1919

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June 20, 1919

• The Chillicothe Constitution-Tribune Chillicothe, Missouri Friday, June 20, 1919 - Page 15 “An Interesting Chess Game” ★ / ★ / ★

• The Poultney Journal Poultney, Vermont Friday, June 20, 1919 - Page 7 — “Traced To Ancient Times” — How the Word “Check,” as a Banking Term, Came Into Its Present General Use. The historical derivation of the word “check” is an interesting example of how a common term has gained its present meaning. It comes originally from Persia, and is associated with the game of chess. A shah is a Persian king, and centuries ago the word, or something like it, was used to designate an attack upon the king in chess. Under the influence of the medieval Latinist the word underwent a curious change to “scaccus” and later passed into old French as “eschec” or “eschac.” From the French it was but a step through the Norman tongue into English as “check” or cheque.” After its form was established the meaning of the word began to extend from a formidable move in a game of chess to any stoppage or rebuff of something in progress, and gradually it came to designate anything which controlled or restrained anything else, and so came to mean a token, or ticket. In the early days of “drawn notes,” or drafts, the counterfoil or stub in the book was called a “check.” About the beginning of the nineteenth century the word became synonymous with draft, and some 40 years ago was established as the statutory definition for “a bill of exchange, drawn on a banker, payable on demand.” Read More

• Douglass Tribune Douglass, Kansas Friday, June 20, 1919 - Page 4 — “For Outdoor Chess Games.” — “Chessmen, which range from two to three and one-half feet in height, made of aluminum, collapsible, and packed in a special trunk, have been given to the library of the University of Wisconsin. A Milwaukee man, now dead, designed them for use in public contests, on large indoor or outdoor chess boards, with a view to increasing popular interest in the game.” ★ Read More

• The Guardian London, Greater London, England Friday, June 20, 1919 - Page 8 — “Wrongful-Imprisonment Case Fails” — “At the Warrington County Court yesterday, before Judge Parsons, Samuel Twiss, described as a gentleman of independent means, 27 … sued Francis A. Jenkins, clerk, 29 … for damages for alleged wrongful imprisonment. From the evidence, it appeared that Jenkins had been annoyed by persons for some time. Early on the morning of May 19 police officers found “F.A. Jenkins and Company, Limited,” painted roughly on the gate of the brewery where Jenkins worked. On the back entrances to the defendant's house the following words were painted, “F.A. Jenkins, Bolshevik Headquarters, Inquiry Agents and Income Tax Experts.” …The plaintiff was seen in the vicinity at 3:20 a.m. and stated to the officers that he had been playing chess and was seeing his friend part of the way home. He said he did not know anything about the painting…” Read More