Milford chronicle., 1954-07-30
1854 National Rifle And
Pistol Matches

WASHINGTON, d. G. - Almost
5000 Of the nations finest military
and civilian marksmen are now in
training for one Of sportsdom's s
most gruelling tests-the 1854 re-
newal Of the National Rife and Pis-
tol Matches which will be fired at
Camp Perry, Ohio, from August Is
TO September 5. This will be the
second year in row that the high-
power and smallbore rifle and pis-
tol matches will be fred on the
world famous Buckeye State ranges
and the oath time they lave been
returned there since 1907.
The firing for the coveted ma
tion shooting titles will stretch
over three week period with the
high-poWer rifle shooters comDet-
ing from August 16 to August "a
and the smallbore rife and pistol
marksmen shooting from August
81 to September S. In all almost
100 individual matches will be fired
with all American individual and
team titles at stake
The higk-power rifle matches will
be nred in two divisions with the
National Rife Association Match
Rifle and Service Rifle crowns on
the line. Both Championships will
be defended by u. S. Marines. Staff
Sergeant Don L. Smith, 1853 Match
Rifle winner. and Master Sergeant
Maxim r. Beebe, 1868 Service Rifle
utlehOlder will match their skill
against 1000 civilian and military
challengers who will gather from
the four corners Of the earth. Mrs.
Alice Bull, of Seattle, Washington,
will defend her women's title.
Other defending champions in the
high-poWer matches will be Colo
mel John Barkley Of Louisiana INA
tional Guard), Thomas r. Barnes,
Denver, Colorado (Civilian), and
~. N. Gabel. Oakland, California
(COllegiate).
Harry Reeves, of Detroit, Michi-
gan, only five time winner of the
U. S. Pistol Championship, will be
cunning for his sixth win over the
challenges of 600 of the country's
finest hand-gunners. The Motor
City's police lieutenant's chief COM
petition will come floa the U. S.
Army's Master Sergeant Huelet
Benner, American champion in
1947, 1949 and 1851. Reeves pre-
vious winning years were in 1910,
1941, 1916, 194S, and last year.
Since 1910 (nO matches were held
from 1912 to 1945) only one other
man has been able to top the field.
He was William T. TOney, Jr., Of
El Paso, Texas, surprise 1852 win
ner in Jacksonville, Florida.
Other defending pistol cham
pions will be Mrs. Margaret Gull
bertsOn, Sierre Madre, California
(Women's), and James E. Clark,
Shreveport La; (Civilian), George
Roberts, Honolulu, Hawaii (Na-
tional Guard), and Whitman Cross,
Lafayette Hill, Pa. (Collegiate).
In the smallbore rifle matches
1000 sharpshooters will take a
crack at the crown now held by
John ]. Crowley, of ClintOnville.
Conn. Crowley will be firing
against tradition as we'll as the
field. Since 1919 only two men
have been able to string two wins
together. William WoOdring, New
Haven, Conn, did it in 1896, 1887
and 1888, and G, Wayne Moore, OF
Washington, Pa, topped the OBJ
soacle in 1916 and 1947. The other
defending smallbore rife champ
ions will be: Mrs. Viola POllum, of
BrookVille, Pa. (WOman) and Ray
II. Steele, Denver, Colorado, ma
tiOnal Guard. 1853 junior cham
piOn, Charles Rodgers, Phoenix,
Arizona, will not defend as he has
passed the age limit and this year