BILLIARDS.

NZ Truth, Issue 508, 13 March 1915, Page 10

BILLIARDS.

(By "Fluke.")

George Gray and Ceoil Harvetvon have been doing the East End In ala of the Prince of Wales National Fund, Harry Stevenson, ©x-ohamplon, na«. been showing grand form m several' 3000 up games against Willie Smith-, the Darlington "all-red route" profea4 sjonat. • * • Tommy Newman and Willie Smitjt have been matched m a 16,000 up tame, on even terras, This should prove rf, bosker game. * * # The two "Toms" — Recce and Aiken-i played a series of matches m Edinburgh and the genial Soots ' champion va4 holding friend Recce at arms length m one boat m which the latter had th« pleasure of receiving n Soots ovation for a couple of lovely contributions of 385 and 687. In the game of 18,000 up> the scores were: AitkehV 16,666; Recce* 16,379. . * " • ♦ -# Miss Ruby Roberta, the lady profes* sional champion of Australia, continue^ her tour of England and, when the mail left, was playing with countryman George Gray. . . * * * :': Our old Artemus Ward friend, Te4 Diggle, was coming out of his seconds time on earth 'shell when the mail left and, playing a game of 4000 up on eveti terms with Willie Smith, he put In * couple of old-timers m a 265 and 316. Solid breaks, indeed, but as Ned had no life m his movements or billiards theft* value was certainly lost to all present. He was unable to sustain a 300 lead ( being beaten on the post by 92 points, Tommy Recce challenged to play any man m England 16,000 up for £100 aside, and 'he was immediately snapped up by the two junior experts, Tommy Newman and Willie Smith, A match was ratified between Recce and Newman, and at half-way stage the latter was m the lead by a break, and play -< ing with great confidence. The Old* ham pro. is up againat a anagjn Ife-ir* man, who is still under the paternal wing of G. O. M. Roberts. As Reeoft failed to make good with Smith, th« latter re-challenged to give Reeoe m Btnrt m 16,000 up. • # ♦ Fred Weiss writes that he is not it} the least afraid of his chances against Williams, but, m view of the continuance of the war, he thinks there would be nothing m the game unleßS he wer« the recognised champion of Australia, m which case he could come to term* right away. His challenge, he says, was* to Lindruiu, and that challenge! still holds good. However, there It is. Weiss wants Llndrum and for the 100 golden googles, too. What says young Fred? might have done better. Cribb'a corner thought it whs all over on three different occasions, but a gamer man never, stood that! Otto, He had £50 to £20 on himself before, operations began. Said that Sturgeon did not get a fair chance In training through laqk of funds; but all the same his party tipped him as a cert, and Charlie Dunn, who knows what's what, planked Die pony side wager down. Herb i McKell challenged the winner be- ! fore, the fight began. Crlbb mutt be able to foot a fair cheque now." 1 am sincerely grateful to Mr. Laf- | fan for the trouble ho has gone to. to confer n kindness. That wonderful pair did meet a second time and again ' Cribb was victorious. Thore is littl* j doubt but that thoso two hurricane oncounlers. during which both young i athletes were so terribly punished, ! took out of both all that was best m them; tor it is doubtful If either over put up such ii scrap again. "Snowy" Sturgeon l« even now A beautifully-built man. He wm not a. Queenslander, but at native of New South Waleu; but ho came from Queensland especially to nwet Otto Cribb (Simpson) and honce the belief thai he wnß born m the Northern State. He was a circus performer, and it was to that business that he owes HIS SPLENDID MUSCULAR DEVRLOPMENT. Had there never beon any Otto Crlbfc Snowy Sturgeon would, m all probability, have become world-famous. Sturgeon's shape was beyond criticism—and his grim, good-humored face, was typical of the man and his profession. Square shouldored, lean, and shapely all over, humorous and devil-may-care. Sturgeon was the very antithesis of Crlbb. who was half Jew, with a dour expression, sloping shoulders and a slouching gait. While Sturgeon was a tailor's Joy, no clothes that tailor ever concclvod and brought Into being would make Otto Crlbb look anything hut a "slouch." • But m thoxe (doping shoulders and loosely-hanging arms there were musI cli>s of refined steel; while he was as ralloun to punishment ns human could lever be, He hit with frightful force; and he hit nil tho time. Science was with him n negligible quantity: but his terrific and sustained onslaught broke down the science of his opponents: land to live with him they simply had Sto May with him. Ho was a smaller 1 edition of Joe Goddord. with an inflni itely better ftlm with his punches. H« j cnine from New Zealand totally unherj aided: but by tbe time he had torn,. through Sam Brown's Alhambra toJVnament ho had opened the eyes of/Qll connected with tho (came m Sydney and wan well upon the ladder of fwn», (To be continued.)