Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-27
JOHN ROBERTS AGAIN
Temperance Of the Veteran
Billiard Player.
FIRST LONDON TOURNEY
FIVE THOUSAND POUNDS TAKEN
IN FOR ADMISSIONS.
Jake Schaefer to Challenge Vignaux
Proposed Meeting of Experts
in New York.
FIRST LONDON TOURNEY

The reappearane of John Roberts I'm LON
doh' and the fact that he Is again compet-
ing IN tournament, recalls the fact that
IL Is thirty years since he won the first BIZ.
Hard tournament ever decided in England
ms TOOK place In the rooms of the late
Joe Bennett next door to the Salvation
Army barracks in Oxford street The In.
PRODUCTION OF this class OF events to Eng
land was due TO the late William Cook who
after an American tour I'm 1874 when Ia
saw several decided. mentioned the matter.
to Mr.. James BURROUGHS, and suggested
that II would be an excellent idea to nro.
mote one In London. Mr. Burrouphes Of.
Tered $500 in prizes. and such an instan.
taneous success did it prove that during the
play 4o.Ooo was taken In at the doors Tho,
eight players that took part in il were w.
Cook. champion; John Roberts, Junior: 10.
seph Bennett. scratch; Tom Taylor. record
100; s. w. Stanley. record 100; w. Tim.
breil. record 40: A. Bennett and L, XII.
kenny. record 16o, the heats being 500 up.
A. Bennett, one of the limit men, was a
warm fayorfte and appeared likely to have
an easy victory. however Roberts who
had lost two out of Ids first three games
played so well toward the finish that event.
ualIy he tied with Bennett for first place,
both having won five out OF seven In the
play-of Roberts won rather easily Rem
nett was certainly unlucky. for Kilkenny
who had been beaten by everybody in tho
tournament, managed to get home with him.
This happened In January, 1870 the whole
affair being over On week
Roberts himself promoted tournaments
the last being a very interesting event at
the Egyptian Hall in January 1899 In this
fourteen players took part and a much az
f2.oOO was given in prizes during two
weeks play. The heats were 600 up and
Billy Mitchell who, throughout his career
has always had decided partially for
tournaments, succeeded N ia ba frat
prize of 9l,OOD winning eleven games and
losing two. Billy had l7j start and Stew
enson 200 Roberts being on the scratch
mark.
The tournament involved such an amount
of play that often heats were in progress
after half past twelve at night, and on
several occasions. the interval between the
shows was less than half an hour. Most
OF the prize money was given by firms
financially interested in the game
Roberts an Autocrat
While the event was In progress a certain
firm sent in extra GOO TO swell the
prize fund, and informed all OF the players
of this by letter. John Roberts. having
guaranteed certain sum, provided that
amount and thus when the extra money
came to hand he claimed to be within his
rights in retaining it,. However. the other
players thought otherwise and with keen
eye to their own interests unanimously
agreed that the proper thing for John to do
would be to .'cut up the extra eco. Now.
Roberts at the time was quite auto
crat of the game, and carried things on
SO loftily that none OF them dared approach
him and say what they thought. However,
at length Harverson who was younger In
those days, was prevailed upon 10 interview
him and tell him what the others thought
He found John reading letter and began
by saying Excuse me. Mr. Roberts. but
the players are under the impression that
the extra goo will be put into the prize
fund"
Roberts continued reading his letter, Har-
verson standing in front of him and feeling
rather like schoolboy for about five mdn-
utes. Then, not even deigning to gaze at
the South African, he remarked: THAT i'm
preston will soon wear or" and began
reading another letter. The impression did
wear OF. But Harverson VIII always re-
member 1t.
Schaefer to Challenge Vignaux.
All doubts as to the possibility OF Jacob
Schaefer becoming again contestant In
tournament match play for the worlds
championship at balk line billiards are dis
PEELED by a letter received from him by a
friend. in which he says that he will leave;
for Paris early in the New Year to ctal-
Ienge vignaux for the worlds champion
shin. 1t is only recently that Schaefer won
the three cushion carom championship in
tournament play in Chicago. an honor which
may sit lightly upon him In view of the
many similar ones won in long career as
cue expert. but his success at this time has
been a practical demonstration that he Is
rapidly coming back to his old form. No
other champion at any other line of sport
has even been as seriously injured and so
many times as Schaefer. yet now at nearly
fifty years of age. with 4-ngers CROOKED
from long handling of the cue, and physi-
cally deformed by improperly set bones and
twisted muscles, this oldest of the cham
pdons is ready to play the best In the world
Proposed New York Tournament.
Schaefer's special desire as expressed In
his letter l. that the proposed NV York
(Continued On Tour9eeath fa0s.)