JOSEPH BENNETT

Ex-Champion

WE have already given the portraits of three players who may fairly boast of having earned the title of champion. With our present issue we give that of the sole remaining one who, during the past twenty-five years, has had any right to claim the same proud position.

Joseph Bennett

Joseph Bennett was born at Town Mailing, Kent, in 1841, and is consequently six years older than Roberts and eight years senior to Cook. These two latter players are undoubtedly chiefly indebted to Roberts, sen., for their proficiency in the game; but we believe that Joseph Bennett, in the early part of his career, may thank the late Charles Hughes for much of his undoubtedly pretty style of play. When Hughes left England, early in the year in 1869, on a series of voyages, the billiard world suffered a great loss. He was at that period rapidly improving; in one of the last matches he played with Roberts, sen., he concluded the game with a magnificent break of 269 off the balls—a performance in those days of no light character.

But Hughes, whose game, it will be remembered, was what is known as "a pretty game," is no more; he was what may be called killed with kindness; but those who were his greatest admirers will recognise in Joseph Bennett no unworthy successor. On the contrary, as is universally the case in billiards in the present day, the pupil far surpasses the tutor.

Bennett's first match in public was played, we believe, at the Albion Hall, Leeds, and the first in London was played in January, 1866, both of which matches he lost. His first victory was achieved over Harry Evans. It was, however, in the great four-handed match in which he, with Charles Hughes for a partner, defeated the then invincible Roberts, assisted by Dufton, that Bennett's career may be said to have really commenced. This game was won by no less than 344 points, and in it J. Bennett showed sufficient talent to justify the expectation of his friends that he would one day, if not rank as champion, at any rate rank as a first-class player.

Soon after this great match he was beaten by John Herst, but afterwards beat John Roberts, jun. In December, 1867, however, Roberts, then only twenty years of age, turned the tables, and beat him by 79 points.

Soon after this Bennett beat Roberts, sen., for a stake of £50, and this was followed in November, 1868, by a match between him and Cook. Cook, however, won by 357. In a match with Roberts, jun., the spot stroke barred, Bennett was again defeated by 115 points. In 1870 he, however, challenged Roberts, jun., then champion, arid they met at St. James's Hall on November 28. Bennett's best break in the match was 47, and he won the game by 95 points. He was not, however, destined to hold the championship long, nor do we think that J. Bennett ever equalled in match play either the present champion or Cook. An admirable judge of the game, an excellent teacher of it, he nevertheless lacks, in our opinion, those constitutional qualities requisite for any man to hold for long the championship of a game so dependent on nerve as billiards. In the return match, played on the 30th of January, 1871, J. Roberts regained the championship, winning by no less than 363 points in 3 hours and 22 minutes.

Of late years Joseph Bennett has somewhat fallen off in his play, as was abundantly shown in the late great handicaps played in London and Manchester. A constitution not naturally strong was severely tried by a great domestic affliction.

Anything that tends to unstring the nerves is fatal to high-class billiards. Bennett has, we believe, now retired from the billiard world so far as public match-playing is concerned, but is none the less capable of instructing amateurs in the game. Whether or no his younger brothers are in any way indebted to him for their game we cannot say, but doubt if ever again four such players will be found in one family as Alfred, John, Fred, and last, but by no means least, Joseph Bennett, ex-champion.

VISIT OF THE DION BROTHERS, THE AMERICAN BILLIARD CHAMPIONS

IT is greatly to be regretted that the visit to this country of the famous American billiard players should have taken place in a season so unpropitious to billiards as that of July. It should, however, be borne in mind that the Dion brothers when they came over had no idea of exhibiting at all, their visit to Europe being simply the ordinary one of pleasure, which seems to be an absolute essential in the life of every educated 'American. When, therefore, we remember that these famous players consented to exhibit their skill on a table that had to be made specially for the purpose, with cues of like manufacture, we can only the more wonder at the extraordinary perfection to which they have brought a game which, though to our mind far inferior in interest to our own, nevertheless is equally scientific.

The first exhibitions commenced on the 5th of July, at the Guildhall Tavern. The American game proper— viz., a cannon game in which four balls are used, two red and two white, is very inferior to the ordinary game— i.e., the French game, and will probably before long be heard of no more. Unless the game be played on a table 12ft. by 6ft., the cannons are so easy that a break of 1,000 would be by no means surprising. The American four-ball game is probably descended from the old four-ball game as played between Roberts, sen., and Starke. Billiards in America has gradually undergone a transition; the pockets have disappeared, and balls have grown to the French size—viz., 2-fin. diameter. The four-ball game is simply the remains of the old game, and no better proof of its ultimate disappearance is there than the fact that all the matches for the American championship are played with three balls only, viz., one red and two white.

Notwithstanding the disadvantages under which the Messrs. Dion laboured, some marvellous breaks and still more marvellous strokes were exhibited.

Those billiard players who, tempted naturally enough during hot weather by the counter attractions of the cricket matches at Lord's between the Gentlemen and the Players, and Eton and Harrow, have lost much that would have amused and much that would have instructed them. We can all, however good, learn from one another. Cook himself, beautiful as his play always is, seems to us to have absolutely improved since his encounter with the Dions, as witness his break the following week in a match with S. W. Stanley at the Alexandra Palace, where he made no less than 28 cannons running. A break of 56, all cannons, is a feat rarely witnessed on an ordinary English table.

The most extraordinary part of the exhibitions by the Dions was the fancy strokes made with the ordinary sized match balls—viz., 2 1/16" diameter, by means of what is known as the "masse" stroke. This is done by pointing the cue perpendicularly, or almost so, over the ball, and striking downwards with a bang.

By this means a ball was sometimes made to run up the table to within a few inches of the top cushion and then stop of its own accord, rush back like a dart, and cannon on to the other balls at the other end of the table. Any description, however, even accompanied by a diagram, would fail to convey a proper impression of the mastery over the balls that can be obtained by means of this stroke. We would recommend Messrs. Burroughes and Watts, Thurston, and Cox and Yeman, to present a French-topped cue gratis with every table they send away, with a full description of the "masse" stroke. They would reap, we feel confident, a rich golden harvest in the shape of cut cloths.

We would only add that we trust the Messrs. Dion will fully understand that the somewhat poor attendance at each of the entertainments that they gave was owing to the season, and not indifference to American billiards. The thanks of the public are due to them for so kindly consenting to play under the circumstances they did, and we only wish that every visitor from America to this country possessed such genuine talent, and would rest content to exhibit it in so simple and unostentatious a manner.