The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-12-20
WAR BEGUN ON FOOTBALL
Death Makes High Record in the
Game as Now Played.
NINETEEN KILLED THIS SEASON

The Most Fatal Year in the History Of
the Popular College and School Sport
Girl Slain in Contest With Other
GIrIs-CoiIsge President Takes a Bold
Stand-List Of Fatalities.
New York City.-All records for foot.
ball brutality were smashed during the
seaso just closing.
Nineteen lives were sacrificed, ex-
ceeding by eight the black record Of
1903, while the number of casualties
greatly surpassed that of any: previous
year. The list of dead appears else
where.
The first death on record of a femi.
nine football player occurred during
the season, the victim being Mss Ber-
nadette Decker, eighteen years old,
daughter of a leading politician of
Cumberland, Md.
The list of dead is:
James Bryant, struck in stomach in
game at Florence, Col. Died instant
ly. Miss Bernadette Decker. Died of
injuries received in scrimmage at Cum.
berland, Md. John G. Donders. Died
of cerebral> hemorrhage caused in
game at Jewett City, Conn. Arthur
w. Foote. Death caused by scrimmage
injuries at Salem. Mass. G. G. Flick.
en-. Death caused by kick on head in
game at New Orleans, La. William
J. Kelley. Died of injuries received
while tackling opponent in contest at
Buffalo, N. Y. Scott Kerr. Fatal in.
juries receiyed in game at Newcastle,
Pa. Horatio T. Knight, at Exeter, N.
II. Meningitis induced by injuries.
Joseph baltimore, at Mukwonago, Wis.
Rubber-down for the Northwestern Uni.
versity team. Died after game. Will.
lam Moore, New York, Union College.
Fractured skull. Howard Montgom-
cry, at Farmville, Va. Injuries to
spine. John Meehan, at Pacific Grove,
Cal. Fracture of spine. Herman G..
Norgaard, at. Council Bluffs. Ia. In
juries caused abscess of brain. Carl
Osborn, at Belmore, Ind. Died from
heavy fall. Rib penetrated heart.
James Squires, at Alton, III. Injury
resulted in blood poisoning. Football
abandoned in school as result of death.
John s. Summergill, at Chester, Pa.
Kicked in stomach and head. Clarence
Van Bokelon at San Jose, Cal. Frac-
.tured skull. Leslie Wise, at Milwau-
kee, Wis. Died in scrimmage:" Vernon
Wise, at Oak Park, Chicago, Ill. Bro
ken back. '
Because Of these nineteen deaths and
1877 cases of serious injury due to foot.
ball this season. two Of the largest uni
versities in this country announced
their entrance into the crusade to
eliminate the cruelty and barbarity Of
the game as it Is now played.
The University Of the City of New
York, through it's venerable chancellor,
Henry NJ. McCracken, and the Univer-
sity Of Pennsylvania nov stand com.
mitted on the elimination of brutality
on the gridiron, even if it means the
abolition of football as a college sport.
The long list of football injuries also
stood forth as an imperative reason
for reform of the game which for a
quarter of q century has held the front
rank in college sports.
Chancellor McCracken addressed a
letter to thepresidents of all the leading
universities and colleges Of the country
asking their cooperation in the. reform
or the abolition of football. 1t seemed
plain that the chancellor would prefer
the elimination Of the game.
From the University of Pennsylvania
he received word Of stringent rules
against brutality that were being
adopted. The rules made it impossible
for a brutal player to maintain his
place on the team. ,
President Nicholas Murray Butler.
of Columbia; Eliot, of Harvard, and
other presidents of universities, COL
leges and schools are expected to reply
to Chancellor McCracken.
For the first time since the agitation
against brutal football began a decisive
movement either to stop the game or to
abolish it's brutal features is under
way, and it bids fair to sweep through
all of the institutions of the land and
accomplish results.