The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-11-16
HIDEOUS
AND BRITISH.
Football No Longer a Sport but
an AtrOcity.
Not Fit For Civilized Beings to
Engage In,
Or For Civilized Beings to Wit
ness.
EIGHT MEN AREKILLED
In the Murderous and Blood
thirsty Game
In One Seasons Record, II
Permanently Injured.
NO EXCUSE is LEFT
For Longer Continuing the
Record of Horror.
StOmachs Crushed, Spines BrOk-
en-, Intestines Lacerated,
Eyes GOuged Out, Skulls Mash
ed, Lungs Punctured.
STILL WE PRESUME
To Call This sESpOrt'' and to
Enjoy 1t.

New York, Nov. 16.-The World pub
fishes the following:
Foot ball, as played by American
college teams, is now the deadliest ma
tional sport known an any civilized
country.
The World presents below a careful
and accurate summary of the fatal and
serious injuries incurred in foot ball
games in the leading schools and COZ
leges of the United States. The record
covers the latter part of last season
and the first of this It completes the
similar record compiled by the World
last year, which aLtraG+eed attention
the world over.
The new list shows eight players ac-
tually killed. Il manned or injured for
life, and 126 other players Jumped on"
until they were insensible or otherwise
severely hurt.
Fhe records of every college and ath-
letic club in the country have been
searched by correspondents, and their
findings telegraphed to the WOrld.Ihe
result is the most complete and au-
thentic compilation of foot ball history
ever achieved by a newspaper.
Spanish bull fighting has been called
the most bloody, brutal and dangerous
national sport, but the Worlds Madrid
correspondent cables that in the past
year only one matadOr has been killed
IN the arena 30 IIlaI lOOl Ddil-AOI
which higher price of admission is
charged-is eight times as fatal as bull
fighting.
Foot ball is said to infuse manliness,
independence, energy and goaheadi-
tiVeness in young men; in short, to in
crease their capacity for wrestling for
the good things of life. But not for
these II.
one hundred and twenty-six of the
names in the list are those of young
men who have suffered serious injur-
les. OF these there are many who Will
never recover wholly from thelr nurlS-
Under the heading of minor casual
ties are 1876 names. Ordinarily the in
iurieS enumerated in that list would
not be classified as minor. In rail
road collision they would be referred
to as serious. But in foot ball no rec
ord of slight accidents is kept, not eV-
en- in the memories of the players.
The list is interesting to medical
men or to students of anatomy. 1t is
CORY calendar of human anguish, an
encvclOpa edia of crushed bones. torn
Igaments fractured skulls, twisted
necks. shredded muscles, broken ribs,
gashed bodies. dislOcated joints, backs
and chests crushed in, scalps ripped
off and Jaws mashed; in fact, tow
ering monument, in crimson, to the eV-
erlasting glory of foot ball
In Georgia a state law has been
passed prohibiting the playing of foot
ball. In Missouri and Illinois actlVe
steps are being taken by ant1-foot
ballists to secure prOhibitOry legisla-
ton. In several other states the mat
ter is being agitated.
A study of the subjoined list shows
that many of the most serious injur-
les were received by the players in
practice games. This may seem
odd. but the explanation is sim
Dle. A position on a varsity
eleven is an honor more dearly
coveted by the average student than
the fame of valedictorian.
In the practice games the eyes of the
coaches and the trainers are upon him.
To hold or secure position on the
team he must distinguish himself he
must demonstrate his agility, his cOur-
q sre his strength, He plays with de-
uoonical fury The men opposed to
him do the same. There is no referee
TO suppress him. He is free to let him
self out to the limit of his power. And
he does it.
In proportion to the number of foot
bail teams in the west to those in the
east the casualties in the west are far
more numerous. The men are natur-
ally rOugher players, and, the game be-
ing comparatively new there, science
cuts but a spectral figure.
Some idea of the western game is
given by the Worlds correspondent at
Denver. Col. who prefaced his dispatch
containing the list of the injured in this
ssThe number of injuries cited below
do not represent one-twentieth of the
accidents which happened to players
during the season of 1896.
"On Oct. S. 1896 in the game between
the Denver Athletic team and the Kan
sas University eleven, MOsse. a Kan
sas player, deliberately fell on John
Good with his knees after Good had
called Down Good was carried from
the game with the life nearly crushed
out of him and was i'll for several days.
During the same game 'DOnny brook
Fair tactics were used throughout In