Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-11-21
SPORTING.
BILLIARD TOURNAMENT.
Nisnaux Beats SlOssOn, Making the
Greatest Record Ever Known.

CHICAGO, Nov. 20.
Slosson and Vignaux met again tonight in
the balk line billiard tournament, before a
large audience. This game was of special
consequence, because if Slosson won, it cap
tured big pot of money, while should Wig
naux win, there would still be a chance to
tie all round if Schaefer beat Slosson tomor-
row night. In the betting, which was quite
brisk, Vignaux commanded odds of SlOO to
$50. SlossOn appeared in a close-ftting car
digan jacket, while Vignaux doffed his black
dress coat, and played in his shirt sleeves.
The bank for lead was won by the Pari
sian, who quickly gathered the balls on the
left hand rail, where they lined after the
ninth shot, and he failed on the masse strike
Slosson found them fairly grouped but
lined them on the first shot. He massed to
the cushion and counted, securing good po-
sltlon. He soon organized the worries at the
head of the rail, and by judicious and careful
drives to the sides, he beat the record of the
tournament for the biggest opening, which
ended at77, with miss of an easy direct
carom. He left Vignaux a hard cross
table shot, which he made, but after the sec
ond shot the balls broke absolutely safe and
he stopped. Slosson run off "a in the second
inning. He ended with the miss of very
mean draw shot, when his ball was against
the rail. The call was, Slosson l0l, Wig
naux IL.
When Vignaux began his third innings he
found the balls very stubbornly inclined, and
had succession of the toughest possible
breaks, but he overcome them with mastery
power and kept on clubbing the billiards
The balls stopped in line at least dozen
times compelling him to play masse and bank
shots. He proved equal to every emergency
and played as if he would never stop. After
time the balls grew more tractable, and at
l60 he had handsome balk line position at
the lower end of the table and held it for
twelve shots, then he changed to the side rail
and kept on, and when he beat his own high
run OF l66, the audience cheered vigorously,
He stopped at 1875 on an easy single cushion
shot. At Slasson's first shots the baled lined
safe on him and he missed.
The call was now Vignaux 2O6, Slosson
l0l. Vignaux made a terrific draw, near
ly the length of the table, for the
opening shot of hls four innings, and he
stopped at 32 on an easy spread. Slosson
had to go around the table and he missed
The French terror now cracked out another
big run, making his billiards as though moth
ing could be easier. At 80 he narrowly
missed simple masse.
Slosson could do nothing on the next two
innings and Vignaux missed long single
cushion shot with English in the sixth in
ming, at the end of which the score was 337
to Ill in his favor. Vlgnanx caught on again
in his seventh inning and pounded out some
more stunning billiards. There was very
little balk line in this run, but there was
some some tremendous execution. There
is nothing to say of this big run except it
was count, count, count all the time with
long drives and short drives, draws, masses,
forces follows, banks and all known technique
of billiard. Slosson who saw $4,000 slipping
from his grasp stood by and watched his
downfall with hopeless face. When Wig
naux had finished at ia he was exactly 400
points ahead, 5ll to Ill. Slosson seemed to
feel lighter hearted now that he knew he was
beaten and in his seventh inning played very
prettily, but he failed on one long cushion
strike and left the balls in huddle. Wig
naux proceeded to run out the game, having
accomplished the creates: record ever known
at billiards. The game occupied one hour
and ffty-fve minutes. The feeling now
is that VignaLx has under played in practice
and that he is unQuestionably the greatest
billiard player on earth. The score stood
Vignaux, 600; Slosson, 1856; Vignaux's av-
erage 75 Slosson's 10 6-7.