Jottings of the Month

Amateur

• The Leicestershire Amateur Championship final heat was reached on April 12 between T. P. Harrison (holder) and W. Coupe, Final scores:—Harrison, 1,000; Coupe, 981.
• A North-East Lancashire Billiard Control Association was formed on April 14, with Mr. E. J. Riley as president. Mr. H. Blackburn, of Blackburn, retains the title of champion of North-East Lancashire. The first amateur championship medal of Accrington has been won by Mr. W. H. Clegg.
• An exhibition game of 600 up was played on April 25 at the club connected with the Paris Church at St. Anne's, on-Sea between Mr. H. A. O. Lonsdale and Mr. John Crowther. Mr. Lonsdale conceded 125 points start, and after a close game was defeated by 72 points. The game was played for the benefit of the fund in aid of the Church Lads' Brigade, and the amount of tickets sold realized £9 15s.
• The R.G.A. have now won the United Service Inter-Mess Billiard League cup at Plymouth twice, and if they secure it again next year it will become their property. Cues and cases have been presented to the members of the winning team:—R.S.M. M. Troughton, R.Q.M.S. J. Morsley, C.S.M. C. Acht, C.S.M. E. Wilson, Sergt. F. Roe, and Sergt. Willson. A cue and case were also presented by Mr. S. Heywood to C.Y.S. Brooks, of the Royal Naval Barracks, for the highest break.
• An important addition has been made to the home of the Leicester Borough Police Recreation Society by the equipment of a billiard room, which was formally declared open on April 24 by the Mayor (Alderman W. W. Vincent). After the premises had been declared open, Walter Osborne (the ex-Midland Counties' champion) and Mr. T. P. Harrison (amateur champion of Leicestershire) gave an exhibition game.
• W. Cavanagh's benefit was concluded at Messrs. Orme and Sons' rooms, Manchester, on April 29. Mr. H. C. Virr, in 1,200 up against the Cheshire amateur champion, Mr. E. H. Morley (300), won by 129. Mr. G. A. Heginbottom beat R. Clarke (Reddish) by 600 to 462. Mr. H. A.
• O. Lonsdale played Greenberg, a skilful local amateur, winning one game and Greenberg the other. Remaining matches: Jas. Harris (scr.) 600, J. Oldfield (rec. 200), 401; Heyworth 500, Midley 380; T. H. Lord 600, V. Bagnall 532.
• Messrs. A. Reid (Queen's Park) and F. J. Harman (St. Bartholomew's) opposed each other in the final for the Brighton Billiard League Cup on April 19. The game was 300 up, and Reid secured the cup by 33 points. A break of 34 by Reid was the highest of the match. The St. Martin's Billiard Club won the challenge shield. Their record was: Played 24 matches, won 109 games, lost 35; while the runners-up were St. Bartholomew's, whose record was: Played 24, won 96, lost 48. St. Alban's were winners of the second division cup. Their record was: Played 18 matches, won 69 games, lost 39; and they were closely followed by St. Nicholas' with 67 wins. Mr. Price, of St. Martin's, secured a prize for the finest break of the season—65 in a game of 100 up; and Mr. Mercer was presented with a box of cigars for the largest number of games won in the first half.

Professional

• The arrangements for the championship match won by Stevenson on April 29 after a strenuous contest with Inman, were in the hands of Mr. J. P. Mannock, as had been those of the preliminary heat at the B.C.C. Club, and the only regret is that his admirable set-out of the spacious Caxton Hall was not utilized until the second week by more crowded gatherings. Leading members of the B.C.C. successively, and always efficiently, discharged the duties pertaining to the refereeship.
• The month has been full of further challenging absurdities, such as Stevenson's "offer" to concede Roberts 10,000 in 30,000, and Inman's, "seeing that Diggle accepts 2,000 in 18,000 from Roberts" to concede Roberts the same number. The delightful logic here is: "Because Diggle is better than myself, and Roberts may be better than Diggle, I am better than Roberts."
• George Gray should have played a game of 18,000 up at Messrs. Thurston's, Leicester Square, with E. Diggle, receiving 6,000, under the management of John Roberts, but no match took place. The game was advertised to be played with bonzoline balls, instead of crystalate, and Mr. Gray, senr., in an interview, said:—"I have repeatedly told Mr. Roberts that George would not play with bonzoline balls. I finally wrote Mr. Roberts that my son would not appear against Diggle under the advertised conditions."
• It seems that the Roberts-Gray agreement has now been cancelled. A letter from Gray appears on another page.
• Results for the month have included Stevenson 7,606 v. Harverson (rec. 2,000) 7,601 at Dublin (the match being left drawn); Pindar 6,000 v. Rimmar 4,543, at Manchester; A. F. Peall (rec. 500) 3,500 v. W. Cook 2,663, at Leicester Square.
• Whilst Stevenson, Inman, and Reece are abroad, Harverson will be "treading his native veldt" in South Africa, where he won the all-in S.A. championship in 1893 and the spot-barred in 1895 and 1896. He arrives at Capetown by the "Tongariro" on June 3rd.
• The West End Club Markers' Handicap was won at the Soho Square Salon by F. Cox (Wellington) and the West End Markers' Handicap at Leicester Square by George Clarke (Junior Carlton).
• What promised to be an interesting match for the Liverpool professional championship between J. W. Collens and J. Pearson, has had to be postponed. Collens has been disabled for some weeks owing to an injured leg.
• O. T. Owen, who is managing the Antigallican billiard saloon at Woolwich, was playing the other night another man 100 up, owing 120. Starting off with a 38 break on his second visit Owen ran to game with 196. He lost the white ball when he had only made 10, the remaining 186 being got with the red ball.
• In the professional tournament at the Globe Hotel, Cardiff, on April 11, A. E. Hamman (Royal Hotel) defeated J. Hillard (Avondale Hotel) easily.