The times., 1899-09-01
THE LATE FRANK IVES.
The Greatest of Billiardists and
an AII-Around Athlete

( NEW YORK, Aug. 31-Frark Christian
Ives, the champion billiard player OF the
werld, died of consumption Yesterday at
Progreso, Mexico, whittier he had gone
to try and stem the ravages OF the dread
disease. His wife was with him. The
body will be brought back on the steam
ship Seguranca, and later sent to Plain
well, Mich, where he was born or October
80. 1855. II is understood that he leaves
comfortable fortune. Ives was a remark
able athlete, but when he became proficient
In billiards he gave up all other forms OF
sport. except TO occasionally play game
of baseball for fun. In the line Of athletics
there seemed nothing Ives could not sue
ceed at, directly he started in to master
any form OF sport. He was q first class
baseball catcher. having caught a few
games for the Chicagos at one time a good
jockey, driver of trotting horses, a BIZ
cycle rider in the days of the old "ordi-
nary, and during the roller skating craze
he was one of the speediest men ever seen
in rink. As billiardist Ives was prob
ably the most wonderful master of the cue
the world ever produced. He rose from
obscurity to the top of the latter within a
period OF three years, something after the
manner OF James ]. Corbett in pugiiism.
1t has happened that since Ives wFested
the title from Sehaefer and Slosson defeat
ing them both in quick succession early in
the nineties the old fellows have fire.
quently beaten the young man in tourna-
ment and match games. Ives, however.
won the last championship match and held
the title up TO his DEATH
ives first came into national prominence
when in 1892 he challenged Schaefer for
the championship emblem. The match
was played in Chicago on March 10, 1892,
and Ives won by score Of SEQ to 499.
Slosson, who had been beaten by Schaefer
for the championship a short time before,
promptly challenged the Young Napo-
leon" The match was played at Chicago
on May 81, 1892, and Ives won by 500 to
4Ss his average of 26 2-3 beating all
match records in game OF like length.
Ives is said to have bet S2.0G0 of his own
money on the match. The same year the
crack American billiardist struck a Klon-
like in Paris, where the game was enjoy
ing an immense BOOM owing TO its being
made the medium of extensive gambling.
Ives. Schaefer, and Slosson went over.
stayed there until the police stopped the
fun, and then returned home laden with
gold.
Before returning, however, Ives visited
London and attempted to make a match
With John Roberts. the English cham
pion. On April 90. 1898, articles We're
signed calling for a match of 5000 points
under English rules for s., 600 a SIDE.
Roberts started OFF like a race horse,
scoring 1000 points a night for three
nights, Ives, in the mean time, putting
up 6S9 9s1, and 573 for the three nigI Is.
Ii looked easy for Roberts, when on the
fourth night Ives got the balls jawed near
the pocket and ran 2,540 points withoi II
giving Roberts a chance to chalk his cue
He purposely destroyed the lock he had
on the spheres as the game was practical
ly mis-. The score was: Ives, 5000; Ro-
berts, 3,631. Roberts visited this country
during the Worlds Fair and played two
more matches with Ives, splitting even on
the deal.
During the past six years Ives Played
a number of matches and tournaments, a-d
up 10 the time of his death was the ac-
knowledged champion OF the World. For
two years he was associated with MauIi ,e
Daily in the manufacture of billiard tables
until the business was bought by the
Brunswick Bake -Collender Company.