Hustler's Story: "Rags" to Riches

Fitzpatrick (pointing) joined a summit of pool royalty at the world straight-pool tournament in April 1956, including, from left, Irving Crane, Luther Lassiter, Mike Eufemia and Jimmy Moore. From right are Willie Mosconi, Richard Riggie and Erwin Rudolph. (Photo courtesy of Christine Schaffer)

Bill McVeigh: "Here's a story: In 1948, Rags and his childhood buddy and fellow hustler, Earl Schriver, used to hang out in Norfolk and hustle the sailors. They kept their winnings in a safe deposit box, to which they each had a key. Well Earl thought he could make a million betting on football games, so he lost all the money they had, purported to be over $100,000, which in 1948 was a small fortune. When Rags got back to Norfolk and found the box empty, he was furious, but he forgave Earl."

Christine Schaffer: "He always came home with the money. He always won. We had so much money."

Bill Staton (as told to Eddie Robin, in "Winning One-Pocket"): "In 1948, Earl Schriver and his traveling partner, U.J. Puckett, who was from Fort Worth, Texas, came to Lyle's Pool Room in Alexandria, Virginia, where they challenged Rags to a game of one-pocket. At that time, Lyle's was still using old clay balls, which would often chip, crack, or, less frequently, even break.

"The match was under way and nearing a showdown with Rags needing only one more ball when he delivered an authoritative but only fairly powerful stroke. The last remaining object ball broke into two parts - the larger section going into the pocket and the smaller part remaining on the table after a brief, erratic bounce, roll and hopping movement. This caused a dilemma, and no one knew a ruling for this situation. Finally, they decided to ask U.J. Puckett, who was sweating the game, to make the ruling. Puckett, who almost certainly had a piece of Schriver's action, said in his Texas drawl: "Waaal, Rags, it jest looks to me like ya still need almost half a ball."

Christine Schaffer: "We went to Hot Springs every year and we stayed there for months at a time. That's the way they used to do it back then: Guys would play for $3,000 and make lots of money. I would get an apartment, and all the guys' wives would come and we'd sit up all night and cook, and the guys would play pool. Sometimes you'd never see the day. You know, you'd sleep in the day, and we'd go see the races, and we traveled over the country."

Bill Staton: "He was a good looking guy - they just called him Rags - but it was just the opposite: He was always dressed up, a tie, jacket and blazer. He dressed well; he looked good, and he wasn't fat. He looked like a real sportsman." Bill McVeigh: "Once, after a big win in Baltimore - he won several thousand dollars - and as he went down the steps to leave the building, someone was waiting for him with a gun and took the dough. Another time, in Brunswick Billiards, 14th and Irving, he was playing this sucker who didn't know him, then some idiot said, 'Who's winning, Rags or the other guy?' The other guy immediately dropped his stick and deprived Rags of the chance to take him to the cleaners. He didn't know he was playing Rags."

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