Jasper County Democrat, Volume 8, Number 29, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 October 1905 — A FRIGHTFUL LIST. [ARTICLE]

A FRIGHTFUL LIST.

Two Dsy«’ Record of Accidents From Raying the Deadly Game Of Football. The Democrat doesn’t generally devote as much attention to . football as it has done this week, but it seems to us that it is one of three' crying evils of the day, and we have no apologies to make for the great amount of space given over to the “game” this issue. The clippings which follow are taken from the sporting pages of the daily papers that reach this offiice, and have been gathered during the past ten days. It must be remembered that the accidents here recorded are a very small part of the actual number that took place as few are reported to the papers. Also, that these accidents are the result of but two days’ play, the two proceeding Saturdays, as practically no football is played doing the other five days of the week: Carl Evans dislocated a shoulder and Charles Fall received serious injuries to his spine in a football game at Michigan City yesterday. Oct. 7. Walter Neptune, of the Purdue scrubs, had his right arm fractured and his wrist dislocated in a football game between Thornton and Darlington. Fred Youkey was also injured in the gatne. (Oct. 7.) At Laporte Sunday, October 8, in the football game between the Laporte and Michigan City teams, two members of the, latter team were severely injured. One had his collar bone broken and the other had his back sprained and left arm broken. Chester, Penn., October 8— John S. SummersgiH, aged 21 years, a member of the Franklin football team, died in Chester Hospital from injuries received in a game between the Franklin team and Homestead eleven, of Clifton Heights, yesterday afternoon at Eddystone. SummersgiH was knocked unconscious by a blow in the stomach. He was resuscitated and resumed playing. About 10 minutes later he was kicked in the temple and again lapsed into unconsciousness. He revived again and watched the game from the side lines. After the game Summersgill, accompanied by George Morville and Charles Leslie, started for the boarding house of Mrs. Hannah Newton here. On the way SummersgiH fell to the pavement unconcious. He was carried to Mrs. Newton’s, home from whence Dr. M. A. Neufield had the young man sent to the Chester Hospital. Death was caused by extradural hemorrhage.

Bedford, Ind., October, 10.— Frank Henderson, age thirteen years, is the second victim of football games here this season. Henderson had his arm broken yesterday while in a rush for the ball. Lake Forest, 111., October 10.— Capt. McCrea, of the Lake Forest College football team, injured a short time ago, is still in the hospital, but is expected to be out today. The muscles of bis back were injured, and it is feared his heart has been affected. St. Joe, Ind., October, 12 — While engaged in a football scrimmage yesterday on the school grounds, Prof. Joe T. Colburn, of the high school, broke both bones in his right leg just above the ankle. *

Lafayette, Ind., Oct 14. —In a ferocious contest on Stuart Field this afternoon Purdue defeated Wabash at football by a score of 12 to 0, In the second half King, the right guard of Purdue was compelled to retire on account of a broken bone in his right hand, and Sprow, of Wabash, on account of a dislocation of his left elbow.

Yale Field, New Haven, Conn., Oct. 14.—The veteran Trip tried to play guard but soon sprained bis ankle badly and retired. Tiffin, Ohio, Oct. 14. —Heidelberg lost to Western Reserve, 12 to 0. At the end of the game a general fight ensued over the possession of the ball, which had to be quelled by the police. Oberlin, Ohio, Oct. 14.—Ohio Wesleyan was defeated by Oberlin on Dill Field this afternoon by a score of 17 to 6. Wilson for the Oberlin's quarter was foroed to retire on account of a severe leg braise. Hedinson, the Wesleyan’s left tackle, was carried from the field, having received several bodily injuries. Chicago, Oct. 14.—(Chicago and Indiana University game.) Time was called after nearly every down during the second half to patch up an exhausted or injured player. Slugging was indulged in by both teams, and men on

both sides were ruled as a result. z Kankakee, 111. Oct. 14. —John Barber, full back for the Dwight high school eleven, had his neck so severely sprained during the game with Kankakee high school to-day that he had several convulsions. Evansville, Ind. Oct. 14 —During a football game at Princeton, Ind., this afternoon between the Princeton High School team and Washington, Ind., Curtis Holder, the Captain of the Washington team was kicked in the bead by Riggs, full back of Princeton, and sustained concussion of the brain. Indianapolis, Oct. 14. —(Manual Training School high school team vs. Alexandria) * * * tain Necoson, of the visitors was compelled to retire early in the game because of an injured knee, and his loss was keenly felt by his team. Ft. Wayne, Ind. October 16. The game of football between the Ft. Wayne high school and the Huntington high school team resulted in a sweeping victory for the Huntingtons, the score being 70 to 0. In the play Clarence Whitelock, of Huntington. had bis shoulder dislocatea, and James Porter, son of Dr. M. F. Porter, of this city, had his jaw fractured. Both were carried off the field in an ambulance.

