J.E.D. (Woolwich).—At snooker, when the black ball is the only ball left on the table, and a miss or losing hazard is made, the game is finished.
M. (Maids-tone).—You are mistaken, it was the present John Koberts, not his father, who was chairman of the first committee which drew up rules for the Championship of Billiards. Undoubtedly, these rules formed the base of subsequent codes.
L. M. Liss.—If in returning a ball from a pocket the marker accidentally strikes a ball in play the practice is to replace the ball struck. There is no rule on the point, and I have never heard of a spot boy making such a mistake during an important match.
A.D.C. (Curragh).—In May, 1901, Frank Collins, playing with one hand only, made a break of 110. This, as far as I know, is the record. I have heard of the officer you mention, and know that he is a really remarkable player considering that he has only one arm. But I have no knowledge of what his record break may be.
Doubtful (Brentwood).—When all the reds have been taken at snooker a coloured ball pocketed in its proper rotation is never replaced on the table. It does not matter in the least if a losing hazard is made by the same stroke which pockets the ball. As regards the rule when the black alone is left, see reply to "J.E.D., Woolwich."
Patentee (Brighton).—If you submit your invention to Thurston & Co. you may rest assured that it will receive careful attention. But you must not forget that the path of the billiard inventor is beset with difficulties and disappointments. If there is the least evidence of a want in the billiard business, plenty of clever men in the trade set their wits to work to meet the demand, and in almost every case the outside inventor gets hold of something which has no market value, no matter how promising it may appear on paper or in model form. Exceptions ane very, very few and far between.
Reformer (Glasgow).—Your idea is by no means new. Years ago, a set of rules was prepared which made cannons or winning or losing hazards off either ball of the same value, and allowed the white to be pocketed and replaced on the table. But nothing came of it, and there is not the remotest possibility of such a drastic change finding favour today.
Q. (Leeds).—The retirement of Charles Dawson from first class billiards took place without the least warning during the autumn of 1908. Eye trouble was the cause, and although we would all welcome the doughty Yorkshireman back into the arena again, I have not been fortunate enough to hear anything which leads me to expect such a desirable happening.
Ex-Soldier.—No, pensioners and reservists are not eligible for entry in the Army and Navy Billiard Championship. But if a man enters while serving and is discharged or transferred to the reserve during the progress of the contest he is allowed to finish, provided he was not discharged for misconduct.
Matlock Snookerite.—So far as we are aware, there are no records of the number of consecutive snookers inflicted on any single player. But at the Billiards Control Club, we once saw a gentleman snookered nine times in succession, after all the red balls and the yellow had been taken. However, we do not advance this as a record, and if any of our readers can send us reports of successive snookers or other extraordinary occurrences connected with the game, we shall be glad to find room for them in our columns.