Armitage Wins Metropolitan Sabre Crown
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Armitage Wins Metropolitan Sabre Crown
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Date
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February 25, 1937
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volume
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2
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4
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2
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en
ARMITAGE WINS METROPOLITAN SABRE CROWN
Norman Armitage, national champion, regained the Metropolitan Sabre Title at the Salle d’Armes Vince on February 18th, with 4 wins and 1 loss in the final pool. His conqueror, John R. Huffman, who won 5-0, took second place, and Jose R. de Capriles defeated Irvin S. Leal for the third place in a fence-off after they had ended the final in a perfect tie in bouts and touches received and given. Miguel A. de Capriles and Nicholas Murray were the other finalists.
Two members of the Olympic team were eliminated on touches in the semi-final. On the first strip, Huffman and J. de Capriles qualified easily, but a triple tie for the third place between Leal, Bruder, and “Jimmy” Castello was resolved in favor of Leal by the margin of 3 touches. The feature of this pool was Jimmy Castello and his fencing. He defeated Bruder and Leal and carried Huffman to a 5-4 decision. However, a loss to Jim Hutchinson 5-4 in the last bout deprived Castello of a place in the final. In the second pool, M. de Capriles and Armitage each won 4 bouts, and a triple tie in victories between Murray, Stewart, and Bruce Wallis was resolved in favor of Murray by the margin of one touch. Stewart had the distinction of beating Armitage 5-2, but a 5-1 loss to Murray was fatal to his chances.
Throughout the competition, the lack of expert officials was keenly felt, as several times a bout was lost by a contestant who had not been touched at all in the decisive exchange. At one time or another Huffman, M. de Capriles and Murray were the victims, and the situation was not conducive to the best fencing on the part of the contestants. Until defeated by Leal on a phantom decision, Huffman had swept through 8 bouts without a loss.
There is little doubt that the length of the Metropolitan competitions in all weapons operated to discourage the attendance of officials. It is to be hoped that steps will be taken next year to ameliorate the situation.
