The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-27
FATAL ~BLINDMAN'S BUFF.
DIR. MITCHELL FALLS FROM A BAL
CONF WHILE BLINDFOLDED.


Tho Fall was Only Ten Peet. but HIs hack
Was B~rokcn-RenoVed from n Lake George
Cottage whore tho Accident Occurred TO
tho Roosevelt Hospital, where Hc Died.
DR.. Edward NJ. Kitchcll, assistant instructor
Of histology and pathology In the College OF
Physicians and Surgeons, who died in Roose.
welt Hospital on Wednesday night. was tho vic.
tim Of "a peculiar accident. lie fell from the
balcony OF a cottage at Lake George while
playing blindman's buff with n number OF
young people. The distance to the ground was
only ten feet, but he fell on his back, breaking
the spinal column.
DR.. Kitchell. who was only 90 years Of age,
was the only son of James T.. Kitchell OF Wood.
side, y. J. Tho family have a cottage at HUI.
let's Landing. Lake George, and some time
ago Or. Ki,chell went there to spend his vaca-
ton. On Tuesday night he was invited to join
a crowd of young people ut the cottage OF Dr.
Kimball, a dentist, a short distance from his
fathers place. Tho party dined together and
then went upstairs to play games. They chose
the upper floor, because of tho voranda, which
ia worry wide. and an excellent place for n frolic.
No ono had over considered 1t a dangerous place.
1t was always we'll lighted from tho adjoining
rooms, and the railing was sufficiently high to
prevent anybody from walking of. Besides that
It was only ten feet from the ground, not much
more than u good jump.
The party at DR.. Kimball's had been enjoy
Ing themselves In various ways when a game OF
blindman's buff was suggested. The sugges-
ton was hailed with glee. and a victim TO run
around blindfolded was chosen by lot. 1t fell
to a young woman, who managed to corner DIR.
Kitchell, guess who he was, and thus force him
to take her place.
There was a great scurrying to get out OF tho
way when DR.. Kitchell started after a victim.
He rushed around recklessly and grabbed at a
half a dozen people, but they all managed TO
elude him. When the game began several Of
the party made II their business to keep an eye
on the blindfolded person and prevent him
from stepping from the veranda or meeting
with any other accident, but as the game pro-
crossed no one thought OF doing anything but
keeping out Of the way. The result was that
when Dir. Kitchell. entirely ignorant OF exactly
which way he was facing. made a sudden rush
toward the edge OF the veranda, there was no
one to stop him. One or two shouted a warn
ing. but their voices were lost in the shricks OF
merriment from the others. In another second
the young man ran against the railing with
great force. and unable to regain his balance;
somersault in the air and fell to the ground on
his back.
When his companions reached him he was
unconscious. He was carried into the house
where Dr.. Frank Hupp Of Wheeling, ". Va,
WAS known to be staying. DR.. Hupp responded
at once, and after an examination saw that the
young mans back was broken. He told Mr..
jured. His one chance. he said, lay in an opcr.
alton, but the operation could not be performed
snyMhsTs e we're at at e hhaipI'a'hi Sh "dsts dsi'f ths r l1:
moval OF the patient TO Roosevelt Hospital in
this city; Or; kitcholl recovered conscious
ness during the night. and agreed with DIR.
Hupp that he must be taken 10 the city at once.
1t was impossible to move the injured man
t,rtrr cha ,.frBt I,,lAttt5 I al - IN . nnn ~
the most remote points Of the LAX. The lake
steamers do not come within a mile, OF y, and
ton. DIR. Kitchell was suffering great pain
meanwhile. and the greatest care had to be
to tSf Sis IA hSysH eo, h 7 on n an T imp nS"t.s Fs slretch.
er. and DR.. Hupr and his parents remained in
attendance on him all night.
Early Wednesday morning three rowooats
were fastened together and a board platform
nailed across them, A couch was built on
this, His father and mother and DIR. Hupu
sat beside him. AID two friends padded tho
and a half away. There was a long wait there,
but the party was finally taken aboard the
distance OF eighteen miles, on the steamer. and
from rn3Tron that POI point f&ms through a,T,, isi. ia 70 the city by
possible for the injured mans comfort. Half
q a Pullman car was turned over to the party.
Der DR.: k dnd Il, Ere SG % ~'s,bcf a. ID y wsSksr' r how
when the train pulled into the Grand Central
Station. DR.. Hupp had little hope OF saving
hlH.
An ambulance was waiting at the station,
and In it Dir. Kitchcll was taken TO Roosevelt
Hospital. Preparations had been mad there
for an immediate operation, but II WAS impOssi'
BILE. on account Of the patients exhausted con
dition. Everything possible was done to
build up DR.. kitchell's strength. but he sank
steadily. and died at exactly IL 80 o'clock.
DIR. kitchell WAS n graduate of Columbia
College and OF the College OF PHI sicians and
Surgeons. 1t was bis Intention TO practice
medicine ultimately. but he was perfecting him
self in certain branches by acting as an in.
structor and studying meanwhile. He was an
assistant TO DR.. Pruden. who has charge OF
the department OF histology and pathology in
the College OF Physicians and Surgeons, and
had acted as such for four years. He was unmar
ried and lived with his parents a Riverside
and Grafton avenues, WoOdsidc Park, just out
side OF Newark, y. j. The Lody was removed
there yesterday afternoon and the funeral will be
held there tomorrow morning.
1t was said at Roosevelt Hospital yesterday
that even II an operation had been performed
a few hours after DR.. kitchell's fall, 1t wa,
doubtful whether he could have been saved
The operation would have been a most danger
Gus one, necessitating the opening OF the bach
and the ad justing OF the spinal column so tina
1t could knit together again. II has been don,
successfully, but not often. The fracture IL
DR.. kitchell's case was q very bad one, It wa
said.