1903.
Professional Tournament for Money Prizes. Clarence E. Green’s “Montauk,” Brooklyn, ending February 6th.—Stofft and Weston, 8—1 each; Kirkland, Sneden, and Rodgers, 5—4 apiece; Burns, 4—5; Smith, Ward, and Wenrick, 3—6 apiece; Hamber, 1—8. Stofft beat Weston for first money, Sneden defeated Kirkland and Rodgers for third, and Kirkland won fourth from Rodgers.
Buffalo, N. Y., Tournament. Schwabl’s Room, March.—Byron Gillette unbeaten in field of nine, and Charles Porter, beaten only by Gillette (150 to 108), second.
Championship of Louisiana. Miller’s Room, New Orleans, April 17th to May 12th.—New annual series. Mark Tarleton won 6—0, and E. Carreche and James Vorhoff tied on 4—2 for the other prizes, Carreche winning the play-off. Price was fifth only, Geo. Vorhoff being fourth. The others were Harry Alana and David Moore, who tied on 5—1.
Championship of N. Y. Athletic Club. This annual series of tourneys merits mention now because Dr. W. G. Douglas, who for several years had been the club’s champion at both caroms and pool, this April lost the pool tournament to S. W. Becker, who had long been of promise.
1904.
World’s Championship Tournament. St. Louis, Mo., October 12th to November 2d.—For a trophy emblematic of the championship of the world, and given by the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Co., with money prizes in addition. Contestants were Alfredo De Oro, Jerome Keogh, Wm. H. Clearwater, Frank Sherman, Grant Eby (all ex-champions then), Thomas Hueston, Charles Weston, and Benjamin H. Brumby, of Marietta, Ga. This was Brumby’s first in tournament, and he withdrew after playing four-sevenths of his games. On a game-tally of 5—2 (beaten 11 balls in 125 by Brumby, and 18 by Eby), De Oro tied Keogh and Hueston for the first three prizes, and defeated both in playing off. The decisive game was De Oro vs. Keogh, and the score 125 to 120. Having already defeated Hueston, Keogh took second prize. Clearwater tied for fourth and fifth on 4—3, Weston was sixth on 3—4, and Sherman won no game apart from receiving forfeit from the Georgian. Hueston was the first challenger in this series, wherein the stake must be at least $150 a side, though by mutual agreement it may be more.
St. Louis, November 24–26th.—De Oro, 600; Hueston, 470. Eby challenged next.
St. Louis, January 15, 16, 17, 1905.—De Oro, 600; Eby, 480. Keogh challenged on January 20th.
Late in March, the official stakeholders, on appeal by Keogh, awarded the championship and the full stake of $150 a side to the challenger because of De Oro’s failure to comply with the rules as to place and time of playing. De Oro was the next challenger, and each side wagered $100 in addition to the usual $150.
Concert Hall, Buffalo, N. Y., May 18th, 19th, 20th.—De Oro, 600; K., 563. W. H. Clearwater challenged.
St. Louis, October 19th, 20th, 21st.—De Oro, 600; Clearwater, 409. Winner was challenged by Thomas Hueston.
De Oro declined to play, on the ground that he had already held the emblem for the required one year, whereas he had forfeited it to and reacquired it from Keogh no farther back than the prior spring. Hueston demanded play or pay, and the official stakeholders on December 20, 1905, awarded the emblem to Hueston.
San Francisco, April 9–12th.—Hueston, 800; J. W. Carney, 512.