New-York tribune., 1912-03-13
TILT WINS CLOSE FIGHT
Takes Pocket Billiard Match with
Run of Eleven Balls.
GRAY GIVES THE OPENING
Reynolds Beats DR.. Douglas by
Narrow Margin of Three Balls
in Evening Game.

Taxing advantage Of a faulty combina-
ton. william a. Tilt won the third match
of the finals for the national amateur
pocket billiard championship yesterday at
the Amateur Billiard Club, 74th street and
Broadway. Tilt defeated r. +. Gray by a
score of I25 balls to l15 At the close of
the sixteenth frame the players were tied
ct 1l5 balls each, and Gray had come up
from trailing behind through the greater
part of the contest.
Tilt had TO break the last pyramid He
did so and scratched The apex of the
pyramid had been slightly broken by his
shot and Gray saw the possibilities of a
combna tion to the corner pocket. y re-
markably thin shot was necessary, but
Gray failed to make It, The balls, how
ever, were spread out beautifully for Tilt,
who easily sent the necessary eleven into
the pockets to win the match.
Both of the men played well. Tilt had
two runs Of fifteen balls each counted in
the first and second and the fourth frames.
He had seven scratches against him.
Gray counted run Of nine balls in tile
thirteenth frame and of twelve from
the following pyramid. lie made four
scratches.
At the beginning of the match Gray
played excellent position. lie drew the
cue ball back from the cushions or fol-
lowed through in such mastery fashion as
to hold his end up against the cleverness
with which Tilt, the former New York
Athletic Club champion. brought off com
binations. For the first seven frames II
was practically an even contest, with Tilt
leading at 81 balls to 81.
Then IL was that Gray attempted TO
pick off the combinations as Tilt had been
doing lie did not seem TO be certain
enough, and as several Of HIS daring ef-
forts went astray Tilt took full advantage
and drew out. Gray then worked in some
battling safety so by picking off ten,
twelve and ten balls In order he forged TO
the front in the fifteenth frame. with the
score at lO9 balls TO 1O6. The score was
tied in the next frame. Then Il was that
Grays poor judgment in trying FOR a most
difficult shot made IT possible for Tilt to
finish the winner OF a match that was
closely fought from beginning to end
The scores follow:
william 4. Tilt-i4, g. ,, 10. !, s, s. 10, 10, H.
Scratches, I: high runs, i5 and adj IT, - 'a'''
10. IL 10. 8. x net total, lis balls; scratches.
4 high runs ~ and 0.
Refereo-william A. Motschauser.
The evening game brought another Of
the close and thrilling finishes which de-
light the crowd, as l.. r. Raynolds defeated
Or. Walter G. Douglas by the score Of
12j balls 10 l22 Onthe whole the losing
player shot the better pocket billiards. In
tho latter frames Or. Douglas seemed to
take a commanding lead. lie was inclined
10 be uncertain as t" his position at critical
times. however. and when toward the close
he bungled a shot 10 the corner pocket,
Reynolds took quick advantage
Right from the beginning the match had
that element OF closeness which made It a
battle OF skill and wits. The two came
down TO the end OF the sixth frame with a
tie at 10 balls each. Then they had a bit
OF seasawing. Reynolds attempted safety,
but DR.. Douglas. keen OF eye for the main
chance, saw the combinations and splen-
didly played them TO the delight OF the
crowd. At the tfnth frame the doctor
managed to get every ball on the table,
although II was IN small instalments, for
the shots were so difficult that he repeat
edly tied himself up after cutting one or
two into the pockets
Soon after this Reynolds began 10 make
his safety effective. A number Of untimely
scratches put Or. Douglas behind, and
bungling masse in the last frame practical
ly eliminated him as national champion
chip winner. as II was his second defeat In
the finals.
The scores follow:
p =. Raynolds--7 &. 7, l. II, IA. 4. Is. 0, o. T.
Z. o. IL, 5. l., o. 2 Total. l2s balls:
scratches 3; net score 125; high run. Is.
DIR. Walter @. Douglass. 10. 3. u, 4, l. II. O,
6. Is, II, S, o. 4. 10. 3. 10, X Total, 100
balls; scratches, 4 net score, l22; high run.
II
Refsree--wiliam A. Morschhsuser.