The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-09-03
Think They Have a
Grievance Against
Mr.. Walls.
GREW OUT OF LAST TOURNAMENT
The Disposition of Prize
Money Is Unsat-
isfactory.

Worcester Sportsman's club is in dis
favor. Trapshooters think the club has
acted in a decidedly unsportsmanlike
manner. They have a big grievance
against Secretary Arthur w. Walls and
are discussing it freely. Some go so far
as to say they will never again face the
trips at Sportsman's club park.
The hard feeling and consequently
hard words arose over the disposition Of
$40 offered for the highest general aver
ages at the tournament of the club
Tuesday, Aug. 49, The club offered the
money through tine generosity of Presi-
dent A. B. F. Kinney. Thirty or 40 of
the most prominent trapshooters in
New England entered into competition
Haln interFered with the completion Of
the program before darkness fell. And
thereby hangs a tale.
IL was the first tournament program
oIlered py the club this season and the
response was general. There was a re-
cord breaking attendance. six SQUADS
We're entered in many of the events but
lle dfty was showery. Between intermit-
eant showers and even in the midst of
pouring rain, the experts kept at the
traps, and nearly 1000 targets were
thrown throughout the day. The com
petition for the S25 average money
was the big attraction of the program
began with the sixth event and was to
have ended with the tenth and last
event, 100 birds in ALL
Nine of the events were shot off
making IS of the 100 targets, when dark
ness called the sport. Then arose a dis
cusslQn as to what was to be done with
the S25 OF average money o. r. Dickey
OF Boston had So dead birds to his
credit, Wheeler of Marlboro was sec
ond with 50, Griffith 81, and Smell.
woodward, Eager and Federan were
tied for fourth place with rs. An effort
was made to have the shooters remain
over and shoot out the program We'd
nesday morning, but such an arrange
ment could not be made.
The experts who had pluckily staid
at the traps through the showers of the
day went home to all parts of New Eng
land in the belief that the proper share
OF the purse would be forwarded to
them when the averages were figured.
1t is stated by many sportsmen who
were present that it was the expressed
agreement that the money was to be
divided on the basis of the portion of
the program which was completed. Men
the money state that such was the gen
eral understanding.
Now, they say, there was a string or
the money. Secretary Arthur w. Walls
withheld the $25 purse as an induce.
ment to call the crackeriacks together
again. He has announced another tour
nament for Sept. IL at which the same
old VS. is to be shot for once more And
| there is where the kick is registered
nd fes, L.,
from the fact that there was a prevail
ing opinion that tine money was to be
divided, the injustice of any such ar
rangement as Mr.. Walls announces. ap-
peals to all the men interested who are
out for fair play
Dickey is in the, lead. If he is unable
to attend the coming tournament, he
loses. If Wheeler Griffith and couple
more men fail to put in an appearance
they have no chance for a run for their
money, and any such peculiar DISPOSE
ton of the money as Secretary Walls
proposes, which by the way was with
out the consent Of the shooters inter-
ested, is, unfair, sportsmen say.
There is marked feeling over the az
fair The belief is general that it would
have been a sportsmanlike thing to do
to leave the disposition of the money in
the hands of the men who were in the
race ana VINO ndu SnOC long and hard
under trying circumstances for a share
of the purse. The pulling of the string,
which was attached to the money looks
to many shooters like a direct attempt
to profit by weather conditions and to
reap another harvest for the club out of
the same old sowing of $25.
So strong has the sentiment become
against the proposed disposition of the
purse that two of the men who have
chance to enter into the delayed divis-
ion, have announced their intention to
leave their money in. They feel that
they have been used in an unsportsman-
like manner, not to say unfairly.
The unprecedented action of Sec
rotary Walls is the topic of much de-
bate and almost endless discussion in
trap shooting circles and If the senti-
ment against the club holds or grows,
the coming tournament will attract
few shooters.
The recent offer of $50 purse for the
coming tournament is taken as an at
tempt to stem the tide of indignation
which has arisen, and one prominent
trapskooter has written The Spy, ask
ing if there is any guarantee that there
is not stout cord attached to the lat
est offer, by which it may be pulled
back into camp.