The morning news., 1899-12-30
HERE THEY REST THEIR CASE.
SAVANNAH SEA CRITTERS Make
CLEAR THEIR PROTEST.

ed and for Those who Profted hv
the Decision in Their Favor-Geor-
Sians Tell the Story of the HiItoD
Trophy Contest and the Events
That FOlIowed-ThOse Who Signed
the StRtement-This Would Seem
TO Close the Incident.
statement covering their position in
the protest against the award of the Hill
ton trophy 90 the New Jersey team al the
sast meet at Sea Girt was sent on bv
abe members of the Georgia team and pub
hshed in several Of the Northern papers,
being thus disseminated among those es-
recially interested in rifle shooting and
among those who have sided with New
Jersey The showing is strong, and it is
believed it must have had its effect upon
those at the North who read it.
Following are those who signed the
statement: Capt. W. W Williamson, Col.
jordan f. Brooks, Col. George T. Cam.
Capt. Thomas Hunter, Capt. ]. C. Postell,
capt. w. G. Harrison, Capt c. H. Kone-
mann, Lieut.. w. W. Gordon, Jr., Lieut..
f. c. Wilson, Capt. Henry Blum, Jr.,
Sergt. F. w. Garden, Sergt ]. NJ. Drey-
er, Sergt. R. P. Constantine, Corpl. G. E.
Quanlock, Private H. e. Wilson, Private
r. c. FetZer, Jr., Private w. G. Austin,
Private Fred Myers, Jr., Private E. c. A.
Mercer, Private Thomas G. Philpot and
Private F. c. Battey. Commenting upon
the statement, which it published the
Newark Evening News said editorially:
The presentation by the Georgia rife
team of the evidence upon which its mem
bers based their claim of fraud in the Hill
ton trophy rifle match, is a claim, unim-
passiened statement of alleged facts that
throws mueh light on the somewhat re-
markable decision arrived at by the COM
mittee of the New Jersey State Rifle Asso-
citation which heard the protest and the
evidence.
When this decision was rendered, after
an executive session. the News ex-
pressed the opinion that ii sounded like
the oft-quoted verdict mot guilty, but
don't do it again." The statement by the
Georgians, published in the News yester-
day, discloses apparently why the COM
mittee could not, in all conscience, make
its decision in favor of the New Jersey
team any stronger 1t also appears that
the committee was somewhat disingenuous
in making its findings public. In that sent
TO Georgia is the following paragraph:
We will also state that in the minds
of the Executive Committee Col Brooks
in lodging his protest. We feel that he
would have been recreant to his duty if he
had not done so, and such action on his
part was not considered by the commit
tee as in any way implying a reflection
upon their method of conduct of the rife
meeting
This paragraph seems to have been
meant entirely for Southern consumption,
since it was omitted from the committees
conclusions as given out to the newspa-
pers in this section.
Under the circumstance the possession
of the Hilton Trophy by the New Jersey
State Rifle Team is not a matter 10 put on
airs about, and it is to be hoped for the
honor of the state that at future rife
matches the arrangements will be such as
10 preclude the possibility of grounds for
a similar protest"
The following is the part of the state
ment bearing directly upon the contest,
which is supplemented by the his ory of
the efforts the Georgians made to secure
hearing, in which they were finally sue
cessful, the hearing being accorded them
before a committee in New York on Nov
Is and the decision being against then,
though stating that there was every rea-
son for the Georgians to have taken the
action they did,
Toward the completion of the 500-yard
stage of the Hilton trophy match a men,
Der of the Georgia team using a power
full telescope, saw a shot which hit in
the four of the New Jersey target No.
signalled a 'bullseye." He called atten
tion to the error, but without effect The
captain of the Georgia team then request
ed of the executive officer permission to
send a representative in the pits when
the 600-yard stage began. This request
was refused. although a rule of the as
soeiation allows it. In shooting at GOD
yards the first six of the New Jersey team
averaged 2Sl5. The eighth man wound up
the score with a miss. The telephone
man said to the marker in the pit:
Billy, what is the matter with our boys
now? thus informing the marker which
target New Jersey was using
The next four men made "a bulls" and
"fours," an average of "a out of a pos
sible 35. The same men, at 500 yards, the
easiest of all ranges, averaged 9l1s. Geol-
gia and Washington, both known to be
good teams, have won this match for three
seasons, yet at this range Georgia and
Washington together got only 81 bulls
eyes" while New Jersey alone was sig
nailed 81 "bullseyes," which beats the
record.
There was much comment on the phe-
nomenal shooting of the New Jersey team
and several of the Georgia team went to
the pits to see the New Jersey target
They found several pastors in the top of
'he target covering no bullet holes. They
returned to camp TO get some strong
lamps and some of the Washington team
They returned with three officers of the
Washington team and under their super
vision made a careful examination, with
the following result: One frame contained
In the bullseye 81 pastors, but only 26 bull
let holes, and the other 81 pastors, but
only 10 bullet holes. Some pastors in the
four" ring had no bu..et holes under
them. AS there were only As bullet holes
In the two "bullseyes" and the markers
had signalled 81 for New Jersey, fraud
was very evident.
The matter was reported to Gen. Spen-
Ger, executive officer, who promised an
early investigation. When the Georgia
team captain reported with his witnesses
he was informed that no investigation
would be held unless a protest was filed;
hence formal protest was made. On the
following day Gen. Spencer asserted that
ihe Georgia men had violated q rule in
visiting the pits, and he could not enter
tain the protest