Calvin Demarest

Calvin Demarest was a national amateur and professional billiards champion from Chicago in the early 20th century known for an open, crowd-pleasing style of play. [cite news
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title = Calvin Demarest Defeated in Hotel Astor Ball Room by 500 Points to 440
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publisher = New York Times
date = April 12, 1912
url = http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9C0CE7DF153CE633A25751C1A9629C946396D6CF
accessdate = 2008-04-28] He later gained notoriety for stabbing his wife and injuring his mother during a suicidal psychotic episode.

Demarest studied music as a child, at the behest of his parents, his father a renowned organist in Chicago, and his mother a singer. At an early age he developed his own interest in pool and, after mastering that game, balkline billiards.

Demarest won major amateur championships in 1907 and 1908. On March 14, 1908, he broke the world's amateur record for the high run in the opening game of the national amateur 14.2 balkline billiards tournament with an impressive high Cuegloss|Run|run of 168. [cite news
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title = Demarest Breaks Record; Chicago Billiardist Makes Run of 168 and Defeats Jackson
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publisher = New York Times
date = March 15, 1908
url = http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9504EFD6173EE233A25756C1A9659C946997D6CF&scp=16&sq=calvin+demarest&st=p
accessdate = 2008-04-28] On March 9, 1907, he set a new record 14.2 billiard average of 27 3–11 during the national amateur championship tournament in New York City. [cite news
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title = Billiard Record is Broken Twice; Amateur Figures Are Surpassed First by Poggenburg and Then by Demarest
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publisher = New York Times
date = March 9, 1907
url = http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9D03EEDD123EE033A2575AC0A9659C946697D6CF
accessdate = 2008-04-28] [cite news
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title = Western Player is the Favorite; Demarest's High-Class Billiards Gives Him the Lead in Tournament
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publisher = New York Times
date = March 11, 1907
url = http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9502E5DC123EE033A25752C1A9659C946697D6CF&scp=4&sq=calvin+demarest&st=p
accessdate = 2008-04-28] Starting in 1909, he competed in professional as well as amateur tournaments, winning at least three professional championships.cite news
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title = Demarest Arouses the Billiard Fans; Young Chicago Expert Striving to Become Champion
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publisher = New York Times
date = January 10, 1909
url = http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9407E0DD153EE733A25753C1A9679C946897D6CF&scp=11&sq=calvin+demarest&st=p
accessdate = 2008-04-28] In 1910, he defeated the renowned French champion Rerolle for the international amateur championship.cite news
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title = Billiardist Assails Wife; Calvin Demarest Also Cuts His Mother, Then Slashes Himself
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publisher = New York Times
date = June 17, 1915
url = http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9E0CE7DC1038E633A25754C1A9609C946496D6CF
accessdate = 2008-04-29]

By the mid-1910s, Demarest's mental state began to deteriorate. Among other things, he would experience hallucinations regarding his wife, often that she was robbing him. On June 16, 1915, Demarest stabbed his wife in the throat several times with a pocket knife, wounding her severely, and then attempted to slit his own throat. His mother attempted to restrain him and was cut on the hand.

He was deemed unfit to stand trial and was remanded to the Elgin Asylum for the insane. He died there eight months later, on February 22, 1916. [cite news
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title = Calvin Demarest Dead; Noted Billiard Player Expires in Illinois Insane Asylum
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publisher = New York Times
date = February 23, 1916
url = http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9D05E3D9103FE233A25750C2A9649C946796D6CF&scp=2&sq=calvin+demarest+wife&st=p
accessdate = 2008-04-28]

References