Evening star., 1939-08-22
Defending Champion!
Worried by Scores
In Preliminary
Howery, Donzbereer,
Haley and Ronnins
Keep Pegs Hot

All four defending champions In
The Evening Star horseshoe tour
nament today had something to
worry over following the opening
night of qualifying play on the
National Capital Parks courts at
Fifteenth street and Constitution
avenue.
Lee Fleshman, the Southern
Maryland champ, watched his chief
rival, Temple FARRELL, fire a score
of 221 with 100 pitches, including
81 ringers.
Clayton Henson, the Virginia
titleholder, who Sunday finished
the Metropolitan Singles League
season with perfect record, WIN
ming more than so games, saw his
seasons ringer average of 81 beaten
by two pitchers who will attempt
to uncroWn him. Charley Howery
tossed 64 per cent in scoring 220
points and Southpaw Hoot Danz-
berger 62 per cent in gaining 218
points.
Saunders on the Spot.
Irwin Carlberg, Washington
champion, threw only At per cent
and scored 1T points while two
of his principal rivals were doing
better. Walter Haley had 48-19l
and Harold Ronning 50-184.
Harry Saunders, who will defend
the Metropolitan District title, the
most important in the tournament,
had all these to consider plus Hen
son and Fleshman and not a few
others who have yet to toss. The
deadline for the qualifying test
falls tonight. with the final group
of players taking over the courts
at 7 o'clock. Any who desire to
enter should report at that hour
at the officials desk.
Carlberg was the only champion
and one of the few better known
fllppers to shoot last night. Spot
lighted tonight will be Henson,
Fleshman, Bill Woodfield, Sid Stod-
dard, Roy Wilson and others with
ringer regulations, all eager to beat
Jarrell's leading score.
AS Metropolitan champion, Saun-
ders is exempt from qualifying
and is not eligible to compete for
any title except the Metropolitan.
Thursday and Friday nights the
qualifiers will play elimination
matches for the championships of
Southern Maryland, Northern Vir-
ginia and Washington. The out
standing performers in the sectional
competition will move into the
Metropolitan playoffs to be held
next Monday and Tuesday eve
nings.
Merryman, Smith Surprise.
One of last nights surprising
flippers was Long Joe Merryman
OF Bladensburg, former Southern
Maryland champion, who put on
81 shoes and scored 191 points.
Another was Preston Smith, in the
Maryland section, with 49-183.
Smith is an unknown" Gus Brailer,
a veteran of the Old Line scraps,
improved a lot over other years
with 52-187.
FARRELL, who has divided his play
time between softball, in which he
is a crack pitcher, and horseshoe
tWlrhng, surprised himself. His
score of 22l was the second highest
he ever made. Several years ago
he marked up 228 points in the
qualifying round of the world
championship tournament at Mo-
line, Ill. He has held the Southern
Maryland and Metropolitan District
intercollegiate titles, the latter
while a student at the University
of Maryland
Stars Clash Tonight.
The sectional playoff will start
Thursday at 7:30 pm. and con-
tinue to the semif1nals and the
titles will be settled the following
evening.
Although medal play" in horse
shoes is of little interest to the
average spectators, a stable GAL
lery was on hand last night and
larger one Is expected tonight to
see Henson, Fleshman and other
stars attempt to beat Jarrell's
score. The eliminations should fill
the sizable bleachers and other
seating accommodations provided
by the National Capital Parks
Service.