New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-11-01
ALL AC0C OVER GOLFER
Mysterious Stranger Painted
Black Stirs Players.
MAY BE GREAT CHAMPION
Van Cortlandt Links Buzzinr
with Gossip Over Un-
identified Invader.

A prick in the bubble OF mystery that
has been surrounding the movements Of
golfer who has been frequenting the
public links at Van Cortlandt Park the
last day or two was made yesterday.
when man acquainted with many OF the
prominent foreign golfers abroad said he
recognized W. II. Horne. of Chertsey,
England. This particular visitor, who
wears mask OF black grease paint, and
false mustache, will say nothing, and
communicates with the wide wide world
through a couple of companions, who
have declared the stranger to be a great
player intent on breaking records. Horne
Is one Of the longest drivers in the game,
either here or in other countries, but his
ability in other departments Of the game
has been nothing remarkable.
At any rate, two prominent professional
golfers have declared themselves ready
to tackle the stranger for dollars or mar
bles. particularly the former, in amounts
up To and including 1900. One Of these is
Alec Smith, OF Wykagyl, formerly the
holder of both the national and metropoli-
tan open titles. Smith stipulstes that the
contest is to be home and homo affair
which means that half OF the maech
would be played at Wykagyl and the re-.
mainder at some course near by OF tho
strangers selection.
1t was in the course OF four-ball
match at Wykagyl yesterday, In which 8
A. Cunningham, an Englewood amateur.
and Smith were playing against Jack
Hobens the Englewood professional Ahdi
former metropolitan open champion. and
George Austin, another Of the New Jsr-
sey organization, that the mysterious on.
was discussed. Smith quickly made
known his willingness 10 meet the IND
vader, and there were those in the party
who expresses the desire to back Hobens
against the man with the painted face. /
These facts were made known to the
men who are looking after the interests
Of the stranger, but somewhat contrary !.
to the announcement that their man !
would play for large stakes and bet all
kinds Of money that he could break che
record OF any course over which he
played, these men stated that the invader
might not engage in any matches whilsi
here, nor did they appear keen for any
of the Smith or Hobens game.
II was also reported that the visitor
had tried to arrange a series OF matches
with John J. McDermott, of Atlantic City.
the present holder OF the American open
title, and that McDermott had given eva. /.
sive answers, which is not at all like the
champion.
The mysterious player has given little
opportunity for an observer TO get line
on his ability, for he rarely takes the
trouble 10 hole out on the green. After
his drive, which is generally long, he
makes an approach shot, and sometimes
takes putt, but II the ball does not
happen to run down he picks up and
proceeds TO the next tee. incidentally, II
is said on good authority that the stran-
ger has not come anywhere near equallihg
the 66 made by Elmer W. Loving over
this course recently. let alone establishing
a new record, which would seem to indi.
cate that records are not as easily broken
as at first supposed from the tone OF the
visitors hackers.
II Is likely that g. statement will be
made in a few days as TO the real object
OF the visit, as a professional golfer who
visited Van Cortlandt Park yesterday no.
ticed that the stranger used ball OF for
eign manufacture and suspected that
there was method in the apparent mad
ness