Jottings of the Month

• There are rival claimants as to the "discovery" of Newman. Perhaps if Newman were asked to state the truth he might be inclined to reply that he discovered himself.
• At the conclusion of the Championship match at Holborn Hall on March 28, which was won by Inman by 18,000 to 12,826, Lord Lonsdale presented the cup to Inman.
• Newman has sustained his first defeat of the season at the hands of Smith, of Darlington, who beat him level by 16,000 to 13,062.
• Playing Reece in the Professional Championship on March 21 Inman made a break of 744. It occupied an hour and ten minutes and was in every way a perfect exposition of the game.
• The Southport magistrates have rejected a scheme for a second floor billiard hall to contain 16 tables and say that a proper one-storey billiard hall to contain not more than ten tables would meet with their approval.
• The flying handicap promoted by the Stock Exchange Billiard Association resulted on March 13 in favour of L. R. Barnes, who beat W. D. Edwards by 10. There were 32 entries.
• In the Press Handicap one of the entrants received a start of 225 in 250, but this was Mr. George White a one-armed player who managed, somewhat to the consternation of the other 400 players, to get as far as the semi-finals.
• In the return match between the amateur billiard associations of Liverpool and Manchester, the former scored 10,118 points and the latter 989. Taking the two matches together, however, Manchester claims to have won by 130 points and 7 games to 5.
• "A more studied and careful method in playing his winning hazards, and a higher regard for the homely losing hazard than he had, have made him much more dangerous." —Inman on Reece.
• "Every champion realizes that in due course he must go to the wall. It overtakes us all, and I am alive to the fact that there are players coming along who will in the end beat me."—Inman in The News of the World, March 29.
• "I had left Reece a double baulk, and instead of playing for safety he went out to score. He disturbed one ball and left me a much easier stroke than would otherwise have been the case. From that I made the 744 break."—Inman on Reece.
• In the first round of the Inter-Club Billiard Championship for the Challenge Cup presented by the Council of the Billiards Control Club, which concluded on March 1, the Junior Constitutional Club beat the Wellington Club by 159 points, the St. Stephen's Club beat the Junior Army and Navy Club by 202 points, the Windham Club beat the National Liberal Club by 494 points, and the Royal Automobile Club beat the Isthmian Club by 602 points. In the second round of the Inter-Club Snooker Championship, the Junior Army and Navy Club beat the holders (the Royal Automobile Club) by 267 points.
• Inman and Stevenson are now playing at Holborn Hall in a match of 17,000 up for £200 aside.
• In one of his last sessions against Inman in the Championship Reece only scored 6 points, while Inman averaged 188.
• Inman says that during the first four days of the Championship match with Reece he had to visit an aural surgeon twice.
• Alec Taylor writes from Rotorua that in Invercargill, "the most southerly city in the world," he played with Stephenson. But this is Stephenson, the champion of New Zealand, not Stevenson, the home ex-champion.
• Mr. Sam Mayo retains the title of billiard champion of the music hall profession by beating Mr. "Will Ino" in a match of 650 up. Mr. "Ino," who is also a comedian, won some of the heats in the B.A. Championship.
• A billiard marker who had been previously convicted of offences against the law was sentenced to three months' hard labour at Marylebone for being as a suspected person found upstairs in the Hercules Public House, Marylebone.
• Playing against two amateurs at Thaxted, Essex, W. H. Sparrow conceded 400 in 800, made breaks of 186, 125, 113, and 102 and won by 800 to 471.
• for the supposed purpose of committing a felony. He said he was looking for the billiard room, but this it appears is now regarded by the police as an old trick.
• In the championship matches the scores were called by a boy with a by no means muffled voice, who, on one occasion, wound up the afternoon session by announcing that play would be resumed that afternoon at three o'clock. Whereupon a sporting spectator exclaimed: "A dollar it doesn't."
• Gray made a particularly fine stroke in his match with Reece. His ball was just below that of Reece near to the left side cushion and middle pocket, from which position Gray made a masse stroke which swerved the cue ball a foot out towards the centre and so round and up into the left corner pocket.
• In the Reece-Gray championship match time was once called by the referee when neither of the players had reached his points. Gray drew the attention of the referee to the special rule that each session was to be continued until points had been reached, and the game was then resumed, but the result was that when Gray had put on 63 Reece replied with 221.
• The Inter-Hospitals Billiard Championship, which is for the challenge cup presented by the Billiards Control Club, and at present held by the St. Mary's Hospital, will be held at the headquarters of the Billiards Control Club during the last two weeks in April. Entries for the event will close on Thursday, April 9. and should be forwarded to the secretary, Great Windmill House, Piccadilly Circus, W. A meeting of the secretaries of the competing hospitals will be held at the B.C.C. on April 16 to make the draw and final arrangements.
• When Gray was asked what was the matter after his championship failure, he characteristically replied: "I have no complaints to make, the balls and the table were all right. I simply could not hit a ball. But perhaps I made a mistake in playing at Glasgow, for I got a chill there."