FORMER CHESS CHAMPION.>

By the death of Mr. William Crane, which occurred at his residence, 170 Cavendish-street, Stanmore, yesterday afternoon, another link with Old Sydney was removed.

He had just entered his 70th year (he was 69 years of age on the 14th instant), and up till five or six weeks ago was remarkable for an unusual energy which, despite his grey hair and long, grey moustache, seemed to belie his age. His illness was a short but painful one.

For 36 years the late Mr. Crane was associated with the literary work of the "Sydney Morning Herald" and "Sydney Mail," the last five of which were spent as a member of the law reporting staff of the "Herald."

Strangely enough, he began life in association with the legal profession, spending some years in the office of Messrs. Norton Smith, and Co., solicitors. He was also for a few years associated with the late Sir John Robertson, when Premier and Minster for Lands, in the Lands Department.

A man of many parts, deceased was a noted chess-player.

In 1887 -- when 36 years of age -- he won the Australasian chess championship, at Warnambool, Victoria, in open competition with the local champions of the six Australian States, and of New Zealand.

He held the championship for a number of years, and was then beaten in a straight-out match by the late Mr. Jacobsen, who subsequently "brought out" the present Australian chess champion, Mr. Viner.

The late Mr. Crane was looked upon as the doyen of Australian chess, and continued to take part in interstate chess contests until the last two or three years.

He was also a noted dog and poultry expert. For many years he was one of the familiar figures at "judging day" at the Royal Show in Sydney. On many occasion, also, he acted as judge at shows in country centres of New South Wales and also in other States.

For several years, during a break in his journalistic career, Mr. Crane conducted a large auctioneering business in this city. He was also a well-known figure in the cricket world of the '80s and '90s. On many occasions he acted, both here and in other States, as the official scorer for Interstate Sheffield Shield matches. The late Sir Edmund Barton was associated with him as an umpire.

A son of the late Mr. William Crane, who was one of the first stipendiary magistrates of this city, deceased had a large number of relatives scattered throughout Australia, and one married sister in England. Another sister is the wife of the Rev. W. Lampard, late of King's School.