Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-01-31
GREAT BILLIARD MATCH.
TIE CHAMPIONS MEET AGAIN
sensef.r Defeats visnaux In a CioselI'oon-
tested struggle.

mas Deen IN Pfoeioso III 'hto IVY
for the past five nights, ended to-
night. Five thousand dollars was the
stake, and either one was obliged to
make 5000 points to win. The score
at the commencement Of the games
was vignaux, 2,4O0; Schaefer, 1881.
Five minutes after 8 Madame VignauX
entered her box, on the right.hand side
of the hall, and Monsieur Vignaux,
Referee Wayman McCreery, of St.
Louis, and Herr Schaefer entered the
arena together.
The balls were carefully weighed
after the lights had been turned on and
other preliminaries arranged, and at
$40 P. NJ. the balls were placed in the
position as left on Friday evening, and
Vignaux began his labor. The balls
were in the upper right-hand corner,
the spot ball (Vignaux) in the centre.
The first shot was a draw and counted.
The other shots followed in rapid sue
cession, and the eighteenth was fine
masse.
The game continued with some fine
playing by viguaux. At the ninety
seventh shot an almost apparently i'm
possible carom from cushion with OBJ
ject balls on the centre of the table,
was loudly applauded, and there was
more applause when the hundred mark
was reached and successfully turned.
This run Melted LOG for Nignaux.
He was now ahead of his opponent Ii
points on the play Of the evening aud
76 on the grand total. Schaefer in his
twelfth inning, by fine nursing. made
o., and Vignaux on his fourteenth made
35. At this time Schaefer was very
nervous. lie wiped his hands frequent
ly with his handkerchief and nervously
fingered his cue. When his turn to
play came, however, his nervous
ness disappeared, and shot followed
shot, and ball followed ball around
the table until 81 was added to his
score. Vignaux had the innings, and
improved his time to the tune of l3
additional points. lie left the balls
we'll apart; so far, in fact, that Schaef-
er was able to score only .. But
Schaefer left the balls so far apart that
Vignaux did not score at all. Then
the giants skirmished with each other
and made runs Of and 2 each,
when counting at all. Then Schaefer
made % without difficulty, losing on
what appeared to be a simple all
around-table-shot, with one object-ball
in corner. In his twentieth inning he
made a pretty bank-shot, caroming on
balls on centre. Afterward clean
shots, cushion-caroms, and bank-shots
followed each other with bewildering
variety until so points were reached.
when there was applause renewed
when 40 points were made, until 100
points were reached, when the hall
was filed with the sound Of a
tempest of cheers and hand.clapping
No one shot Of especial brilliancy had
been made in the run, but every shot
had been well and carefully played for.
On and on went the wizard. and point
by point his score continued to roll
up to $50. when plaudits again
filled the air. lie finally stopped
with the comforting number Of
les points, all made by careful
play. Then things looked black for
the Frenchman, and the score stood for
the evening: Schaefer, $50; Yignaux,
26S. The latter had show, and imi.
tated the tactics of his opponent by
nursing. At times the balls would get
separated, but brilliant of-hand shots
would bring them again together.
At so points the applause was
loud and liberal. So it was on
the sixty-sixth shot when the
red object-ball was forced around
the table and back into position for
"set-up." A magnificent masse on the
SEVENTEEN shot, with the balls against
the upper rail, elected shout of admira-
ton, and the perfection Of L" English
with three balls direct in line with each
other cannot be described; also draw
shot across the table. Vignaux made
"a on the run. lie followed this up
with another run. When he had made
50pointS there was applause, but he went
on, and, in the same slow and careful way
which had characterized all his pre-.
yious play. made 6G points. Schaefer
had made lG8 in his run Of the twentieth
inning, while Yignaux. with his runs
of "a and 90 in the twenty-third and
twenty-fourth innings, came within e
of that score. At ii O'Clock the total
score stood: Schaef.r, 1897 Wig.
naux. 1882. But it was close work,
and Schaefer forced the pace with runs
of3l and 35, while VignsuX made only 6
points. The Frenchman felt discouraged,
as very naturally he would. When
Schaefer began upon what proved to
be his last inning his Gallo opponent
watched with grim determination the
rapidly.receding hope Of victory for
which he had struggled long and well.
One by one Schaefer caused the
ivory spheres to click together
amid the scarce-repressed excite
ment Of the crowd. At fifty
points the enthusiasm broke through
all bounds, and when, with his 5Sth
point. Schafer completed the greatest
and best game of billiards ever played,
the spectators climbed, ran, and jumped
towhere he stood, and shouts Of triumph
and congratulations were heard on all
sides. Schaefer had made G63 points on
the nights play, and Vignaux 43S. The
total score for five nights was : Schaef-
err, 5000; Vignaux, 2,S3S. Schaefer's
average tonight, % 1926. Vignaux's
average, Ii 1926. Largest runs :
Schaefer, los, II, So, IS, 81, %, % ;
Vignaux, l0G. "a, &C. 80, %. Referee,
Wayman McCreery, Of St. Louis.
Scorer, Budd Schofield. Time ofgame.
two hours and fifty minutes.
Grand total for the nights Schaefer,
l44 innings, 90 l20-l44; Vignaux, l43