SUTTON BEATS SLOSSON BY SUPERIOR BILLIARDS
"Student" Suffers First Defeat of the Tournament.
FINAL ISSUE VERY DOUBTFUL
Cutler Disposes of Cure in the Early Game After a Close Contest, 500 to 439.
[This article has been edited to include only the portion most relevant to Mark Twain.]
George F. Slosson, the leader of the international billiard tournament, went
down to defeat last night for the first time before the superior play of George
Sutton. There was no repetition of the wonderful nursing by the victor which
he had shown the previous night, but he played a sterling game nevertheless,
average 22 16-22 and running 80 in his best inning. His victory was easy, 500
to 271, and at no time after the tenth inning was Slosson in the race. A great
crowd gathered in the concert hall of the Madison Square Garden expecting to
see Sutton repeat his record average and runs of the night before. They were
disappointed in this respect, but he played brilliantly at times. The result
makes the ultimate outcome of the tourney very doubtful.
...
In a courageous finish Albert G. Cutler, the Boston ex-amateur, won the matinee
game after Louis Cure, the Frenchman, had it within his grasp. The score was
500 points to 439, and the winner's average was 17 7-29. Mark Twain witnessed
the contest from his usual seat at one side of the table. He laughed heartily
as the French billiardist rubbed along the carroms for fair-sized runs at the
beginning until he had obtained a lead of 270 to 193 at the end of the thirteenth
inning by cleverly executed ball-to-ball billiards.
The American humorist foresaw the end, however, as he explained to those sitting
near him. When once Cutler attained perfect control of the ivories on his short
table system similar to the method pursued by Sutton on the previous night,
the Bostonian speedily overhauled Cure, passing into the lead with a prettily
accumulated cluster of 32 on his twenty-fourth turn at the table. Cutler backed
this with 40, and the Frenchman endeavored to retaliate, as the score was 447
to 392 against him. His stroke had deserted him at this critical stage, and
he found all of the holes around the balls, Cutler experiencing no difficulty
up to the end of his string.
...
In order to avoid a repetition of $15 being charged for $3 seats by the speculators,
as was the case at the Slosson-Hoppe match last Saturday night, the sale of
seats for the final matches of the tournament will begin this afternoon. It
is now certain that there will be ties to be played off and these will be decided
at evening sessions next week.
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