Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-17
De ORC IN THE LEAD
Champion Shows Clearwater
Way in First Nights Play.
POCKETS 2O8 BALLS TO 1o9
Opening Session Long Drawn Out on
Account Of Safety Play
and Deliberation.

NEW YORK, January 11.-Alfred De
ORC. the worlds pool champion. last night
won the first block of his three-night
match with William Clearwater of Pitts
burg in twenty-seven innings The score
was: De Orc, 2Os: Clearwater, 1S9. De
Orc made a high run of %, Clearwater
one of %. The second block will be
played tonight.
The opening session proved long drawn
out. frequent safety plays and the per-
sistent refusal Of Clearwater to take a
chance to open up the game being the
principal cause.
De Orc played daringly, but invariably
suffered by his overweening desire for
fast work. as he was unlucky times al
most innumerable after smashing into
combinations, the object ball jawing in
provoking manner on frequent occasions.
Clearwater held the lead for the first
eleven frames, De Orc overtaking him in
the twelfth by corraling the Is They
then seesawed to the eighteenth, where
the champion gathered. the bunch, dupli-
eating it in the next frame, with a total
of 1iS to 100, with high run of 50.
Clearwater Leads Off.
ing counts by each in the opening frame
showed the score TO against De ORC.
In the second frame-up after the break
De ORC ran eight, slipping up on kiss
shot. Each took several more turns at
the table before the globes were pocketed.
Starting the third frame Clearwater left
the balls in close formation, causing the
Cuban to essay a combination, which
failed to drop. Safety play by Clearwater
followed, the cue ball close to the upper
cushion. from which position De Orc
failed to hit the object ball.
Clearwater, thereupon, deliberately
scratched on his try, shooting the cue
ball to the upper rail. After a miss by
De ORC the Pittsburger picked out a
tidy combination. from which he ran ten
balls, the last count Of which was a
"throw OFF, combination. After a really
De Orc, his opponent ran off the rest of
the balls, leaving the total. after deduct
ing scratches. 25-1S in his favor.
A perfect break in the fourth frame
by Clearwater, with two balls lined up
back off the bunch tempted the champion
to play a combination, the result Of
which was that the called ball jawed in
the pocket.
Some Fancy Work.
Soon after this the shot Of the match
to that point was played by De Orc, when
he picked off combination play for the
side pocket which necessitated his sending
his cue ball to the lower bank in order
to connect. At the end of this frame
Clearwater went further into the lead.
the string showing 1923 in his favor.
A bust shot by De Orc netted him two
at the one try. but tied him up so that
he was compelled to play a kiss shot,
which jaWed. This left the remainder
spread all over the table, and from a
somewhat easy first shot Clearwater
counting for the remaining thirteen, the
high run. with a total Of 4S to %.
After nearly fifteen minutes OF safety
play by each at the outset of the sixth
frame De Gro tried for a long kiss shot
and failed. Clearwater dropped one, but
spheres spread. After missing simple
drive De Orc became fussy and stopped
the play long enough to cut the pocket
feathers, much to the amusement OF the
spectators. Clearwater thereupon dupli-
Gated his previous run and Tailed thir-
teen with q total Of 90 to %.
First Break for De Orc.
From a bust four-ball combination
his first successful try at break shot.
In the next frame the Cuban got the
lions share with nine. the string now
showing Clearwater, Sc; De Orc, 81.
The latter created some amusement
| midway during the next frame by
claiming that his opponent had pushed
the table in order to force the fifteen
ball into the side pocket. where it
paused for several seconds before
dropping. Clearwater holed in this
frame for a string showing 73 to 81.
Some really remarkable position
play by De Orc was seen in the next
layout, and he ran Il from fine long
shot with a smash into the bunch.
There was nothing of moment in
the next frame but the succeeding one
showed the champion in his form as
he sma shed out three-ball cut conf
bination, after which he holed the lot,
putting him in the lead, the string at
this stage showing 81 to 81. Clear
water early in the next frame took a
crack at combination. which jawed.
De Gro apparently had clear sailing.
but scratched on his second try. leav-
ing the Pittsburg man clear the re-
mainder, again putting him in the
lead.
Six-Ball Combination.
After picking off two balls, De Gro
pulled off a six-ball combination. count
the ho hol1c al a