Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-08-12
Is Aces Toss Tonight
In Competition for
Metro Honors
Vireinion May Be One
Of Worlds Six Best
Slipper Summers
BY ROD THOMAS.

Whether Metropolitan Washing
ton, in a 12-year effort, has pro-
duced one of the rarest Of sports
figures, a master of horseshoe pitch
ing, may be known at the finish Of
the finale of The Stars ringer
championships, to open tonight at
7:3O o'clock on the public parks
courts. opposite the Commerce
Building.
To the average iron ripper a
ringer ever so often brings a thrill
In practice for the defense of his
Metropolitan Washington title, at
stake in competition which includes
the 16 foremost pitchers of Wash
ington. Virginia and Maryland
Clayton C. Henson of Arlington
steadily has thrown 80 or more
ringers An 100 shoes. According to
the record book not more than halt
a dozen men in the world can do
as we'll under pressure.
Defeat of Risk Brings Fame.
Henson's triumph over Jimmy
Risk, world champion trick pitcher
and rated as 1.-The man to beat" in
national tournaments, brought him
wide renown, but the experts of the
land await his performance in The
Star tournament before passing
judgment on him as competitor
From the early days of The Stars
event-this is the 18th annual
Henson has won numerous honors,
but this year he seems to have
found himself in a big way.
The history of the game here
practically is the history of The
Star tournament Many better
than-average twirlers have come
and gone since the inaugural COM
petition in 1929. but none has ap-
preached the accomplishments OF
the Henson of 1910. He has fired as
many as IS ringers in row. He
won the championship of the all
star Metropolitan Singles League
with the loss of only one game. He
made a show of the famed Risk
in a challenge match and it was
the first defeat of Risk in such a
contest in five years of campaign
ing throughout the country, in which
he met all corners.
Faces New Opposition.
But 1910, with an influx OF new
talent, some from other cities. has
brought a big jump in class in The
Star tournament as whole and 1t
remains to be seen if Henson has
progressed greatly beyond the tour
nament. A rule of the event has
kept him on the sidelines until the
defense of the Metropolitan title
and his rivals have the benefit of
current seasoning. He goes into
the big scrap virtually cold.
He battles IS men who came
through contests that settled the
championships OF washington,
Southern Maryland and Northern
Virginia, twirlers who earned their
way into one of the toughest ringer
wars in the land. The 16 who
qualified for the Washington play
offs averaged so per cent ringers,
which gives an idea of the brand
of opposition Henson faces. and
among the Washington representa-
tives is one the doughty Virginian
must reckon with particularly. Clair
Lacey, former Kansas high school
principal, employed in the War De-
partment. appears worthy of the
steel of Henson or any other.
Fair Finalists Clash.
He topped the qualifying round
of the tournament with 70 per cent
ringers and to win the District title
averaged Y. 1t may be significant
that Henson averaged only II in
the Metropolitan League, but the
horseshoe observers point out that
toward the end of the league sea-
son he slammed EN- on at the rate
of 80 per cent.
Henson is seeded at the top and
Lacey at the bottom of the draw. so
they may meet only in the final
The semi-finals and final will be
played tomorrow night, starting at
7:30, and the final will be preceded
by the women's Metropolitan wind
up, in which Lucy Rose, No. rank
ing woman duckpin bowler of the
country, will meet Stella Baranow-
ski, 14-year-old ringer sensation
Following are tonight's pairings:
Clayton Henson, Virginia, VS..
Robert Campbell, Maryland; Irwin
Carlberg, Washington. VS.. Frank
FELTON,, Virginia; Don Behnke,
Washington, VS.. Elmer Swartz, Vir-
ginia; Walter Haley, Washington,
VS.. Lee Freshman, Maryland; Char
ley Howery, Virginia. vs. Marvin
Maryland; Ed Baranow-
ski, Virginia, VS.. Temple FARRELL,
Bill Hartley, Washing
ton, VS.. Hoot Dansberger, Virginia
and Frank Freshman, Maryland, VS.
Clair Lacey. washington.