Not that I've been waiting for him to pass or anything(haven't seen him in 7 or 8 years) but a story about Harry came to mind and I thought I'd share it. Particular details may be a bit askew but the main story is correct.
Back in the late 70's or early 80's Harry's daughter, I believe, was involved in a car accident or had an illness of some type, I don't remember which right now. He was up at Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park, Mich. everyday at that time, there was a poolroom on the second floor. One night, after his daughter was not well, he asked the counterman for a $50 or $100 loan. The guy, named Jimmy Mathis, told him that he didn't have it to loan.
Another guy told Harry that Jimmy had just given him change for $100 so he knew that Jimmy had lied to him.
Fast-forward ahead several days or weeks. California John McCue also hung out at the Cushion&Cue poolroom at Thunderbowl Lanes and he was Jimmy's go-to-guy when action came into the room. He staked John many times and loved being associated with him.
John took a trip to California for a pool tournament for a week or so and Harry hatched a plot to exact his revenge on Jimmy for not loaning him the money that he needed that night.
Harry told Jimmy Mathis that if any action came into the room then he would come up and play anybody. Jimmy agreed to the deal as John was out of town.
Harry conspired with a guy called Freer Jimmy, from the Freer bar on Michigan Avenue, to do a little business.
On the appointed day Freer Jimmy came up to the poolroom and told Jimmy Mathis that he was looking for a game. Harry, naturally, was not there. Jimmy Mathis called Harry and told him that Freer Jimmy was looking for action. Horseface told him to tell Freer Jimmy that he would give him the wild 8 on a 9 ft. table for $150 a set. Freer Jimmy agreed and Horseface drove up to the Thunderbowl lanes. I was there for the start of the match, not knowing all of this info at the time. After a set or two I had to go in to work on afternoons so I heard the rest of the story from close friends who were there.
Jimmy Mathis staked Horseface for the $150 per set and they started playing. Freer Jimmy played absolutely horribly(he was a bar table player) and Horseface had to miss some very easy shots to let him win. It was brutal to watch but I wasn't in on the game and so didn't know anything was amiss. Harry lost the first set and they then played another. Harry also lost that set and so Jimmy Mathis was stuck $300. He was now out of cash and borrowed $150 from a guy who knew what was going on.
Out of earshot(downstairs at the snack counter) from Jimmy Mathis, Horseface assured the guy that if Jimmy didn't repay him then he would.(Edit: I remember now that somehow they got the winnings from Freer Jimmy and gave it to the guy to loan BACK to Jimmy Mathis. They loaned him his own money back, they couldn't lose that way.)
Harry went on to lose the third set also and Jimmy Mathis was stuck $450. Naturally, Horse & Freer Jimmy whacked up the cash as soon as they could and poor Jimmy Mathis never knew what hit him.
Horseface had dumped him just because Jimmy would not loan him the money when he desperately needed it for his daughter. Not a noble thing to do but at least a good reason for doing it.
When California John got back he went up in the poolroom and Harry was there but Jimmy Mathis was not. John says to Harry "I heard you did a little business while I was gone". Harry denied knowledge of any business taking place in Johns absence and the matter was dropped.
Jimmy Mathis ended up figuring out what happened but never knew with absolute certainty.
Dennis
