BILLIARDS LAW SUIT

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1367, 19 February 1912, Page 5

BILLIARDS LAW SUIT

ROBERTS AWARDED £1,500.

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright London, February IG. Roberts, the famous billiard player, in his --aso against Gray, tho Australian player, claims .£6OOO damages on tho ground that Gray broke a contract for an eighteen-months' tour of the world. Roberts, in his evidence, said an agreement had be.'n arranged that the receipts should be pooled and divided, Roberts paying first-class travelling expenses for Gray and his father,' which was afterwards to be deducted from Gray's share of the receipts. Whc.i Gray reached London, however, ho arranged with the Rileys that ho should receivo .£3O weekly. The Eiieys' gross receipts had been ,£4tiss, Gray receiving .£7BO. In consecpieneo of the repudiation of the agreement Roberts had lost JiaOO at Dublin, .£350 at Manchester, and .£I2OO on two other matches. The receipts from the Digglo match, which Gray repudiated at ten minutes' notice, wore <£113. ''.'hey would have been at least .£SOO if Gray had played. ,

For the defence, it was stated that the Rileys' net profit was only .£3OO. Roberts had misstated the date of the expiry of his contract with the bonzolino ball manufacturers, which made it impossible for Roberts to play with crystalnto balls.

Gray, in his evidence, said that he was sure it was arranged in Melbourne that ho and Roberts were to play together always, but tho question of the profits was not .mentioned. His reputation hail suffered through the changing of balls. He added that l.e hoped to get tho English championship, but it would take a year or two.

After Gray's father and Stevenson and Riley had testified, Roberts was awarded .£ISOO.

The Lord Chief Justice postponed the arguments en the legal points as to whether the contract was beneficial to Gray, and, if so, vhethcr that benefit was injured by Roberts's inability to play with other than bonzolino balls for the first two months.