The record-union., 1893-12-28
his legs, from which blood-poisoning 70
lowed, and he died March 18th.
FELL DEAD on the FIELD.

his legs, from which blood poisoning fol-
lowed, and he died March 18th.
FELL DEAD on THE FIELD.
March 1Ith.-During the exciting and
close match between the Queens Park
team and the Celtic Club, Glasgow, a
player named Connor dropped dead. The
Coroner's inquest resulted in a verdict
that he died of lover excitement"
March 2lst.-George Davenport was
playing football at Ratcliffe, near Leeds.
He mad just kicked goal when he was
heard TO cry out, "Oh, my head J" and
fell insensiDIe. He was carried home,
where he died within a Few hours.
The foregoing Internationally cases
OF death are given, with names and dates,
and the amateur Stalistician adds that
three other men. named Benjoy, Peddis-
towe and Van Harlengen, also died dur
ing the winter from illness brought about
by injuries received during the previous
football season. His figures also show
that during the season of lS90-9l there
were twenty-three deaths attributable di-
rectly TO football. aud during the season
OF 1872 there We're twenty-five accidents
that had fatal results.
INNUMERABLE CASES OF INJURY.
So much for the actual deaths, which,
it will be seen, were brought about in
variety of ways, from broken necks and
fractured skulls to bruised shinbOnes and
lover excitement"
To publish full list of the injuries or
even of the worst form of I'M juries, which
are chronicled by the football scribe in
question, would be but a weak and inef-
tective anti-climaX to the terrible show
ing Of the death list, but few selected
specimens of the items that go to lend it
horror may be quoted. Broken legs are
strikingly common in it, as are broken
arms and collarbOnes, but every little
while one runS across such entries as the
following:
James Geary and Horace George Will
kins, playing IN a match at Barnes, col
lided. Geary had his shoulder and one
leg dislocated and Wilkins had one leg
broken.
Leonard Salter, son of the Postmaster
at Harwich, got mixed in Il scrimmage
and had one of his arms broken in two
places.
Henry Horsewood broke his left arm
badly at Louth. both the upper and lower
arm bones being snapped asunder and
the other forearm terribly bent.
1t Is hardly necessary to continue the
examples, however, as sufficient evil
dence has already been quoted to sustain
the claim of extreme danger which must
be faced by those who play the game, but
there is good deal to be said before the
subject is dismissed.
FEWER ACCIDENTS IN AMERICA.
In the first place the average player on
this side Of the Atlantic IS better equipped,
physically, to endure the strain OF the
game than the average player in Great
Britain, for there all classes take part in
the sport, and it is but fair to presume
that great many players enter upon it
without the strength or endurance neces-
aI-U viz h
which TO meet its jars and shocks.
Here, where so comparatively few per-
sons play the game, and those mostly
students and athletes, the average player
is apt to run but little risk of dying from
'over excitement" or ''exhaustion," but
the danger Of fractured skulls and broken
neckS IS not less than it is on the other
side. Then, too, the average game is
probably played with more science in the
United States, as it has been made a sub
ject OF study by experts, whereas the Or
dinary teams abroad are made up of
workingmen and clerks, who have but
little time for practice, SO that rough play
is more likely to be met with among
them than will be found in the matches
played here.
OPINIONS OF EXPERTS.
A football critic whose opinion asked
on the subject OF the dangers of the game
admitted that it was mo cnild's play"
but said that he thought that with the
safeguards now thrown around it in the
way of pads and bandages and guards for
the ears and nose and mouth, that the
risk OF injury was comparatively slight.
When shown the list of deaths and in
jurieS. both here and in Great Britain, he
was a good deal nonplussed, and said
that its publication would certainly raise
a storm in many household, the boys of
which were just beginning to wax enthu-
siastic in their devotion TO the sport,
"Why, if the Herald goes and prints that
list" said he, with a scowl, it'll put the
quietus on the aspirations of hundreds
and hundreds Of youngsters who are now
trying to learn to emulate the prOWess of
the university football heroes. Football
is spreading far and fast in this country,
and the publication Of that list, or
butchers bill,' as the Englishlnan calls
it, in such a paper as the Herald, will
play the deuce by driving doting fathers
and mothers to forbid their SONS to play
the game. Ii their sons happen to be at a
boarding school where football is played
they will write to order the master to see
that Tommy or Willie or Johnny. or
whatever young hopefuPs name may be,
does not risk his precious life at the
dreadful game, when in reality he is run
ming so slight risk that it shouldn't be
ACCIDENT INSURANCE COMPANIES CAU-
TIOUS.
l also interviewed the Secretaries and
other officials Of several of the largest and
most important accident insurance COM
panies as to what status football player
has on their list of risks. The result of
the investigation was interesting. I
found, in the first place, that In number
of cases students are not insured in acci-
dent companies on the ground that they
have no stated employment which brings
them in an income, and hence are not
considered proper persons TO draw tinan-
cial relief in case they may be laid upiby
an accident.
At most of the companies offices 1 was
told that d claim based on an injury or
death resulting from playing football
would be most certainly contested. and
that it would be defended on the ground
that the player had voluntarily exposed
himself to unnecessary danger" risk.
the taking of which nearly all the policies
expressly stipulates will prevent the
policy holder from collecting any bene-
fits.
Joseph I. Barnum, Secretary of the Ma
tional Accident Society, said that he
thought policy holding football player
who was injured TO an extent sufficient to
cause him to apply to the society for
financial relief, could be refused on the
ground that the policy did not cover in
iuries received in wrestling or voluntary
oVer-exertion, both of which figure in
football up to date, and he added with a
smile that he was not at all sure that the
''war or riot" clause was not alone suffi-
ciently strong 10 cover the case.
Mr.. Barnum also handed me the follow
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