SNOOKER CHAMPION

Taranaki Daily News, 7 June 1932, Page 8

SNOOKER CHAMPION

STORY OF HIS ARREST. .plays while- polict wait. London, May 22. William Ernest Bach, a; traveller, won an amateur snooker championship at Thurston’s, in the West End, while detectives were waiting to arrest him. The story was told in a Birmingham Police Coprt when : Bach .was' charged with obtaining '£so by false, pretences from the manager of a hotel. In , the -final .of > the snooker .matcn Bach needed 25. to equal his-opponents total, which -was the maximum obtainable with the balls left on, the table. He accomplished the feat,' after which the black was spotted again, enabling him to win. When the ease came before the Court counsel for the defence- said Bach signed two: cheques in the name of a bookmaker, one/of which was endorsed with the-snooker player’s name. He did not think this .was:a .crime, .because he had not imitated the signatures and intended, to pay back, the money, which he wanted to. enable him: to continue playinbt for the championship. ; Bach’ knew detectives were present during the final, but: the hotel manager 'advised '- him to >. finish the game. He . was sentenced •to four: months’ im-. prisonment witlr hard'labour. He had served previously-five-years for attempting to shoot with -intent to cause bodily harm. '; -