New-York tribune., 1916-09-11
Hoppe Recalls
One Defeat That
Had No Sting
Billiard Champion Satisfied TO
Lose Match to Wizard"
Schaefer.

Looking back over his long string OF
triumphs on the green cloth, Champion
Willie Hoppe can recall one defeat
which carries no sting. This was his
defeat By Jake Schaefer in their match
a Orchestra Hall, Chicago, March II,
1908, for the worlds 1871 champion
ship, in which the Wizard rounded
out mis- wonderful career By defeating
the rising young star, 500 TO 423.
Hoppe freely admits that much o.
his wonderful skill is due to the teach
ing he received from the genial Jake,
and since that particular match proved
the last title contest in which Schaefer
took part, Hoppe has no regrets that
he was on the losing end OF the match.
Schaefer who had won the title from
George Sutton in 1907, defended IT
against the same player in December
oil that wear and few weeks later de-
feated Albert Cutler BY ~ points III
PHILADELPHIA. The average IN that
match was less than &, and Schae-
fer. gripped as he was BY the dread
disease which eventually carried MIN
OF. was conceded little chance against
the brilliant young Hoppe. VINO, two
wears before, had defeated Maurice
Vignaux at Paris and brought the EN-
blem back 20 the United States.
II was not the Schaefer OF old that
faced the young Eastern player at Or
chestra Hall, but the fighting spirit
which in previous years mad orought
him through many tight spots was
there.
In the opening stages Hoppe ap-
while Schaefer seemed 20 have lost MS
stroke completely. For eight innings
lake was unable 10 score double hg-
ures, but in the nintn ne counted o io'
Hoppe. with runs OF AZ. %, "a and ~
led. 1852 10 30, at the ninth inning.
When the veteran stepped 10 the
table for his next inning he found tne
worries in perfect position Al the heaG
OF the table. and began rafting OF
carroms rapidly. His fifteenth shot
was difficult single cushion oahk'
and when. in the twenty-frst inning,
no puIled of a fine two-cushion shot
his friends broke into loud applause.
Az 80 he had the balls at the foot OF
the table. and made carrom after car
rom as fast as Marker Charley Mat
thews could count them.
He was going so we'll il looked as
IL ne had a chance to pass the l4O
record Of Frank Ives. but at g a
simple draw shot sent him back to his
seat This brought his total to 10
Tut Hoppe kept on counting, and 1t
was thought Jake could not catch him.
Runs Of "a, 6, Sc, followed by 81 IN
the sixteenth inning, gave Schaeier
lead Of sixteen points and there was
wild applause when he took his seat
Hoppe wiped out this deficit with a
run OF 81, and after Jake had made
two he responded with 50. Once more
the indomitable Jake rose TO the occa-
sion and came back with 81. Eacn
made ciphers in the nineteenth and
doubles in the twentieth. Hoppe was
now leading. 347 70 324.
Hoppe then ran into q spell OF poor
scoring, making one miscue, missing
several draws and once failing TO get
,bc balls out Of balk. Jake gathered
AZ in the twenty-frst inning and fol,
loved later with runs Of ls, 20, ls and
20 bringing his total TO 45e as against
''I Illness compelled sehaefer 10 for
fsit 10 George Sutton in May, 1908,
md on March g, 1910. within three
davs of the second Anniversary OF his
fnsi victory over Hoppe, Jake passed
.yny in Denver.