SYME CHAMPION.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIII, Issue 268, 13 November 1909, Page 3

SYME CHAMPION.

THE SUCCESS OF SERGEANT

JAMES

■Writing, of the'firing for the Syme champion aggregate, the Melbourne Argus of October 30th says: — Tho finish for the £100 first prize in the Syme Champion Aggregate was exciting. On Thursday G. Bradley (Queensland), Lieutenant Long (A.1.C.), Sergeant James (New. Zealand), A. Cutler/.(New;.'.South-Wales),

S. Edwards (Melbourne), J. H. Williams (Melbourne), Sergeant Munro (New Zoaalml), and G. A. Turner '(Railways) w.mo at the head of affairs, only a fow points sepaartihg the first and last. Tho Sargood niatch, Jat 800 and 900 yards, fired yesterday : mornI ing, ■completed the series,, of eight' events, and loft the little., New Zea- ! lander, Jair.es. in fronts Bradley, met | with his first break of the meeting, and was quickly out of the running, ■ while Lieutenant Long, who won m 1904, did little better. It was early seen that James and J. H. Williams , were to fight out a duel for the biggest money prize of the meeting. Williams scored 63 points, and was one of the first to finish. James required to score 32 points at 900 yards to beat him. He succeeded; cleverly taking advantage of the good patches of weather, and hurrying off shot after shot us soon as he could get the target. It was practically "rapid fire" conditions, .but James's judgment was good, for ma few moments the wind increased in volume, and switched about irregularly. Williams, the King's Prize winner, as mentioned, was second, S. Edwards (Melbourne) and Lieutenant Long (A.1.C.),, both previous winners, next, and G. Bradley followed. „ The £100 winner is a sergeant in the Napier Guards, and is thirty years of age. He has been shooting with varying success _ for about six years, during which time he'has won three district championships, at Wellington, Hawke's Bay, iand Wairarapa. He was a member of the New Zealand team that fired in the Empire Match in Sydney a fortnight ago, and finished seventh in the King's Prize, three points behind the winner, after getting a miss with his second best shot. On no fewer than six occasions James has scored 100 or over (at 200, 500, and 600 yards, and last week put on 102 points at 800, 900, and 1000 yards. James is a lock and gun smith <■ by trade, and is paying his first visit to Australia. He uses A WesleyRichards "peep" though; he fixed this to his rifle for the first time inSydney. "Oh^s: it will come in handy," remsfrked James, with ft | smile, on being congratulated. "It s just about t«n times as much as I ever won in a lump before.'