Lives in Cricket No 50 - Tom Emmett

101 a thorough knowledge of cricket and cricketers, Emmett seems to have trusted him and asked Benson to hold his watch and chain, to which was attached the locket presented by Lord and Lady Harris on the conclusion of the tour of Australia of 1878-79. It was alleged that Benson then wrote to Lord Harris in Emmett’s name, stating that he was laid up for 10 weeks with rheumatism, and remarking in passing that he still retained the locket. Since Harris had seen Emmett in good health in August at Lord’s and knew he was not in difficult circumstances, he made inquiries as to whether he had drawn on the Cricketers’ Benevolent Fund, and finding he had not, he contacted Emmett at the end of October. It was then clear that Benson had written to several other cricketers, and had received donations, including £2 from Lord Hawke. Benson was staying at the Coach and Horses public house in Rugby and, at the end of September 1895, absconded with £7 belonging to the proprietress, a Mrs Forster. He had told her that if Tom Emmett called she was to say he would be back in half an hour. Mrs Forster noticed the money was missing and called the police, who apprehended Benson, who was already wanted by the West Riding police for obtaining money by false pretences. Emmett was telegraphed for, and confirmed that the arrested man was Benson, who had – just to add to the drama - now shaved off his moustache. Benson was later sentenced to two months in prison. In 1896, Emmett’s time at Rugby School came to an end in a manner which clearly upset him. P.F.Warner indicated that everything had not run exactly smoothly in the preceding years, observing that, ‘if he had not been hampered by people who thought they know more about cricket than he did, [Emmett’s] success, would have been greater’. In particular, it seems that there was friction between Emmett and others who had different ideas about how the game should be played. As a result, Emmett complained, but, in Warner’s words, ‘the situation was not easy’. 68 Sometime later, ‘Old Ebor’ reported that he had spoken with Emmett, who is: extremely sore at the treatment he says he has received at Rugby. It was understood when he went there that he had a situation for life, and he says the reason he left was because one or two younger men than he, in authority at the school, consider they know more about cricket than he does. Quite what happened is hard to say for certain. At the time of Emmett’s death, ‘Old Ebor’ wrote that ‘Emmett always declared there was no valid reason why the connection should have been brought to an end. I have one remarkable letter from him in my possession on this very point, and it was evident at the time that he was in a state of great excitement at having to leave Rugby.’ As well as the reported differences of opinion, perhaps Tom’s strong views on the game grated with his employers and colleagues, or maybe his performance had started to decline as he grew older. It could also have been as a result of a change of headmaster because, in 1895, Dr Percival, who had been at Rugby since 1886, left to become Bishop of Hereford. 69 He had been a supporter of Emmett’s involvement in cricket at the school and had probably left him to get on with the job. This may The later years (1889-1904)