New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-04-27
WOMEN At SWORDS POINT
2.
ujh)rlwind Fencing Seen in Ball.
room of Hotel Astor.
MISS BAYllS THE VICTOR
captures National Title with
Foils Before a Brilliant
Assemblage.

punctur!ng a whirlwind was as nursery
1.,at,a-cake game" compared with piercing
- s,ard which Miss Adelaide Baylis. Of
che Ladies Fencing Glass. maintained last
.,,,h, IN the women's national champion
shin bouts with foils IN the grand ballroom
80 the Hotel Aston. The alert and clever
suo,dswoman who defeated the Baroness
a. Never. the peer of the European acad-
or,ies was equal 10 the task OF disposing
- N,,ss Emily Sailer of Philadelphia, who
erished second, with only one bout lost;
Miss Frances Deusen, of East Orange,
= I and Miss Clara l. Cheeseman, of
ra.rison Y Y. the four flushing in the
order named.
=, WAS a splendid gathering that greeted
,t,h. woman fenccrS. Who had the place of
81 ho,or at the end of the national cham
o. .,..,,.b,r tournament under the direction
- tho Amateur Fencers' League Of Amer
a. sherman Hall, OF the Fencers' Club of
this city. had previously won the title with
,b. foils. Then his clubmate A. V. u. Post
scored with the duelling swords and c. A.
Pill Of the New York Athletic Club. came
undefeated through the slashing sabre con-
teyts without a defeat.
Tho assemblage had drunk its ill OF
.,,--inr svordsmansbipr-as the appetizins
cocktail before the piece dc resistance Of
tho meuu-and il was in mood for the
oashipx battles which followed. 1t was the
dehu, Of women in open competitions IN
,h,s- country. and Miss Baylis was the first
"a rH her point 10 the plastron Of Miss
Dei,sen. who was her opponent in the IN
i,ial bout. Strong of wrist and skilfully
forcing her attack. Miss Bsylis carried all
bor bouts. She was alert and quick as a
Fash Of light winning against all the
other competitors by close but sufficient
scores.
While Miss Baylis was polishing off her
sdverssries Sherman Hall who had won
the foils title. hustled around looking for
ME big gold medal which some ono had
narrowed 20 admire Evidently the Dor
-yousr liked the handsome medallion, for 1t
never appeared again. and the new cham-
3 r3ea. had 10 he Consoled by the offer OF w.
Scott O'Connor, of the league, to provide
aanoth6r TO replace the ono when the
souvenir lover had taken.
There was q confident poisc about MISS
Ravlis She seemed to have an air Of n
daughter Of d'Artagnan. by the manner III
which she handled her blade. Her short
skirt of black velvet swished as her wrist
shot forNa ard with the lunge, and her
blouse of white became tense az her BODY
followed the blade. Miss Deusen was the
only one Of the quartet who wore bloom
ers IN place Of the conventional velvet
skirt She had a hurricane bout with Miss
,cheeseman hut the latter was slow in fol
lowing un her attack and on the riposte
ashsr opponents usually tailed the fatal
'otouches
In many respects interest centred upon
Z Miss Emily Sailer. of Philadelphia, who
was the alternate in place Of Mrs. William
4 Dewar. The latter created Juror
earlier in the season 10y her sparkling vic
tory over the Baroness de Meyer for the
challenge cup offered by the Colony Club
The Philadelphia led at the beginning oil
e her. bout with Miss Baylis. She parried
cleyerly. and then by flashing arm eA-
tension sent the point through to PINK her
exponent With things going against her,
the champion 70 be began sweeping AL
sata6kt Which Miss Sailer cleverly defended
but which was beaten down so that Miss
Baylis scored the title indicated.
The remarkable record of Sherman Hal
in winning fhe mems title with the foils Is
without duplicate in the annals Of fencing
in this country. Hall only lost one bout III
the championship series. II was IN the
semi-hnaIs that he was defeated by Dr. f.
W. Allen. Of the Boston Athletic Associa-
ton who finished second TO the new title
winner \. Y. Il. Post was third. after a
three BANDED tie for second prize. IN only
one OF his mail bouts Was Hall touched, ana
that was by 4. Z. Sauer, the Western
champion Of the Illinois division, who
JIercAd Halls guard twice.
Hall has practically come up from the
ncyicc class i'm TWO seasons. under me
coaching Of VI. Danguy, the maitre-de-
armes Of the Fencers' Club. This season
hs has won both the junior and the national
titles and is rated as having the surest
hand and wrist among the amateurs.
The dueling sword and sabre bouts were
exciting. and Afforded plenty Of thrills for
the women spectators present.
The summaries follow: