The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-04-06
Minneapolis Man Becomes Cham
pion Shot of United States and
Gets Trophy and First Money.
SPENCER OF ST. LOUIS SECOND.
His Fifty-Third Bird Fell Dead
Out of Bounds. After the Most
Sensational Race for the
Prize on Record.
BY STAGE CORRESPONDENT

hIilt IlCdU Ildliuitdp. NHdEieS SpchNVA VI 49,
Louis finished second to H. H. Hirschy of
Minneapolis. forcing the winner TO break all
records for the big event and kill fifty
three birds straight in the shoot-of. The
veteran. Rolla Heikes. was third.
Hirschy won with a handicap OF twenty
nine yards. and became the champion wins
shot Of America. The last man to stand up
with him in the shoot-or out of the four
teen men who had clean scores yesterday
was c. G. Spencer Of st. Louis. also a
Northumberland man. who finally failed to
| kill his ffty-third bird. a towering outgoer.
| Spencer will receive second money. h y.
| Heikes Of Dayton. O.. third: ]. D. Pollard,
Chicago. fourth. and ]. L. Owen Of Cush-
ing. Ok. fifth.
Sensational Race For Prize.
The race. which was for twenty-five birds.
proved to be one of the most sensational in
the annals OF shooting tournaments. The
shoot-on to-day began with bright and
clear weather. but with a hard wind blow
ing. In the second round two men dropped.
a third missed out in the third. three lost
in the fourth. two more in the seventh, one
in the eleventh and another IN the four
teenth.
Fred Gilbert Of Spirit Lake, Ia, was one
| of the first men to quit. and Heikes after
making many sensational shots. lost his
thirty-frst. This left Spencer and Hirschy
alone in the race.
Spencer Missed Fifty-Thtrd Bird.
They killed their birds with ease and
regularity, and soon passed the record mark
for straight kills OF thirty-four, set by
Bates IN 1900. Hirschy's shooting was stead
Ter than Spencers in the last rounds. and
many picked him for the winner after the
fortieth bird had been killed.
Both men were straight up to the fifty
second bird. The fifty-third was a towering
outgoer. Spencer shot first, and. although
he hit it. the bird fell dead out of pounds.
Hirschy's ffty-third was an ordinary right
quarterer. He killed 1t with his first bar
rel. but used the second to make sure.
Hirschy had not only won the Great
American Handicap. but he had placed to
his record a score of seventy-eight straight
birds for this event and a grand total of
102 for the week, having erased every one
since the tournament began on Monday
morning.
When Hirschy killed his last bird his ad-
mirers swarmed around him and bore him
from tho field on their shoulders.
The winner not only becomes champion
shot Of the United States. but will receive
the handsome trophy captured last year by
Z. c. Griffith, OF Pascoag. r. l.. and seSS
as the portion of the prize money. The
balance Of the 81. 4o1 prize money will be
divided among the remaining sixty-two
Wind Wns ve-y HiEh All Day.
Shooting in the strongest wind which
has prevailed since the tournament opened
and at the fastest birds yet untrapped,
Spencers work was of the first order. Aft
er shooting down Heikes. on the twentieth
bird. Spencer and Hirschy each killed
twenty-one birds in perfect style. regardless
of the fisrce wind which swept across the
traps every few minutes. 1t was the fifty
third bird which proved disastrous for
Spencer. and which spoiled his chan.s for
first place In the big event. A fast, tower
ing outgoer, rose from the trap. A blast of
wind struck 1t behind and swept it rapidly
toward the boundary. Spencer gave 1t both
barrels in rapid succession. but the bird
kept on. although falterinE badly. and got
fifty yards beyond the boundary before it
iuttered to the ground. Hirschy killed the
Although now hailing from Minneapolis,
Hirschy is well known in st. Louis and
Alton, where he worked about three years
ago. For nearly a year. he was in the en-
ploy Of a st. Louis ammunition firm and
figured in several Mound City shoots. He
has a large acquaintance among the ST.
from the Northumberland mark.
The second set Of traps was agreed upon
as the location of the shoot, thus putting
the strong southwest wind behind the men.
A few minutes after 9, Spencer went to the
traps for his first shot. He was the third
man to shoot, but at the end of the sew
the first man, dropping out on his second
bird. and Derlng. on his seventh:
Steady Shooting for Twenty-Five Birds
stepped to the traps first and as round aft
er round was shot, man after man missed
and was retired. Spencer and Hirschy drew
shot evenly and steadily with the other
men hanging on for shorter or longer Pc
Rods.
While Spencer was we'll favored in the
event by the crowd. Fred Gilbert was re-
garded as the most dangerous man and a
murmm Of surprise arose when he lost his
r n5tai i IN the dns s smd g. Spencer nee TMiirsAns's and
Rolla Heikes were the only contestants re-
manning, and Heikes was regarded as the
On the thirty-frst round, however. Heikes
ceased to be a factor in the shoot. through
@ eer and al Hire eHh,ys9 %ese G left a aon ' to is spff It
out. Both men shot with extreme DELHI
Grafton; the one moving far back from the
ing no attention to the cheers and applause
Of their friends as bird after bird was
In spite of a terrific gust which swept
his thirty-first bird quickly from the traps.
Spencer made a pretty shot and landed the
pigeon with his first barrel. His thirty-ffth
Bird. a circling in-comer. was also caught
squarely with the first barrel and dropped
dead instantly. In every other case Spencer
turned mOIn II iIlO Tile DlTO anu IleIe
was never a question as to the result except
for q few oments in the case Of the TWEEN
fifth Eaia bird 6.o.r Almost a..t sn.n..-.
This pigeon was a rapid outgoer. and.
like all birds Of his class. was favored
greatly by the wind. which was directly be-
hind him. Spencer hit the pigeon with the
first barrel. but he kept on, and when the
second reached II the bird was close to the
boundary. It started to run towards the
netting, and for a moment it appeared as
though the St. Louis mans changes for the
the trap boys to run directly towards the
birds and not to 60 around them. Just as
the boy reached the bird. however, the
pigeon toppled over dead. Hirschy shot
more rapidly than Spencer. and caught his
birds in every case just as they rose from
take advantage Of the wind. He drew
about the same class Of birds as did Spen-
cer, but when the contest resolved itself
into q match between the two men. a series
81 at least ten birds favored the Minneapo-
evened. and towards the close Spencer was
getting probably a trife the best Of the
draw. His last bird but one was a ire
Mendousy fast Quarterer. however. and
SE1y MS auickness with both barrels kept 1t
rom going over the boundary,
The Last Two Shets Fired.
Spencer wal first man to the traps. and
I've the word 70 pull at a moment Of COM
Peratve calm Just as the trap was opened.
powever, q strong blast Of wind came from
Dehind and fairly whirled the bird toward
me Doundary in q direct outgoing direction.
his first shot and followed 1t an Instant
later with his second. The bird raitered |
ana oipped Tor a moment n Ii appeared
as II II might save the ST. Louis man. then