Evening journal., 1910-08-05
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
The Grit That Decided an
international Contest
BY "HOlland."
BY "HOlland."

The other day the cable brought the
news from Pekin that an American
team had won over all competitors i'm
an International rife match open to
teams Of all the legation guards I'm
the Chinese capital The captain Of
the Yankee team was Captain Thomas
Holcombe, Jr.. who was a member Of
the victorious American team that
competed i'm the great international
rife contest held in England in 1903
the most famous contest OF the kind
ever held. And II was at this contest
that Captain Holcombe displayed the
grit that, on the authority of the cap
tain Of the team Leslie c. Bruce. ulti-
mately gave America the victory. II
is a story that has hitherto escaped
publication.
Seven teams took part in the
match" said MIR. Bruce. "and as Amer
lea had been the victor i'm every SINH
lar contest held previously, a very
honorable, but nevertheless very ear
nest attempt was made to take the
prestige away from the United States.
Especially did the Englishmen go in
with the idea of wrestling this glory
from their American cousins, with the
result that when the shooting was fin
ished at the eight hundred yard range
they had us distanced by three points
| have been told that when the cable
dispatches informed our countrymen
that we had been beaten at the eight
hundred yard range the general inn
preston was that at least an end had
come to Americas victories. To us
Of the team the outlook was some
what gloomy, 7 must confess. and as
f,ft I III
to whether or not we would be able
TO manifest at the nine hundred and
one thousand yard ranges that esprit
de corps which plays so important
part i'm winning contests in which
teams are engaged. I was still won
dering whether this particular kind of
enthusiasm. or confidence. which is so
hard to describe I'm words. would be
with us. when Tommy Holcombe took
his position at the nine hundred yard
range. OF course we watched him
with intense interest, and You can
imagine the horror that rose in our
breasts when, just before It came time
for him to fire. his smokeless powder
cartridge exploded prematurely and
the gas from it saturated his right eye,
so to speak, closing it completely
"As speedily as possible / got a
cloth and some cold water and bathed
the burning eye, while bitter thoughts
ran through my brain, for I had
counted greatly on Tommy Holcombe's
shooting at the nine hundred and thou
sand yard ranges. But the water did
the eye no good-the pain was too
severe. it was burning like fire,
afterwards learned-and so [ finally
had to say to Holcomb: Tommy,
guess you'll have to retire and let me
put substitute in your place.
Tommy jerked his head around and
with his good eye looked into mine.
Not much, he retorted. grimly AS
long rs have got one good eye | can
make the mark
The way he said il, the look in
that one good eye, the superb con-
fdence of the man sticking out all
over him. decided me. All right |
said, and a moment later Tommy took
his position, coolly and carefully
| aimed. and at last fired Hurrahl
Tommy Holcombe. one-eyed though he
was-with fire burning at his closed
! eye and filling that member with in
tense pain-had made a clean bulls
! eyel
The effect upon us was instantane-
Gus. A few seconds before we had
/ been in despair. Now we seemed like
men inspired-esprit de corps was
among us again I'm victorious measure
| bulls eye after bulls eye was record
/ ed in our favor. and when the shoot
ing finally concluded at the range we
found that we led the English by
seven points.
"A little later the greatest of all
international rife contests was ours
/ by a margin of fifteen points. and
have always felt that the grit dis
played by Tomey Holcombe at the
nine hundred yard range and his re-
sultant bulls eye decided that contest
for America by giving us the proper
esprit de corps at the critical period
of the match"
Copyright, 1910; by e. j. Edwards.
All rights reserved)
Tomorrow Mr.. Edwards will tell Of
's0ne Of General Grants Ways"