The Washington times., 1901-11-02
NATIONAL GUARD AFFAIRS.
No Decision Regarding tho Gersten.
berg Trophy Match.

No decision has yet been reached in
regard to the protests filed against Lieut.
w NJ Farrow. who made the highest
score, and Private f. ]. Fink. who made
the second highest score in. the Gersten-
berg trophy match at the fifth annual
meeting of the National Rifle Association
at the Ordway range last week. a meet
ing of the range officers who ofIiciated
was held Friday night at National Guard
headquarters. Action was also deferred
in protests against the teams of the Sec
ond Regiment, the Fourth Battalion. and
Company Of the Fourth Battalion.
The protests filed against Lieutenant
Farrow and Private Fink, who scored
respectively, 131 and 127 in the Gersten-
berg match, are based on the fact that
neither of them began to fire at the 200
yard range, the first prescribed in the
conditions of the match. Those who
made the protests state that under the
firing regulations the less distance must
be shot first, and the failure of Lieuten-
ant Farrow and Private Fink to do this
disqualifes them. No decision was rem
dered last night because none of the range
officers had a copy nf the proper edition
of the firing regulations. Lieutenant Far
row and Private Fink did not go to the
range on the day of the match until the
other contestants had reached the 800
yard stage
The shorter distances had been fired
under miserable conditions, with gale
blowing directly across the range. The
Springfield rifle would have been a much
more effective arm in this match than the
lighter Krag-JorGensen. On account OF
the heavy wind the scores OF the contest
ants were visibly affected. but Lieuten-
ant Farrow and Private Fink fired under
conditions in the afternoon as favorable
as those in the morning had been handi-
Gaping. 1t is thought that the protests
will be sustained, and that Lieutenant
F. w. Holt who had the next highest
score, will be declared the winner of the
match.
The objections to the victorious Second
Regiment team, the Fourth Battalion
team and the team of Company B,
Fourth Battalion, which finished in the
company match, are all based on the
transfer of Sergeant Greene and Private
Pile to Company b. Fourth Battalion,
from Company A, of the Sixth Battalion.
When the District rife teams were made
up to go to Sea Girt, Sergeant Greene
and Private Pile were transferred to Com
pany A of the Sixth Battalion so that
When they returned to Washington afte~
the matches al Sea Girt they Immediately
resumed duty with Company 3 of the
Fourth Battalion, and their transfer
papers from Company A of the Sixth to
Company b of the Fourth were made
out The day before the matches at Ord
way the papers were forwarded TO the
commanding officer of Company 3 of the
Fourth Battalion.
Through an oversight, they were not
forwarded to headquarters. Sergeant
Greene and Private Pile were technically
members of Company A, Sixth Battalion,
but, thinking their transfers had been all
settled, they shot as members of the team
of Company Il, Fourth Battalion, and of
the Fourth Battalion. The fact that they
were technically members of the Sixth
Battalion left the regimental team with
out a representative from the Fourth
Battalion, which is required by the con-
ditions Of the match. When this was
learned afterward, protests were immedi-
ately filed against the Second Regiment
team, which won the regimehtal match
hands down. and the team of Company T.,
Fourth Battalion, which was second in
the company match.
The protests may be sustained There
is. however. a feeling that It would he
unsportsmanlike fer the losers in the
match to insist upon the DISQUALIFICATION
of the victors on a technically, inasmuch
as the grounds for disqualification were
the result of inadvertence.
Preparations are being made and at
tention of rifiemen OF the National Guard
is directed toward the gallery practice
at the Centre Market Armory during the
coming winter months. November and
December will be devoted TO the compile
tion of scores in the ordered practice.
Major James F.. Bell desires inspec-
tors of rifle practice, and company COM
manders. who wish to be assigned special
nights for regular practice for compile
tion of scores. to make application to
him at once. The gallery will be open for
voluntary practice every afternion from
8 unti $50 o clock.