The record-union., 1896-09-14
CONDITION OF LEO CUDDY
The Injured Jockey Not Likely to
Recover.
dis Brother Killed by Railway
Train in This City in
February, 1894.

Leo Cuddy, the Jockey whose skull
was crushed by the hoof of a horse
after the animal he was riding had
1allen IN the hurdle race at Agrlcult-
ural Park on Saturday afternoon, lies at
the Railroad Hospital lowering be-
tween life and death
saturday night the skull was ire
PINNED by Dr. Huntington, piece two
inches long by one-half inch broad,
which pressed upon the brain, being re-
moved. The boy showed great vitality
In his rally after the operation, but his
ultimate recovery is extremely doubt
full
He has a fighting chance" said DR..
Huntington when questioned regarding
the boys chances for recovery, but
that is ALL No man can express pro-
fessional opinion on such matters until
the danger point is passed, and l can
only guess at reSults-a guess, you
know, being a long way from an opin-
ion"
DR.. Huntington further stated that
there had been a considerable loss OF
brain matter, which might or might not
impair the faculties of the boy in case
of recovery. The loss had been incurred
near the speech centers, but probably
not near enough to affect him in that
direction, and the doctor felt warranted
In saying that the danger at the present
time was from the putrefaction of the
lacerated portions.
Mrs. Cuddy, the boys mother, came
up from Oakland, where she resides
yesterday morning, accompanied by a
second son, William. She was much ex-
ercised over the accident and it is un-
derstOod that she depended upon Leo's
earnings to help in caring for her fam
lily.
The boys father is said to reside in
this city, and according to the nurse al
the hospital he visited the bedside of his
son yesterday morning.
While the lad recovered consciousness
yesterday morning and recognized
friends and relatives who called to see
him, he was not in condition to give any
explanation of the accident.
Some two years and a half ago George
Cuddy, an elder brother of Leo, was
killed at Twenty first and r streets
While acting as brakeman on a freight
train
There seems to be a difference of opin-
lon among persons who witnessed the
accident as to the direct cause Some say
that the horse that preceded Huntsmar
1ouled the hurdle and that it was its
parity wrecked condition that got Cud-
uys horse into trouble. Others contend
that another horse crowded Huntsmar
as the latter rose at the hurdle while
others yet say that Huntsman himself
bumped against the horse preceding
him just a. the critical moment
Stablemen and jockeys declare that
Cuddy should not have been put on q
jumper at all, and that there were sew
eral competent riders from among
whom to select. One jockey says that
before Huntsman rose to the hurdle al
all Cuddy had lost his balance in the
saddle
However it may have been, the fact
remains that hurdle racing on this
coast, however it may be elsewhere. is
full Of danger to both horses and riders
Ihere is no animal more reckless thar
an excited horse In a runaway he
would 60 bang up against a stone wal
If il were to confront him. A frightened
or excited horse becomes actually
crazy, and when under full headway
the so-called hurdlers in this State dc
not approach the hurdles carefully
They are as liable to jump too soon OF
too late as at the right moment, and the
general run of Jockeys are about as
much at sea as the horses.
If there must be hurdle racing. the
hurdles should be SO light that if a, horse
strikes one he viii go right through il
Wlthout being thrown. "A heavy board
fence should never be used. But it is 9
L g
without Few persons care to see If
and nine-tenths of those who attend
races condemn it. Broken-down run
ners, that are useless for any other Dur
pose, make very poor jumpers