Los Angeles herald., 1907-05-20
st. Vincent Student
TumbleS from
Roof
Arms, Legs and Ribs Are
Broken and Teeth
Fall Out
Was Trying to DisIodge a Baseball
from Roof of Hall Where He
Had Been Forbidden
to Go

Hurting through space from the roof
of the Father Meyer hall to the hard
ground of the ball field seventy feet
below, Donald milford, a 15-year-old
schoolboy, boarding at st. Vincent's
college. met with injuries at $3.50 o'clock
yesterday afternoon which have been
pronounced as fatal by the doctors
who attended him.
Both legs and one arm were broken,
several ribs fractured, teeth dashed
from their protruding gums and pain
full internal injuries resulted when the
lads awful flight through the air was
terminated by contact with the flint
like surface of the ball field. Immedi-
ate medical attendance was obtained
for the lad, and at the California hos
pital where Mulford was taken imme-
diately after the accident, opiates were
administered in order to relieve the suf-
ferer.
The accident occurred when young
Mulford, who had been forbidden to go
on top of the building, went to the peak
OI lH6 TOOL OH dlileI NltySI lleill Win
some companions in order to dislodge
some base balls which had stuck in the
gutter.
Mulford was perched on the peak of
the roof and with a long pole had al
ready displaced one of the balls and
was reaching for another. In changing
his position the lad lost his hold on the
peak and with a cry of terror shot
the roof and tn the ha r1
ground beneath.
Companions Horror Stricken
His companions on the roof behind
him could see that young Mulford was
SLIPPING to probable death, yet they
could do nothing to help him. Even
the pole with which the lad was jab-
bing at the base balls was of no help
and as he slipped over the steep roof to
the awful fight beneath the boy strug-
gled desperately to obtain hold, but
without avail.
AS the boys who were still on the roof
uttered their warning shout, and while
their cries were still quavering on the
air, young Mulford dashed to the
ground and lit in muddled heap Of
broken bones. He was still conscious
when those who dashed to the spot
nicked him up and carried him into the
college. but before Dr. Allen, who was
called Immediately, had arrived, the
lad lapsed into state of coma.
His battered body was placed on an
improvised stretcher. and he was car
ried to the California hospital, two
blocks away. There DR.. Dillon, the
regular st. Vincent's physician, took
charge of the case, but his untiring
efforts and those of his assistants were
of scant avail All that could be done
was to administer an anasthetic and al
low the lad to recline in state of coma
until the acute pains had partially
passed.
Forbidden to Go on Roof
Young Mulford had been forbidden to
go on the roof of the building, and no
later than Saturday his mother, who is
at present staying at the Bonsallo no.
tel. told him not to repeat the offense.
AS there was no school in the after
noon a party of youngsters, of which
Mulford was apparently the more dar-
ing. worked their way up through the
tower and on to the long sloping roof,
from whence they could prod out the
base balls.
The boys who were with Mulford
when he fell were so terrorized at the
result of their escapade that 1t was
some time before they were able to re-
cede from their perilous position ana
return to the ground.
Late last night DR.. ES ward 7. Dill
lon. who has charge of the case, stated
that young Mulford had but scant
chance of recovery, and that if he does
live it will be a miracle.
1T is probable that the boy lit on his
feet" said DR.. Dillon, land how he has
lived this long is more than can un-
derstand. Besides his internal injuries
Mulford sustained a compound frac-
ture of both legs, his left arm is broken,
the collar bone and jaw are shattered.
and every part of his body is bruised"