The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-28
a0PPE DEFEATS sLOssON.
Retains CHAMPIONSHIP ny A
SCORE or 500 TO ,39I.
s,udrnt's Early Run OF oil Falls TO Keep
Him In the Lead for Long Young
PLAYER shows Consistency and Steadi-
ness Before a Big and Brilliant crowd.

Aftor three hours and a half of battling,
william Hoppe, the boy champion, de-
t,a,ed George F. SloSson in Grand Central
palace last night in the 500 point match
tor the cha mpionship of the world at 10 inch
halk line billiards, one shot in. The game
heran at $50 O'Clock, and was not over until
midnight
II was game in which neither the record
rim nor the record average was at any time
in any grave danger Of being broken, but
nm TO the 800 point it was close and the
chances Of winning about equal; that il,
IN the nights play up to that period. In
the last oj0 points Hoppe slowly and surely
drew away, and his victory, thou gh it
epre,ented a long drawn out game, was
dec .iye and well earned.
substantial monetary reward went to
The Young man for his victory over the sea-
sonod Slosson, There was in the neighbour
hood of s. gao in the house, Of which the en-
fire net receipts went to swell the Golfers Of
the successful Cueist. So Hoppe not only
retains the championship emblem, which
became his last January by right of con-
quest over the redoubtable Frenchman,
Maurice Vignaux, but he added materially
to his supply Of worldly goods.
According TO the announcer, the size Of
the assembiage that completely filled the
liberal capacity of the hall was probably
the biggest that ever saw a billiard contest.
From an artistic standpoint it was stubborn
billiards, not fast billiards, that were played,
The winners average was only a fraction
over n, but he came nome with the spoils,
and that was the main thing at issue. The
conditions and phases of the contest, such
a. they developed and presented them
selves, tounl the youthful master equal to
them.
Both players appeared TO be furried
at the start and opened awkwardly but
they settled down to calmness Of demeanor
II no. 20 speedy billiards. The great in
-ereSt in the match, the value of 1t to the
winner. its importance in general n the
sze and calibre of the gathering that looked
on doubtless created a strain which played
arar in mlli,atin G against faster play.
Slosson made the biggest run of the con-
test, 8l-fve more than Hopes best run,
HOPPE made seventeen double figure runs
10 Slosson's sixteen, and the former went
through his fifth hundred more quickly
than any Of his other hundreds. He played
better toward the finish than at any other
time. There was a plenitude Of zeros.
HOPPE mao ten dlu OlOSSOH slAle6u. I1OpD6,
however. did not nave a zero from his
twenty-ninth to his forty-sixth inning,
inclusive. 1t was not a game of finished
billiards, but of billiards marked by tribu-
Iations.
Devotees of the cue, the ivory spheres
and the green cloth responded in big num-
hers to the billiard treat. The two ex-
Of the world at this particular style Of
game, but also the championship emblem,
$50 a side and the net receipts.
Before the doors were opened every seat oil
the main floor and in the overhan ging bal
cony was soldto somee ca ger billiard fancier.
All that was left was a row OF seats and
Standing room In the gallery. and an hour
line of men 400 or 500 long waiting for a
chance to buy a gallery ticket. The seating
/ @racity being about 2,100, the attendance
was the biggest any billiard battle has
drawn in years. The attendance betokened
no, only a healthy and widespread interest
In billiards. but also a positive hunger to
zee two topnotcheH compete after a pro-
4 lnged famine, so far as a local contest be-
tween players Of supreme ability is con-
ened.
Additional interest attached to the match
hsause it was between a mar of so and a
sripling Of Is, the stripping the ~favorite at
? to /. However, the difference in ages
between the contenders was no new on
dltion in billiards. The caromic accom-
plshment develops early In life and is long
retained.
Tiers of seats, fifteen rows deep, rose
from the Level Of the table and on its four
sides. They began filling up early, and
people were coming in constantly until the
game began. William Hoppe, one of the
two principals in the important fray, was
an early arrival. He sauntered around
among the spectators. only a few Of whom
knew him. He looked ~unconcerned and
fine a. silk.
It was lust S9o o'clock when the players
banked for the lead. There was u brief
tumult and delay caused by spectators
Standing in the aisle9. Hoppe won the bank
left a two cushion shot which Slosson did
not come near making. Hoppe missed a
long rail shot, and Slosson worked in a
solitary count. Hoppe did likewise and
missed, Both were nervous and in the
throes Of stage fright, and each was trying
TO give tho other safety "oil.T
Hoppe was the first TO come out Of the
trance, He seemed to recover his aplomb
alter he had clicked OF a fow billiards in
the fifth inning. Then the coercion of
muscic and mind began to get results from
TIE ivory orbs. just as he was warming
un 70 his work he missed a one cushion
hnoi and sat down with a choin Of u di-
yerslfied links.
Nicsson IN turn went into double figures.
APretty drive brought the balls into balk
IN me ninth count Of the .rul, 81 a smash
was necessary to force them out. This
catered the globes, but a long n cushion
lyer and a cross table masse brought the
uaHs back 10 control. The nineteenth
mot was a cracking follow to the rail, and
we way the Student combined hard shots
NNhl position results earned him frequent
applause. Execution came to the rescue
sheh position was faulty. and the seasoned
Nseiierdh, went after the edges Of the object
N aus whether risky or not. His system
" brought good returns, and he was not as
SOW N making up his mind as he has been
Seused OF being. He too had recovered
ny equilibrium. At the forty-seventh shot,
shen Slosson was finessing astride the
AK me, the quiet but watchful Hoppe took
. LOOK To- see whether the balls were in
tmchoT, They were not, and Slosson con-
sgled to stroke the globes for precise and
+" Jsencdte counts. He raj 81 and retired on a
fTaot draw from the rail, using the bridge.
a. 'n score was 90 to % in his favor.
e hoppe missed a draw in his sixth inning,
pumch restricted the session to a meagre six.
!, went to his chair lot in the least rufied
n = Natched his opponent with no more
rrturoation than If he we're a nonpartisan
sSs~ctat9r. The Hoppe rooters were not
EARNED the game being in its infancy, but
eass form.
mere was a bit OF speed to Hopes sew
spah lnning-more speed thar length.
,~TGHuly 10 shoot ere the balls had stopped
IIiIu.ns, the youth was not sufficiently de-
hate J and missed a straight there and
r ~ one cushion shot because OF careless
-. AGAIN Slosson found the brid Re his