The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-10-30
HOPPE Is WILLING
TO PLAY COCHRAN
Wires War Work Fund He
Will Meet Any Man in World
for $4,000 a Side.
Special ps.pntoh to rnr srx.


BOSTON, Oct. 29.-willie Hoppe. the
worlds billiard champion, tonight Of
fered through his manager, r. B. Benja-
min. to play title match with anybody
IN the world for side bet of $4,000.
The ofter Is made to w. W. Roper, man
ager Of the United War Work campaign.
and the gross receipts are to go to that
campaign fund.
The match is to be played six weeks
after the articles are signed. Hoppe Is
hero for his match tomorrow at the City
Club for the benefit of the Red Cross.
The following is Mr.. Benjamins teie-
gram to Mr.. Roper:
w. W. Roper,
so Vanderbilt avenue, New York.
Hoppe will defend his title within
six weeks time of signing articles
with the gross receipts to 60 to the
United War Workers fund, provided
there Is a side bet of $4,000. the same
TO be placed in the hands OF the
Brunswick Bake Collender Company,
they to handle all arrangements and
details, as has been the custom In past
championship matches,
r. u. BENJAMIN.
Despite the above authentic report the
National Association OF Amateur Billiard
Players yesterday sent out the follow
ing
prior claim on the services Of Hoppe for
the drive and has obtained from r b.
Benjamin denial of the announcement
made at United War Workers head
quarters
Says Hoppe Refused to Play.
Willie Hoppe fatty contradicted the
statement to the effect that he had en-
tered into any arrangement to play
Welker Cochran n championship match
or in any other capacity in aid of the
United War Work Campaign yesterday.
He made his statement from Boston. A
week ago Hoppe placed his services at
the direction of the National Association
OF Amateur Billiard Players to particle
pate in such competitions as II might
stage as Its part in the programme of
sports for the week OF November IL. In
this connection Hoppe offered to give his
services free of all expense as his con-
tribution to the fund. That amounts to
$4,000, as that Is approximately his
weekly earnings at this Sc ason of the
billiard year.
The National Association of Amateur
Billiard Players, the organization that
he's directed the amateur branch of the
gusne for nearly quarter of a century,
has been arranging an elaborate pro-
gramme of competitions in the promi-
nent clubs OF this city, Philadelphia.
Boston. Washington and Baltimore. II
included such famous players as Hoppe.
Cochran. De ORC. Concannon, Greenleaf.
the Misses Flower and Kreuter.
To Play Amateurs.
In each instance the professional was
to have as an opponent such amateurs
az Corwin Huston. the national Blass
A champion Morris D. Brown, Edward
w. Gardner, Charles f. White, Julian
Rice, ]. J. Maloney. r. Henry Clark
son. George Spear, the winner of the
Poggenburg cup; J. Z. Cope Morton. the
Glass A star OF the Union League OF
Philadelphia c. =. Mathews. J. NJ.
Heatherton, OF the Crescent A. c.
| Thomas A Plunkett and others.
The announcement that Hoppe had
agreed to meet Cochran in a match dur
| ing the drive caused the officials of the
| National \ ssociation OF Amateur Billiard
Players surprise, II conficted with their
programme. So they teiegraphed to Z.
b. Benjamin. the manager for Hoppe in
Boston. as follows:
Papers print you have matched Hoppe
and Cochran for week of war work
drive. What are facts?"
Tho reply from Benjamin was as fol-
| lows:
Statements regarding Hoppe Cochran
match being made are absurd. Advised
| Roper II he desired Hoppe would play
| Hueton under guidance OF National AS
ISOLATION OF Amateur Billiard, Players"
So important did Hopes manager re-
gard the matter that he talked with off,
cials over the long distance telephone
! from Boston He stated that he had had
a discussion with W. W. Roper in Boston
on Sunday and had convinced him that
there was no possibility for such a
| match between Hoppe and Cochran as
was proposed. He had received an offer
| OF 81, 900 from John Doyle which he had
ignored