Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-11-26
FOOTBALL FATALITY
Another Sad Sunday at The Uni
VerSity.
THE DEATH OF STUDENT PHELAN
Due to Ovcrcxcrtion I'm the Game
No Rough PIaying-The Accident
VIII Not Interfere with Thursday's
Contest.

CHARLOTTESVILLE. VA, November
| 25.-(special )--For the second time this
session a deep gloom has overhung' the
| University Of Virginia on the Lords
| Day.
The occasion OF the sadness yesterday
was the death. under singular circum-
stances, Of Mr.. George f. Phelan, one
OF the students.
Saturday afternoon Mr.. Phelan took
part in the football game between the
medical and law classes. playing on the
team composed of members OF the lat
ter class. During the progress Of the
/ game Mr. Phelan was seen TO fall. APP
parently injured. In answer to the ques-
tion if he could be able to continue in
! the game, he replied no. He then lost
/ consciousness and In this condition he
! was taken TO the side-line, and Dr. Bar
/ ringer summoned. The young man was
! then removed TO the infirmary, where
/ he died al ~ minutes to 7 O'Clock yes
terday morning. without having regained
/ consciousness.
st the request Of the university authori-
ties an inquest was held yesterday
afternoon. the following gentlemen act
ing as the jury: Colonel I. l.. Preston,
r.. II. Fife Reuben Maury. John X.
Anderson, Dr. J. o. Moss, and Emmett
Buffer. After viewing the body the jury
repaired TO the Jeff Hall, where the ex-
animation was held. conducted by Cap
tain Micajah Woods.
Drs. Buckmaster and Christian. mem
bers of the faculty. who made the post
morten examination. both testified that
the blood-vessel. the rupture of which
caused Mr.. Phean's death, was in
diseased condition. and was likely to have
been ruptured by any violent exertion.
Several other witnesses testified. and the
examination was very thorough. There
was no evidence OF any rough playing
on the contrary, the evidence showed
that the game was unusually free from
such a feature.
HE FELT DIZZY.
To the coachcr of the law team Mr..
Phelan had complained Of feeling dizzy.
and expressed a fear Of not. being able
to continue in the game However. he
did 50, and 1t was after this that he
was taken from the field This same
witness testified that in the position in
which Mr.. Phelan was lying IL would
have been impossible for the players
who were going around the right end to
have struck his head II was also in
the night before the game of a stin neck,
adding that unless he felt better he would
be unable to play the next day.
THE VERDICT.
The verdict Of the jury. which follows.
clearly shows that the students death
need not be attributed to football. While
all the officers and students of the
University Of Virginia are grieved over
the sad affair. they are glad that Mr.
Phelan's death was not necessarily the
result Of an accident in the game. The
verdict was
That said George r.. Phelan came to
his death by reason OF violent exertion
on his part, or of some strain or fall
during n football game. on November q.
1876. which produced the rupture OF a
blood-vessel i'm the brain: which blood
vessel Is shown by the evidence 10 have
been in diseased condition. owing TO
previous inhammatory action: and, fur
Their they say that the evidence dis
closes the fact that there was no sign
of any external injury on his head or
body; and. further. that no participant
in said football game is 10 be blamed
for any reckless, rough. or criminal
conduct during the game"
Mr.. Phelan was from Memphis Tenn,
and this was his second session at the
university. He was quite popular with
his fellow-students. He was about %
years old ard Of good physique.
To-day. out of respect TO his memory.
all lectures at the university were sua-
pended. His remains were escorted by
the students in a body TO the union sta
tion, where. accompanied by his parents.
who arrived last night, the train was
taken for Memphis.
THE THANKSGIVING GAME.
Professor Lille. acting chairman Of the
university faculty. was asked this morn
ing what effect the accident was likely
10 have upon football at the university
and particularly upon the Thanks giving
Day game in Richmond. lie said that
there had been no meeting of the faculty
but that he thought one would be called
He could not speak officially for the IA
Guilty before this meeting was held, but
he could see no reason why any action
should be taken to interfere with Thurs
days game. The facts. as brought out in
the evidence before the coroner's Jury
yesterday. showed clearly that Mr.. Phe-
lan's death had resulted from the break
ing OF weak blood vessel, caused by
excitement or overeXertion, and not by
any blow or external injury received du-
ring the game. Professor Lille added that
the accident could have occurred as we'll
in tennis. track athletics. or any other
form of athletics.
DIR. BUCKMASTER'S OPINION.
DR.. Buckmaster said: Il do not think
that the accident should have any effect
upon football or interfere in any way
with the Thanksgiving Day game Foot
bali is unquestionably a rough game but
when played by gentlemen Is not too dam
gerOus. / never saw game played with
better feeling on both sides than the one
on Saturday. and | cannot see that any
OF the facts surrounding Mr.. Phelan's
death should have any bearing upon the
game itself"
DR. Barringer said that he did not think
the sad event should interfere with
Thursdays game. or that II could pro-
perly have any bearing upon football at
the university in the future
THE TEAM LEFT.
Late last night the football team and
the scrub team took the train for Ash |
until THURSDAY Possibly the boys" were
afraid Mr.. Phelan's death would in some
way affect the Thanksgiving Day game.
but the managers and lovers Of football |
are now sure that such will not be the |
case. and that the game will certainly be |
played.
The law class and Lombard Chapter, |
Kappa Alpha Fraternity. OF which Mr.. |
Phelan was member. met to-day and |
passed resolutions OF respect to his mem |
ory The medical class has appointed a |
committee for the same purpose.
ruVraGn nARREuSs WAN