters into consiaera-
ton II NAY no 50 Z that Ellis, q Tacoma.
Cooper. of Whateom. stevens. q seat
tie Mcclure. % Victoria. and Ware. Of
spokane have the most pleasing posi-
tons at IRE tran ard graceful way az
handling the.r guns Capt Miner. Sneard.
g. Minor. of Victoria. John. % Victoria.
NcBroom. Of Spokane, ard Eoerly. OF Ia
coma u~a nfgRarrs pvafyv certain q max