HOME DEFENCE CONCERT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 32, 9 February 1915, Page 2

HOME DEFENCE CONCERT.

THE STAR ITEMS ON MONDAY.

The attention of'our readers is drawn to the Home Defence Rifle Club’s concert and variety entertainment on Monday evening, 22nd inst., in the Town Hall, and which offers to its patrons a high-class entertainment of a more than usually interesting nature. The star item, on which a good deal of local interest is already centred, will be the “assaut d’armes,” foil against foil, between our popular territorial officer, Lieutenant Grey and Sergeant-Major Winiki, late of the Tahiti Defence Forces. Both men are experts with foil or “epee de combat,” and, owing to the keen rivalry between them as to their respective merits, this forthcoming exhibition promises to be of a most skilful and sensational iature. Lieutenant Grey, whose ability as a fencing master is well known, and whose efforts in instructing bayonet fighting to the Stratford “Terriers,” have already been crowned with marked success, is an ex-master-nt-arms of the Royal Navy. Sergt.Major Wi'niki, who was recently in-, structor to the newly-mobilised recruits of the Infanterie Coloniale at Tahiti, is also an accomplished swords, man, and has had the honor of crossing swords in a duel with a prevot d’armes (assistant fencing master) of the 143rd French Light Infantry. In this affair, which was “a entrance,” Mr Winiki, although wounded in the right forearm Mid “pinked” in the right shoulder, had fcl satisfaction of placing “hors de combat” in the third reprise his redoutable opponent who was unable to continue after having received a wound in the right wrist, which so affected a thumb tendon that he could no longer grasp his sword. In addition to this exhibition of swordsmanship, which no one should on any account liss seeing, the entertainment will invite a number of other interesting ns, among which we may mention a unique display of club-swinging )y Lieut. Grey, with electrieally-illuminat. ed clubs, and a fast and clever exhibition of boxing between the Lieutenant and Mr Winiki, which should certainly charm all sport-loving Stratfordites. The Lieutenant is well known as a scientific feather-weight of no mean ability, while Mr Winiki, v ho has held championship honors for the past three years in Tahiti, has fought over 200 battles with the best welterweights in America, England, France, and South Africa.