Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-03-28
INQUEST OVER GEORGE BAHEN.
The Verdict of the Jury and an Ex-
PLANTATION.

The Verdict of the Jury and an Ex-
PLANTATION.
The coroner's jury. which held an inquest
ever the body of George d. Bahen, the
dead foot ball player, rendered the follow
ing verdict late yesterday afternoon:
I'VE, the jury, believe from all the evil
dence in the case that the said George D.
Bahen came to his death by foul play at
the foot ball game played on last Thanks
giving day, November - 1894, at the Ma
tional Base Ball Park. Washington, d. c.,
Eut we are unable to fix the blame on any
one"
The results of coroners' inquests are not
always satisfactory, but the verdict rem
dered yesterday was in some respects re-
markable one. and in the minds of some of
these present not strictly in accordance
with the evidence developed in the course
of the hearing. OF all the witnesses who
we're summoned from the thousands who
saw the game last Thanksgiving day not
one happened to have actually seen the in
cident which resulted in young Bahen's
death The only eye witnesses who testified
were two newspaper men and an outsider,
Who were at the station yesterday after
room and were called upon to testify. The
only others who could throw any light
upon the occurrence were all players who
took part in the game themselves, and
who were, as consequence, not in good
position to see just what happened when
During the course of the inquest there
was a general use of such terms as foul
tackling," foul plays and others of the
sort used in foot ball. So the jury decided
that Bahen came to his death by foul play,
although the phrase usually has different
significance when used in connection with
a death.
closed yesterday there was only one i'm
portant witness, George r. Mahoney, ia
miliarly known as big Nike" George
towns crack player. He testified that he
was carrying the ball, and that Bahen
was in front of him when thrown. He did
not trip or tumble over Bahen, and If any
one stepped on the fallen man he did not
know it. He passed around Bahen and
when he was downed, so that he could not
see what happened to him.
Leete, who '.downed' Bahen, was re-
called. but he was unable to give any i'm
portant information beyond what he had
already testified, and about 4 o'clock the
jury retired to consider their verdict. After
ward one of the jurors told Star reporter
that all that was meant by the verdict
vas that Bahen had met his death in a
foot ball play, which, the jury thought,
was a foul play by the rules of the game.
Will Investigate.
Inspector Hollinberger will have his OFF,
GERS follow up the investigation made by
the coroner's jury yesterday. The officers
will see the coroner this afternoon or to-
morrow and will then determine just what
they will do in the matter. 1t is not likely
that warrants will be issued for any of the
foot ball players, but should the officers get
any evidence to connect any particular per-
sons with the killing of Bahen the matter
will be presented to the grand jury.
Inspector Hollinberger was present at
the game in which the fatal injuries were
received, and saw the crowd when the in
jured man was taken from the field, but
he cannot tell Just how the affair hap
pened.
Bahen's Muscular Development.
DR.. James Kerr, the surgeon who had
charge of the case of young George D.
Bahen, the foot ball player, at the Elmer
gency Hospital, says that when he first
saw the injured youth the day after the
accident. which eventually resulted in his
death, young Bahen was one of the most
perfectly developed specimens of young
manhood he had ever seen in all his pro-
fessional career. DIR. Kerr says that the
development of his abdominal muscles, es-
pecially, was the most remarkable he had
ever seen excepting the case of Sandow.
The muscles of the back were also some
thing unusual, while the rest of his body
was developed in proportion. This was at
the time of the accident when he was in
training for the big foot ball game. After
lying in bed for four months, a paralytic
from the shoulders down, he had SO wasted
away that there was not a trace Of mus
cular development to be discovered about
him anywhere, his weight was probably
less than 100 pounds and he was but
faint reminder of what he was in his
prime