The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-04-07
AFTERMATH OF The
GRAND AMERICAN
st. Louis Shots Showed That This
City Contains Some Fine
Marksmen.
FEATURES OF THE CONTEST.
Annie Oakley and the Women Con.
testantS-N0ms de Fusil Nj
merous-Book on the
Event.

Not only did the Grand American Handi-
cap. which ended last Saturday at Kan
Eas City. afford the most thrilling contest
yet witnessed in the big event, but 1t also
provided more features of interest than
any previous stake. From start to finish
the greatest interest was felt in the out
come all over the country and the attend
ance OF ell-knowu shots alone was q fea-
ture In itself.
With the exception Of Frank Par1nalee Of
Omaha, who failed TO show up in the
course of the tournament, almost every
trap-shot Of Importance in the country was
present and the field was such a one as
probably viii not be seen again In years.
Elliott, Gilbert. Crosby. Spencer, He!bes. all
were there. while among the former win
ners and second men In the big event pres
emit were T. W. Morley and Captain Money.
first and second in 1894; o. L. Dickey and
S. Glover, first and second in 1886; Tom
Marshall. winner in 1897 and 1899; Il. u
Fulford and G. W. LOOMS, first and second
in 1895; H. d. Bates. winner in 1900; and
Z. c. Griffith and ]. L. d. Morrison, first
and second in 1901.
Three days before the opening Of the week
marksmen from all over the country COM
menced arriving at Kansas City, while
Sunday and Monday mornings saw a rush
OF shooters TO the city which filled up the
two leading hotels. st. Louis was well rep
resented by Taylor. Spencer, orv!s. Mermod,
Starklof. Smith. Sims, Thompson, Spicer,
Carroll, Thompson and others, but II must
be confessed that their chances were not
regarded as OF the best by the experts I'M
Ill Spencer made his sensational run md
tied with thirteen others last Friday in the
handicap finals.
Then the ST. Louis man became q factor
in the betting. and while never In the irst
position of favoritism until he was tied
with Hirschy in the last half hour Of the
f1nal. he was nevertheless strongly backed
and was in the first rank after Fridays
work Gilbert was the favorite in the shoot
Oft at short odds, with Heikes second at
3 and 5 to l.
The book conducted on the event was
quite a feature of the shoot and for a
specimen OF closeness and strangle-holding
was n curiosity in its way. The evening
before the handicap commenced. when
nearly go men were scheduled to COM
pete. the longest odds against any shot
was 100 to /. And this price was only laid
on men considered outsiders.
II a contestant had ever shown good
form. no matter how long before. his price
was materially shortened. and 50 TO l was
a liberal figure against a man of only rea-
sonable ability. Gilbert. Heikes. Tanning
and Elliott were held at about equal ia
voritism at 20 and % to l. Kansas City
money apparently keeping Elliott in this
position, while Crosby was close up. Mar
Sldll was ~ 10 / at the opening. ana from
% TO 50 to / could be had against the St
Louis men. with Doctor Spencer 100 to L
Charley Spencer was GO to l at the opening.
While ODDS were materially shortened
against good performers as the shoot pro-
EIes-ed, no lensthening Of the odds against
any contestant was in evidence. Several
Of the st. Louis contingent expressed the
opinion that the bookmaker must have
learned his trade at SpOrtsman's Park in
the withdrawing days. but In spite of this
a rev laid small bets on members of the
bathroom OF n leading hotel. an immense
blackboard being used to display the odds
karly Monday morning the st. Louis con-
tingent started en- masse for the park, which
occupied about the same relative position
to Kansas City as Dupont Park does here.
II was necessary to take two lines Of cars
s'Jects the park was inferior to the Du-
pont shooting grounds, as 1t lay In a hol-
, ,bs P PHtwe sIyo a rait s@an esm abd,, a ,ha
size OF the River des Peres.
Traps were arranged on the north and
south sides Of the clubhouse. which was a
plain frame building, the sets on either side
being about eighty-five yards apart. To
prevent cross firing, a board fence was
tecting the shooters at the next traps, but
cutting off a view from the spectators OF
what was going on at both places.
Board walks led from trap to trap and
each contestant fired at one bird from each
set OF traps. In this respect the board
fence was an advantage. inasmuch as a
man having missed one bird could walk
to the next set of traps without feeling that
the same crowd OF spectators was watch
ing TO see him miss again. Several of the
more nervous shooters commented APPROX
ingly on the arrangement.
After making the rounds of the traps
each shooter had from three to four hours
on his hands before his turn came again
among the crowd Of go and more competi-
tors. This time was generally spent in
comparing notes and renewing acquaint-
ances among the shooters and IN discussing
techn!calities of the game.
Guns and ammunition. of course, were the
leading topics Of conversation. and two
weapons on the ground excited considera-
bic attention. These were Tom Marshall's
gun. which cost 100 guineas. or more than
$500. and the weapon belonging to W. H.
Clay of this city. which was the first
eiector gun turned out by Il noted maker.
and which cost originally several hundred
dollars.
Mons de fusil were much in evidence at
the contest. three of the St. Louis men
shooting under assumed names. These
we're Doctor Starkloff. Doctor Smith and
Clegg. who shot respectively as N. C.
Green. Walter James and Eugenia. w. A.
Thomson of Bellcville shot under the name
of Williams, and at least thirty or forty
contestants adopted coined names. several
sporting papers having experts entered I'M
der their titles. as advertisements. Among
the fictitious names assumed were Lum-I