Evening star., 1939-06-05
BY LEWIS F. ATCHISON.

Rufus M Watson of Laurel, Md,
is the new North-South skeet cham
pion, and young Dick Shaughnessy,
the Dedham, Mass, dead-eye who
was haunted by a feeling of uncer-
tainty all day Saturday, first day of
the shoot. was right.
The pair pulverized 100 targets in
the regulation all-bore race, fiecked
of Is more in a shoot-off, and got
well into the second Is before
Shaughnessy missed. Watson.
veteran marksman, coolly and de-
liberately finished out the perfect
string to take the championship with
a final score of $50 x $50, one target
above his opponent.
When Shaughnessy's gun spat it's
load of buckshot at the fateful bird
and missed the Whirling disc the kid
bit his lip. He followed the vanish
ing bird with his gun momentarily,
then stepped back from the shooting
post.
That's it." he muttered quietly
That's the one that beats me-" And
while no one in the large gallary
knew for certain whether that one
miss would decide the issue, there
was feeling that Dick was right.
One truant shot would give it to
Watson, the way he was shooting,
Shaughnessy Philosophical.
That's the way it goes, said Joe
George with a knowing Wag of the
head. Hit EN- by the hours some
time and then miss when YOU need
one most. Charley Gillette had a
run of 430 in Baltimore only Friday
and over here he just couldn't get
his eye on 'em. That's the wav it
goes"
But Shaughnessy wasn't surprised
ana only mite disappointed. He
won everything else during the two
day meet but the deed to the club
house. Saturday he took the .4lO-
gauge and .20-gauge honors. and the
nne work yesterday gave him the
hlgh-over-all championship. along
with new record of 294 x 300
for the event. But as we sav, he
wash t surprised at his downfall in
the all-bore competition. the out
standing event on the program.
Saturday, after his 20-gauge score
of SO x 100 was posted Dicks friends
were slapping him on the back,
pumping his hand and telling him
what great round it was. He
thanked them.
But I'm not home yet" he re-
minded them. There still are two
or three to finish who can beat
me out
Tells of Epic Miss.
Later on he said he had a feeling
that some one would step up and
take top honors from him. IF not
IN this then in the all-bore," he pre-
dlcted. He wanted to win the all
bore more than anything else.
That's the one in which the bows
employ their pet shooting irons-the
hoWltzers, they fondly call EN-.
Costly as was Shaughnessys miss.
Bill Power, who has been refereeing
skeet some 10 or IL years. recalled
one OF more far-reaching conse-
quences a few years ago at Lord
ship, Conn, scene of the largest
meet in the East. And it was a par
donable miscue.
1T happened to LoWery Booth of
Chicago he began. 1T was in the
all-bore race, and he had Just run
96 straight. Two more birds and
he was home. He had a 100 sure.
because if you can get the first SO
you can make the last two blind
folded. Well. Lowery called for the
birds and his automatic hung up
momentarily. and he quickly shuf-
fled the pump second time and
that was fatal. The second pump
not only cleared the breech, but
threw out his second shell as well,
and his bird fell safe.
That miss threw him into a tie
for the championship and his team
into a tie for the five-man trophy
and both lost in the shoot-off."
Finish Shoot off in Dark.
And speaking of shoot offs. Joe
George, who halls from Jimmy
Foxxs home town. Sutlersville. Md .
and who has travelled more than
10000 miles this year to shoot clav
pigeons, participated in one of the
longest on record. 1t was at Akron
Ohio, where nine men tied in the
l00-target race. and all finally were
eliminated with the exception of
George and Morrie Orr. They went
to 1913 targets before Orr missed
1t was so dark they couldn't see
the birds and were firing blindly
after hearing the trap pulled.
THE referee incidentally Was nllt