Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-15
MANY OFFER TO TESTIFY
Death of Young Virginian Causes
Profound Sorrow.
HAD PREM0NITI0N
About to Leave the City, Telephones
From Union Station Just in Time
to Learn Of Accident.

the stories tnat nave Deen circulating
since the death Of Archer Christian of
the University of Virginia foot ball team.
who died Sunday morning after receiving
injuries in the Georgetown game. will be
thoroughly probed at a coroners inquest
to be held at the morgue this afternoon.
There have been complaints that the
policemen on duty at the game were lax
and brutal and unteeling in their treat
ment of Archer Christian and of his
brother and of a physician who was AT
the injured boys side from the time he
was carried of the field, limp and uncon-
scious
Several prominent people who witnessed
the game, the play in which Christian
was hurt and the actions of the police
after the ambulance had arrived have
been summoned as witnesses.
The jury will be composed of DR.. W..
p. Carr. former District coroner; s. Lo-
gan Owen, a former Georgetown foot
ball player; Ward Thoron. Thomas G.
Noyes and John F. wilkins.
To Investigate Police Methods.
In addition to this inquest, search
ing inquiry into the stories and COM
plants affecting the police has been
started by Maj. Sylvester, and Capt.
Schneider Of the seventh precinct has
been asked to explain. He was present
at the game, in charge Of a large detail
Of his men. Many persons have volun-
tarily sent their names to police
headquarters as witnesses of what they
call carelessness and brutal conduct and
have expressed a wish to testify as to
what they know about the way Archer
Christians brother Andrew was treat.
ed when he tried to board the patrol
wagon to see the injured boy.
Others have strongly criticised the way
DR.. Stephen II. Watts, who was one OF
the first to give aid to Archer Christian.
was treated when he made an EFFORT to
accompany the boy to the hospital.
Some Of the Witnesses.
Maj. Sylvester in his investigation Of the
charges against the police are w. b.
Corby of 5O4 1st street southeast, George
Bates of SO7 9Th street northwest. J. j.
Greer Of 116 18th street northeast. George
III. Sensner of 1881 Kenyon street north
west. 1. ]. Costigan. whose Offices are in
and F. c. Kirkmyer of Baltimore.
Charles Richardson of the Maryland
Agricultural College, DIR. Howard Hume,
8. A. Robinson of 1851. Biltmore street
northwest and DIR. Stephen Watts OF
the " .iversity of Virginia.
All these persons voluntarily furnished
their names to Virginia men. and said
they would gladly testify. These names
were given to Capt. BOardman at police
headquarters Saturday night.
One of the statements made by the wit
nesses is that DIR. Giazebrook, deputy
coroner, asked a policeman to cali an
ambulance, and that the policeman said
he could not leave, but reIerred the doc
tor to Capt. Schneider. Capt. Schneider
was not in sight at the time. No
al hlIi A.
he'd with the police department succeeded
n getting a patrol wagon.
Mrs. Christian Was Worried.
a remarkable incident in connection
with Christians death was the irompt
appearance at the hospital Of his mother.
Scarcely twenty minutes elapsed between
the arrival Of the patrol wagon at the
hospital and the arrival of Mrs. Chris
tion. The mother of the dead athlete was
in Washington unknown to her two sons.
She has always been anxious wnen her
sons played foot ball and was accus-
toned to telephone during games u fnd
out how things were going.
Three times she called Georgetown Uni
versity and asked if Christian was all
right She was about to leave the Union
station on train bound for Richmond
when it occurred to her to make final
call. This time she received the informa-
ton that her son was hurt and at the
hospital. She took an automobile and in
ten minutes was at the hospital door.
To the nurse who met her she said,
quietly:
81 am Mrs. Christian, the mother Of
the young man who is hurt"
Brothers Grief Pitiful.
She was at once escorted to a room on
the floor where her injured boy was ly-
ing. Andrew Christian joined her there
and the two remained together while the
examination and operation were going on.
The grief of Andrew Christian was pitt
full. AS Archer lay on the side lines An
drew knelt beside him. When he failed
to regain consciousness Andrew broke
down. Fellow students told him to brace
up. that it would be all right.
I'm not thinking Of myself" the boy
sobbed, but OF the people at home.
They are the ones that Will suffer most
When the police attempted to keep
Andrew off the patrol wagon he turn
ed on them like a wild cat, hurting
them right and left On the way to the
the wagon, his face buried in the shoul-
der of DR.. Watts, his whole form con-
vulsed with sobs.
AT the hospital he refused to leave the
bed of his brother until led away by DIR.
w A.Lambeth, and remained near his
brother until the end came, clad in the
foot ball togs he had worn at the game.
The Christians are members OF one Of
the most prominent families in Richmond.
The father of the two boys Is A. HI.
Christian. a wealthy paper manufac-
turer.
Death Causes Sensation.
Not in many years has SO profound a
sensation been created in Washington as
that caused by the death of young Archer
Christian.
Bepinnng with the first news OF Chris
..a,. . IlJuIy, the whole city has shown
an interest in the tragedy that is almost
unprecedented. Coming, as IL did, as a
sad climax to the most brilliant outdoor
event CT the year. the accident to the
young Virginia abruptly turned a day
OF ie,oicins into day Of gloom.
1t aroused anew all the old antagonism
to foot ball. caused Georgetown and vir-
ginia to disband their teams for the re-
mainder of the current season. and set
many foot ball experts wondering IL the
joy of the game were really worth the
heavy price that has been paid for 1t all
over the country this season.