Evening star., 1903-12-31
DEAD BALL PLAYERS.
Many Famous Diamond Artists Passed
Away in 1903.

Deaths official averages scored in BALI
dom during 1903. have not yet been pro-
mulgated. but the dying year was marked
by the passing of more than one famous
maker of base ball history. Suicide and
murder cast their tragic shadows upon the
diamond field. and one son of Swat mount
ed the gafows and gave his life In ekpi-
alton for the crime he had committed.
Accident was responsible for the end OF
several others. The suicide of Winifred
Mercer at San Francisco on January II,
and the mysterious drowning of Ed. Della
hanty in the Niagara river on July 2, will
rate as the most startling of the years
tase ball tragedies. On May 10 Tony Witt
kow. Milwaukeean In the Three League
while enjoying an Off day on the river near
Decatur. ILL.,. was drowned.
On April II John Budd Taylor was harg-
ed at Kansas City for the murder CT his
sweetheart. Ruth Nollard. Only week be-
fore last-December 19-Dave Calhoun,
Central Lacquer. was found dead near In
dian Springs Ind, the victim of a mur-
derous attack by some unknown.
These were the most tragic finishes In
tfe's game among the ball players, al
though two were killed in railroad mis-
haps. H. w. Burrell. Utah Lacquer, lost
his life in a Great Northern smashup in
January On June Capt Cuylsr s. North
of the kalamazoos was run down and killed
ny d MlCIlSdH teItTdl Train Wnlle ne WdS
hurrying from the field to meet his sweet
heart
Eight accidental deaths-two of the VIC
TINS pectators-occurred on the field oc
play and all of them were ANA teuts.
Something like dozen others drew their
last releases while on beds of suffering
and the death roll of the year embraces
the names of some famous old-timers.
January IA: John w. Townsend, Chester,
Pa. January Is: Sam McMakin, Column
bus. Ohio, February IL: Phil Reccius. An
chorage, KY. February Is; Jack Yeagel.
Glenfeld, Pa, March 6; F. Brennan,
Shenandoah, Pa. April "a: ]. P sensen-
derfer. Philadelphia, May 5; j. Cooney,
Providence, R. l.. July 2; w. j. Sweeney,
Philadelphia. August II: Andrew j. Leon
ard, Boston, August 3D. j. b. Gilbert, Potts
town. November IL
Conway was one of the best known pitch
ers in the eighties. who did his best work
for Detroit, and then drifted to Kan
with Columbus. Reccius died at the Ken
tucky State Asylum for the Insane. He
was a member of the famous Eclipse team
at Louisville. In 1894. while with Spo-
ted ball, and that led to his mental un-
doing. Sensenderfer was one of the old
Athletics, who toured Europe In 1874.
Little Jim COoney was an idol of Chica-
brotherhood revolt. He was afterward
PrOvidences shOrtstop. w. j. Sweeney
will be remembered as one Of the old Bal
timore Unions. Andy Leonard played with
the 1859 Red Stockings, whose record of
successive victories will never be beaten
The rollcall would not be complete were
George E. Stackhouse to be forgotten
That sterling fellow. ex-secretary of the
New York club, sporting editor of the New
York Tribune and an early official Of the
Scorers League, died suddenly January 80
The somber chapter needs but one more
paragraph Death stalked into the canti-
lever in Philadelphia On August g. and
over a dozen lives were lost in the mad
panic that followed rush of the curious
to the gallery