The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-08-09
IT'S BERT CLARIDCE
This Baltimore Gentleman Is the
Worlds Champion Shot.
END OF THE TOURNAMENT
The Crowd Yelled itself Hoarss
over the Greatest Victory
That Has Been Achieved
In Recent Years.

Chicago. Aug s.-The great Dupont
live bird tournament has passed into
history and Bert Claridge OF Baltimore
Is the worlds champion. The finlscn
was or the heart disease kind. Even
the spectators were ratified. Out OF l3s
nominations only five killed straight.
Claridge was the first 10 accomplish
THIS Feat. The eastern contingent went
Wild with JOY In consequences. A few
minutes later Wallace Miller of Hous-
ton. Tex. scored his last bird, making
200 consecutive kills. Christopher s.
Gottlieb OF Kansas. City, NO., was the
third man 10 roll up this magnfficeuf
score and his friends became jubilanf,
When Harry Klrkover of Buffalo went
out straight then the New Workers al
most were beside themselves with 10Y.
but II remained for George Roll of blue
Island to create unbounded enthusiasm.
When the referee announced Twenty
i've and out" the enthusiasm OF the
Chicago shooters. which had been bot
tied up all the afternoon. broke loose In
a mighty cheer.
The battle had been IN progress for
two days and on Its renewal this morn
Ing terrific finish was anticipated by
all. Gilbert, the scratch man. dropped
two birds early In the day. Jack Win
ston was the last Of the experts TO fall
down. He lost his 22d bird. The
pigeons were a particularly strong lot
and some of them. although hit hard
with both barrels. fell dead out Of
bounds.
II was o'clock when Referee Wat
son called the Ave men to the A set OF
traps. and 1900 people. many Of whom
were ladies. crowded about to witness
the finish. Kirkover stood at q yards.
Claridge, Miller and Gottlieb at %
yards and Roll at 30 yards. Caridge
was the first man to go TO the score.
The excitement was tremendous. All
| the contestants except Roll were pull
sating with excitement Ciaridge killed
clean. The Texan followed suit. Gott-
heb shot under his bird with both bar
reie and fell back. Roll knocked over
q swift right quarter with his first bar
rel. Then another mighty cheer went
forth. which the management promptly
checked with a request not to repeat
the demonstration until the race was
| over. The tension on the four remain
Ing men ives tremendous.
On the second round Claridge killed
nicely. but used his second for safety.
Miller killed with his first and Kirk
over grassed his birds beautifully. Roll
hit his bird with both barrels. II was
hard driver and fell dead out oe
bounds. In the third round both NIL
Ter and Kirkover missed. They could
stand the strain no longer Claridee
had TO kill his next two birds, which
he did. but was 30 nervous when he
went TO the trap for the last time that
he sent o load Of shot into the ground
In front Of him. the bell calling pull"
II was i've minutes before the crowd
| ceased to cheer the victor.
George Beck of Indianapolis has all
ready challenged the winner through
the Sportsman's Review. The five men
who killed their 25 birds divided soma
thing like $1,000 George Spross of To-
ledo. Charles Grim OF Clear Lake, Ia,
and Rollo Heikes Of Dayton were
among the men who tied at "a. Gilbert
the Indian" from Clear Lake. drew a
''screamer" that a howitzer could not
stop. Schuller OF Cincinnati fell into
the % hole with Gilbert and Macales-
ter. He also Lost two birds that fell
dead out Of bounds Schuller shot Q
splendid race. In fact the shooting was
OF high class all through. Seventy
competitors were In the division OF the
moneya The l5-bird sweep for which
there were 1853 entries finished with %
men dividing first money. to which the
Dupont company added $500. they hav-
ing killed straight. And thus ended
the grandest shooting tourn2men ever
held In this or any other country. Not
| q hitch occurred In spite of the magni-
tude Of the enterprise.