Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1892-03-04
DEATH WON THE GAME.

vicious Contest ndeclded.
Eight months and a half the game had
gone on And such a game, my children!
Tom Penny. Britisher, against Jonathan
Pym, Yankee. England against America
the Old World against the New!
Between the Club Electric of New York
and the Club Eccentric of London emua
ton had exalted itself to patriotism. On
the day of defeat the flag of the vanquished
nation would float reversed from the bal
cony of the dishonored club and all the
chessboards for six months at least re
main yelled with Grape.
Thus openly must be carried, and as
frankly borne, these tokens of mourning
and affront. which no revenge should eff
face.
For such was the condition of the com
bat-the match to be the only one of its
kind
The momentous question of the battle
decided upon, then arose the subsidiary
question, Where should the encounter
take place?
They sought ground of Cancellation
But where find its
Cornelius Kevick. the impresario. in
charge of the affair. proposed to charter Il
steamer. which should be stationed in mid
ocean, equidistant from the American and
the English coast. aboard which the two
:tdyersares should betake themselves and
there remain while the match lasted. In
genious us it was. however. this idea was
forced to the wall They must find some
other way
They found tin the electric cable
which once more was going to merit its
name of bond of union between the
Old and New Worlds
This is how it was that for eight months
and half Jonathan Ppm and Tom Penny
had disputed by dots and dashes for the
glorious title of Universal Champion OF
the Noble Game of Chess"
At l2 o'clock, say. Tom Penny would
telegraph to Jonathan Ppm.
And one hour later Jonathan Ppm would
respond.
Dating from Oct. Is. 1889, the game for Il
long while had been indecisive. Toward
the end of December Tom Penny showed
signs of weakness throwing the partisans
of Jonathan Ppm into state Of excitement
that set them to quarreling among them
selves like political bosses. y
But suddenly. in the middle of January
the English champion by genial ruse re
conquered all his lost advantage. Down
went lynn! up went fenny!
At last on the 18th day of May, 1889, the
American had one of those inspirations
that conquer even destiny On the re
ceipt of his dispatch Tom Penny had Il col'
sweat.
But he did not give up-oh, holland five
days later. on the Both Of May. had pos
lively ii CLEAN of hope A sudden move y
his adversary had opened to him Il door o.
safety One such blunder at that nomen.
was decisive Could it be possibes
Tom Penny examined the board NOR
| closely The blunder was not certain Ii
might cover Il supreme stratagem. What
| should be think? What course to pursIi
of the two in view? Was it sham or error
| Should he pass the door that had beer
| opened to him? If error, Jonathan Pyn
was lost. if shanl Tom Penny was routed
That day Tom Penny wrote out his o"
telegram. he played his last stake III
| knew it.
An hour later, unfolding his message
| Jonathan Ppm smiled triumphantly
| Gentlemen" said he to his colleague,
of the Club Electric, "wsit until tomorrow
In twelve hours time England's champic.
will have signed his own condemnation.
| The next day in London members of til
| CluD tccenLflc lOunu io1n feuny Oh Iii
| floor of his chamber, struck down by ap'.
plexy and still rigdly clutching in l..
hand the dispatch that had killed him
And already for two long hours in tn.
grand salon of the Club Electric Jonathan
Pym had awaited from London the tell
gram of his vanquished foe.
Jonathan Ppm frowned and fidgeted
| That telegram he must have-then, an.
then only, could the game be ended. With
| out it the match would remain unfinished
The door opened and Il fiunky appeared
bearing on a salver Il folded paper.
"A dispatch for Mr.. Jonathan Pym."
He seized it. opened it and read aloue
I the following four words:
Your adversary is dead"
The paper escaped his fin GERS and fell Il
the floor caught up at once by those be
| side him to verify the text.
'sThat is not ALP they cried; ''they de
nand Il response"
''They shall have itF' said Pym, ant
with firm hand writing beneat thu
line Your adversary is dead" the TIVE
words 81 alsol'' he drew pistol from hi
pocket and sent a ball through his brain
The game was still Il draw between
them, but was no longer an internationa
affair.-Boston Globe.