The Washington herald., 1912-04-07
CAPITAL FENCERS
LOSE In TOURNEY
DR.. F. W. Allen, of Boston, Cap
lures Trophy Given by Ambas-
.. sador Jusserand.

Washington fencsrs were outpointed at
the tournament at the Washington Rid
ing Club Twenty-second and p streets
northwest, last night and DR.. f. w.
Allen took home to the Boston Athletic
Club the splendid trophy, a statue Of
The Fighting Gaul," which the French
Ambassador, NJ Jules Jusserand, pre-
sented as a prize to encourage fencing IN
this country.
Fencing Clubs representative, C. n.
Sohlberg, r.. L. Macneil, and DR.. S. d.
Breckenridge, DR.. Allen also overcame J.
A. Mclaughlin, of his own club, and DR..
J. E. GiguoUx, of the New York Ath-
Ietic Club. with who he tied, an extra
bout with the foils being necessary to
decide DIR. Aliens SUPREMACY.
\ fashionable crowd saw the fencing
tournament, the first of considerable pro-
portions ever held here Besides the
French Ambassador and the first secre-
tary of the Embassy, there were other
distinguished representatives of the dip
lomatic corps, as well as of the army and
navy. Maj. Gen. Leonard Wood, Chief
of STAFF, and Mai. Henry T. Allen, Mrs.
Allen, and Miss Janet Allen; Col E. st.
John Greble and Miss mildred Greble.
and Capt I. j. Rhodes were among those
present from the army circle.
Appeals to Spectators.
The sport, more or less new to all ex-
cept members of the army and navy
and their families. appealed strongly to
the spectators, who frequently applaud
ed. he bouts were fought in the middle
of the arena, and could be plainly seen
from the gallery of the riding club.
Fifteen bouts, of four minutes each, a
lajority of seven touches deciding tse
winner, composed the tournament for the
JuSserdnd trophy. In the first, GignouN
defeated Sohlberg; in the second, Allen
defeated Macneil; in the third, Brecken-
ridge defeated Mclaughlin; but in the
fourth where two victors, GignouX and
Allen met, Allen won the bout. In the
sixth. Allen defeated another victor,
Breckenridge. Mclaughlin was the only
man who defeated Allen, while Allen
was the only man who defeated GignouX-
At the end Of the fifteen bouts, Allen
and Gignoux each had won four bouts,
and they crossed foils TO break the tie,
Allen winning finally and taking first
place, Gignoux second, Breckenride and
Mclaughlin tied with three bouts each,
and on the extra bout TO break the tie
Breckenridge won
The Judges were Naval Constructor A.
c. Cunningham. DIR. NJ. ]. Echeverria.
and ]. T Cunningham. George Bullock
Willis was timer
Presents His Trophy.
In presenting the trophy, which is to
to be contester for six years successfully
before it is ultimately owned by one Of
the. fencing clubs of the United States
Ambassador Jusserand said:
I'VE shall all be older before this
trophy is definitely presented to the VIC
tor among the fencing clubs of this
country. 1 am glad to see the progress
that so noble an art as fencing has made
in Aemerica. 1t is an old art, and II
is an art Of immense value 20 society.
II is good for the body, and it is good
for the mind.
1T teaches us a very important thing,
a thing especially important in diplo-
macy-the- art of losing no chance and of
squandering nothing. 1t teaches that n
tenth of an inch may save ones life,
and we thus learn to lose nothing avail
able
Il am glad to see that the art of fenc-
ing prospers in this country, for which
/ am, as ] have always ben. even be-
fore ! saw it, a sincere well-wisher."
Ambassador Jusserand was heartily
applauded and many came forward to
felicitate him upon his happy speech and
upon the donation of the trophy, a
handsome reproduction of the famous
statue
Lieut.. Pullen, of the Engineers, and
Lieut.. Patten. of the Fifteenth Cavalry,
gave an exhibition with sabers. and DIR.
breckenridge and George Bullock Willis
gave an exhibition with fencing sword.