New York, Oct. 16.—With a fractured skull and internal injuries sustained in a football ball game before 2,000 cheering spectators yesterday, Sinclair Passey, 19 years old, of Brooklyn, is dying in the Williathsburg Hospital. Half a dozen other players were hurt. Passey is a member of the Imperial Athletic Club. His foot ball eleven met St. Anthony’s team composed of members of St. Anthony’s Roman Catholic church at the latter’s grounds. Passey was hurled against the opposing wall in a mass play. He suffered concussion of the brain, internal injuries and two broken ribs. Princeton, N. J., Oct. 16. — Princeton’s injured list now number six very promising candidates, O’Brien and Daub being the last two to be hurt, the former having a strained muscle in his back and the latter an injured ankle received in the Bncknell game Saturday. Cambridge, Mass., Oct. 16— Squiers and Pierce were in the signal line up this afternoon the first time in over a week. Both of these men are still on the crippled list, and will not get into a scrimmage for a week, at least.

Notre Dame, Ind. Oct. 17— Roll call yesterday showed Notre Dame to be in worse shape than was thought at first. Bracken is hardly able to walk and may be out of the game for some time. Donovan has a wrenched ankle and was not able to work, . and full-back Downs, who is suffering with a charley horse, was not out. The players who appeared were put through a light signal practice.

Lafayette, Ind., Oct. 17.—1 f Purdue bad a hard game to-mor-row, it would be in a desperate plight. King, Zimmerman and Emis are crippled, while Thomas is carrying two black eyes. More than half the Michigan team is laid up with injuries and coach Yost says: “I do not be-, lieve in giving out hard luck stories and exaggerating the injuries of players, for the public is already prejudiced against football on the ground that it is a brutal sport, but we have certainly been up against it this season. Not once have I been able to send the full team into a game, and the prospects are that I won’t be able to do so for some time to come.

New York, Oct. 12.—Forty-five deaths and hundreds of serious injuries is the record of football for the last five years, according to a canvass made by the Herald, the result of which is printed today. Sixteen died as a result of internal injuries, four from broken necks, six from concussion of the brain, eight from broken backs, three from paralysis, two from heart failure, one from lockjaw, one from blood poisoning, due to a cut received in a game; one from hemorrhages and two from meningitis, induced by spinal injuries suffered in play. The injuries included ten legs and fourteen collar-bones broken and four skulls fractured. [ln the list of accidents the Herald is way off, as everyone knows there are usually more than ten lege broken in this game in Indiana alone every year. Probably not five per cent of the accidents, however, are ever reported in the papers, as the football enthusiasts are very careful to refrain from mentioning any-

thing of this sort. It is noticable that but one paper made mention of the probably fatal injuries of one of the Shortridge players here Saturday, in the report of the game, the Indianapolis Sentinel, and it stated the injury was not serious. Reports of the game in various other metropolitan papers made no mention whatever of the lad’s injuries.—Ed.] Kansas City, Mo., October 15— Battling Nelson (prize fighter) saw a football game for the first time this afternoon. He was one of the spectators of the game between the Kansas City Athletic Club and the College of Emporia. Nelson enjoyed the game, but declared that it was too brutal an affair for him to mix up in. “It’s great sport,” remarked the conqueror of Jimmy Britt, as he watched the game from the side lines. “But excuse Bat, from mixing up with that bunch of murderers. Those fellows seem to be enjoying themselves, but mine with the padded mitts and a referee that won’t let ’em kick when I’m down. See that bunch pile on that poor guy; he’ll be killed sure. No—no for your own friend, Bat. What’s that? Scrimmage? Well, it looks worse than that to me. I’d rather fight Jefferies and Sharkey in the same ring than take a chance with that bunch.”