New-York tribune., 1914-10-02
HOPPE INCREASES
LEAD AT BILLIARDS
Inman Studies the Ceiling
While American Runs
Out String.
BOTH PLAYERS MAXI
THEIR HIGHEST RUNS
Englishman Shows Poorly at
Strange Game in COmbina-
ton Match.
By FRED HAwTHORNE.

BY FRED HAWTHORNE.
Melbourne Inman, champion Of all
the world At English billiards, studied
tho gold trcllis work in the ceiling of
the grand ballroom Of the Hotel Astor
Yesterday afternoon for one hour and
forty seven minutes. At the end Of
that time Willie Hoppe, the balkllne
champion Of the world, with whom
Inmen is playing 6,0OO-pOlut combl-
nation match, had run out his string OF
800 points 8t 49, balklinc billiards aud
finished the afternoons play. lnman
counted Of points, but the gathering OF
these did no: seriously interfere with
his study Of the ceiling.
In the evening game Hoppe gained q
lead that will render IT, almost impo--
sibc for Inman TO overcome. Scoring
900 points in tWcnty-fOur inning 70
the Engli-hman'5 %. Eoppc boosted
his grand total to 1925, as again I
Inman's 2,25I, giving hii.. lead OF 6tI
points. This afternoon and tonight
the men play English billiards, 600
points at each session. and tomorrow
they wind up, with 1000 points at 49,
balklinc.
Hoppe ran out in siytcen innings in
the afternoon session, with an un-
finished run Of Il, for an average Of
81 4-lG. his highest thus far in the IN
tcrnational match. His high runs were
l5G, I4l and -. Inman gathered Is
points in his third turn at the table,
and this constituted his highest run.
His average was > ll-lJ.
To those who watched the progress
Of the match II seemed that Hoppe
could easily have finished his block Of
500 points several innings earlier than
he did Both Of his high runs were
ended by the failure OF comparatively
simple shots.
The American champion started OF
with a cluster Of 9, and lnman scored
miss on his first time at the baize.
The points were few and far between
after that until the fifth inning, when
Hoppe gathered the worries along the
top rail and coaNed them along for Il
run Of -. Inuau could accomplish only
single tgures or blanks in all except
two innings.
I'm his ninth inning Hoppe found the
balls near me top cushion. A few
mastery strokes and he had them
nesting against each other an! began
rcciing OF the points so rapidly that
Albert G.. Cutler. the referee. had diff
Guilty IN announcing them. Twice dur
ing this run the American found IL
necessary TO make hard driving shots
that sent the sphcrcs around the table,
but he soon had them under control
again, and finished his run with the
balls a the foot Of the table, falling
down on thr,c-cushiOn carr0m around
the table
Inm'n was hopeiessly at sea when
ever the balls we're close together.
Upon such occasions ne handled his
cue In the manner Of small boy
proddiuS live hornets nest and
fearful of the result Of his harIlhood
He appeared much discouraged at his
inability to master the American
game, but warmly congratulated Hoppe
when the game was finished. saying:
You played very well to-day"
The summary Of the afternoon game
follows:
uqa,c o,go' na.-9. !. e. II. 55. j.. =.
.. 100. 4. l@i. ~ . r.. i+. Total. 900
us, - 4-IG. Grand tojt.. 2.f25 points
InUaa tW.It9 Udl)-u. -, l., %. =. ~. 7.
=, %. %. %, -. -. %. .. Total 80 points.
High runs Is. - and %. Average, 3 1l-15.
Grand total. e,l59 points.
Ealar..-A Albert j. cutler
Scortr-Srivcs'er L"yy.
Inmans protests and bitter criticisms
Of the table upon which the English
billiards were played, seem TO have
been founded on fact. Last night K. B.
Benjamin. who is managing the match.
announced that the Brunswick Bake
Collander Company, manufacturers of
the table, had taken apart the TOP
cushion and inspected il, with the re-
suit that 4 hard spot was discovered
on the cloth, a5 though it had been
smcared with paste.
The cushion was brought forth for
the Inspection OF the newspaper men.
aud after everybody had taken part i'm
the autopsy. lnman smiled weary
smile and said he knew something had
been "rouc. Mr.. Benjamin iutimatcd
tho cushion had been tampcrcd with"
although IL might have been "acci-
dentally done"
Hoppe scored a high run &C ll2 in his
twelfth inning i'm the evening game.
during which she showed the prettjcst
close billiards he has probably ever
played in his professional career. Only
cncc did the balls travel odtside Of
tWe.ve-lnch space. and upon that occa-
sion Hoppe sent the red ball the length
Of the table and back, briaging il 20
rest a fraction Of an inct from the
white ball.
The summary of the eyjnins game
fellows:
.. la. III. -. - 3, o. - So 4, -, d. %. lp. =.
Io.lL 500 points; nigh runs. lle So auI .;
ayrrag. 90 -U--i Grand total -e-5 points.
Iuman ,whi'e hllD--.. 0. .. 20 o. l. o. g. %. &
q. o, j. J.. o, 3, !. /. N. 3. 5, 1, - Total. -
points, n.si runs. &. - ana S; average. t3--3