A BILLIARD handicap, confined to amateurs, for a piece of plate, was commenced at the Ellesmere Club, Lever-street, Manchester, on Monday, January 17, and concluded on Saturday evening last. The heats were 150 up, and amongst the thirty-two who took part were J. Ricketts and C. Moss, who were respectively first and second in the late amateur handicap at the Post-office Hotel, the former, as will be remembered, winning by only four points. In the present Moss was beaten easily in the first round by C. Coleman, whilst Ricketts made his way to the fourth round, in which he succumbed to W. Watson, who ultimately contested the final heat with J. Johnson, the latter, after a slow game, winning by 17 points. Several of the games were very closely contested, and the following is a full return:
FIRST ROUND.-J. Gorman, received 40, beat J. Parkinson, received 40, by 43; W. Hurst, 10, beat J. Queeney, 73, by 4; Dickens had a bye, A. Bake being absent; T. Barlow, 30, beat Rawson, 55, by 27; C. Walker, 70, beat A. Attenbury, jun., 68, by 7; Ricketts, 45, had a bye, Hutchinson, 5, absent; G. Martin, 5, beat B. Sturge, 45, by 26; W. Wrigley, 65, beat H. Jackson, 10, by 4; Warren, 57, beat T. Edwards, 70, by 23; L. Harrison, 55, beat J. Carmichael. 73, by 19; W. Cross, 40, beat T. Ashworth, 45, by 40; W. Smith, 10, had a bye, A. Attenbury, sen., 65, absent; Wilson, 85, had a bye, E. Pearce, scratch, absent; W. Watson, 50, beat T. Ashton, scratch, by 41; J. Johnson, 78, beat W. Wood, 5, by 64; C. Coleman, 55, beat C. Moss owed 40, by 51.
SECOND ROUND.-Gorman beat Coleman by 26, Harrison beat Wrigley by 11, Cross beat Wilson by 17, Watson beat Martin by 55, Ricketts beat Warren by 34, Smith beat Dickens by 6, Johnson beat Walker by 12, and Martin beat Hurst by 24.
THIRD ROUND.-Johnson beat Gorman by 9, Watson beat Cross, after an exciting finish, by 1, Ricketts beat Smith by 3, and Barlow, after another exciting game, beat Harrison by 1.
FOURTH ROUND.-Watson beat Ricketts by 18, and Johnson beat Barlow by 30.
FINAL HEAT.-Johnson beat Watson by 17. The latter at start was made the favourite, but Johnson led throughout a very tedious game.