Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-06
TOOK SECOND PLACE
District Rihemen Made Hard Fight
for Hilton Trophy.
JERSEYMEN GOT THE PRIZE
Today the Shooting is in the Inter-
state Match.
REVOLVER MATCHES ALSO
special Dispatch to The Evening Star.

Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.
SEA GRIT, n. j., September 6.-The m
terstate match, which has been awaited
with interest by the District crack shots
for some time past, is the most important
event on today's program at Sea Girt. This
match was won by a team from the Dis
trict last year. and the District boys are
going to put up hard fight to win the
trophy again this year. The match started
at o'clock this morning. and 1t Is probable
that the firing at the 200-yard range will
occupy the morning hours. After an hours
rest at noon the boys will line up to COM
plete their scores at 500 yards. This is an
other of the important events of the ninth
annual meet of the New Jersey State Rifle
Association, and the Washington public
may expect the rifle cracks from the Dis
trict to equal their record of last year on
the ranges.
They retired early last night after
hearty supper, and when they lined up
awaiting the sound of the bugle they looked
cheerful and in excellent spirits. They feel
confident of landing the prize, as they have
been doing fine pool shooting in anticipation
of an exciting contest. The team will be
the same the one which shit in the Hill
ton match yesterday with the exception of
the two men making the lowest scores. who
will be replaced by Sergeant c. E. Groome
and Private r. L. Pile, both of Company b,
4th Battalion.
In the afternoon at 3 o'clock the revolver
team matches will be shot ar distances of
twenty-five, fifty and seventy-five yards.
The District has not entered a team, but a
number of individuals have entered. Among
those entered are Lieut.. w. Milton Farrow
Lieut., w. w. Cookson Lieut.. F. w Holt,
Major 6. B. Young and Sergt. Albert Whit
acre; The prizes include a handsome
trophy and s25, $25 second prize and $40
third prize.
The Centennial trophy match for the
championship of the world, open to rifle
men of all countries. will be shot tomorrow
but In the absence of team from any for
eign country the scores will be recorded
but will not become a matter Of official rec
ord. This is done simply to carry out the
original program Of the meet, and the ia
nous Palma trophy will remain with the
New Jersey State Rifle Association until
some foreign team puts in an appearance
and completes against a team from America.
Gen. Spencer stated today that the Cana
dian government had provided funds enough
to equip team for Bisley, England, next
year. and that In all probability they would
save enough to allow them entering a team
at Sea Girt at the meeting next year.
Interest In Hilton Trophy Match.
The second stage of the Hilton trophy
match was resumed yesterday afternoon at
500 and 900 yards. The weather conditions
were perfect, and the exciting contest as 1t
narrowed down drew the attention of all
of the military cracks of the country, in ad-
dit:on 10 large number of visitors, to wit
ness the closing shots just before shutdown.
The first stage of the match at 200 yards
ending as it did. with the District team
les ding by one point over the New York
team. gives idea of the closencss of the
contest. The Jersey team finished third,
with $40 points. The Districts total was
S,3 points and the New York $ 49,. The
shooting of Lieut. Farrow, with 80 out OF
a possible 81. at the 2O0-yard range, was a
feature at this range, while Lieut. w. w
Ccokson finished q close second in the same
match, with 81 points. The remaining
scores ranged down as low as q points
When the match was resumed in the after
noon the New York team took the lead at
the J00-yard targets. The District boys put
up hard fight, but could not overcome
the handicap. and they finally fell back to
third place. The New York team finished
with T23 points, New Jersey 721 and Dis
trict of Columbia rs points. on the 500
yard range.
AT the opening of the match on the 500
yard targets ii was announced that one
point had been deducted from the Dis
trict's score of 1853 points made at 200
yards as the result Of a protest which had
been filed by a member of the New York
team. 1t seems that while Taylor and Bell
were shooting on the same target, alternate
ly, the scorer in the pit marked a bulls eye.
The New Yorker, who was watching the
District boys target through pair of field
glasses, disagreed with the scorer in the
pit and called 1t 4. The shot was imme-
diately challenged. and upon investigation
found that 1t was 4. After deducting the
point in question the District team and the
New York team were tied for first place
at the opening of the 500-yard stage.
The losing Of the point disheartened the
District boys to such an extent that In the
afternoon contest and at the opening Of
he r6l he Qfnh 1I,
lost from the very start However. they
did not lose their nerve, but lay down with
the hot sun beating upon them and pegged
away at the targets for all they were
worth, with the hope of regaining their
lost ground.
Scene Was Impressive.
The scene on the firing line will long be
remembered by every one who witnessed
and took part In the closest contest seen
for some years on the Sea Girt ranges. Wis
itors from all OF the nearby summer re-
sorts were present In the afternoon, the
majority of whom were ladies. The crowd
was excited at times. but no applause was
permitted by the range officers, on account
of the effect 1t would have on the contest
ants. The members of the teams who
were not entered in the contest were en-
gagged during the afternoon matches In
shading the men as they lay stretched out
in the sum- while others were detailed to In
spect the scores of the other contesting
teams.
Toward the last of the match the New
Workers started in well at the 600 yard
but their hard work in the two previous
matches commenced to tell on them. and
the New Jersey rifemen took jump. and
when the match was less than half through
at GOO yards the New Workers had fallen
TO second place The District boys, who
had dreaded the New Workers from the
very start, upon hearing this got down to
good hard work. and before many more
shots had been fired Ii spread over the
range that the District boys were in the
| race neck and neck for second place with
the New York team. With Bell and Tay-
lor lying side by side and the crowds surg
ing around them they continued to land
bull s-eyes and tours at intervals, and when
the last shot had been fired the New York
ers had been overcome and beaten by the
team from the District of Columbia by
nine points. The New Jersey men left the
field last with a total score Of 1OS1; Dis
| trict of Columbia, second 1 O66 points and