The Cairo bulletin., 1909-11-01
Cadet Eugene A. Byrna
Passed Away at Sun
rise Yesterday in
Hospital
BELIEVED THE GAME
WILL BE ABOLISHED
Both at West Point and Annapolis, as
Result Of Byrne's Death--Other
Deaths and Injuries Noted
Father Was Old War
Veteran.

West Point, N Y, Oct. 31-Cadet
Eugene A. Byrne, of Buffalo. N. Y. a
fourth year man at the United States
Military Academy, died in the codet
hospital this morning, a sacrifice to
football, This tragedy Of the gridiron
has brought such grief to the officers
and cadets alike, that the end of foot
bali at West Point and Annapolis is
predicted by many.
Young Byrne died at sunrise. His
grief stricken father, John Bylne, a.
civil war veteran, was at his bedside.
Buried beneath a mass of strug-
ling plyaers In the Harvard-Army
game yesterday, his neck was twisted
and broken and he was picked up par
alyzed The immediate resort to ar
tificial respiration was all that kept
the boy from instant death, for he did
not draw natural breath after re-
ceiving the fatal shock,
x-Ray Finds Trouble.
The surgeons were unable TO maae
q complete examination last night on
account Of his critical condition, and
opinions varied as to whether the
blow on the spine or on the solar
plexus caused the paralysis
But an X-ray photograph taken af-
ter death revealed the dislocatipn. be-
tween the first and second servical
vertebrae, causing the first vertebrae-
TO be thrown forward, prying against
and probably resulting in the paraly-
sis of those nerve centers of the me-
dulla oblongata, which govern the res
piratory muscles.
Byrne's father bore the shock of the
fatality with fortitude, but was plain
ly laboring under great mental an
guish this afternoon, when he came
to the little railroad station at the
foot of the hill to meet Mrs. Byrne,
mother Of the victim.
Funeral Today.
The funeral services will be held
tomorrow in the Catholic chapel at
the post where the body was taken
this afternoon A cadet guard has
been posted at the chapel and details
of young soldiers will watch over the
body until after the services tomor-
row. The funeral will be conducted
with full military honors.
Taken to the Cadet hospital, skill
ed surgeons, working with relays of
capable attendants, labored over
Byrne throughout the night. Con-
scious at times, he realized the Sc
riousness Of his condition, as the ply
sicians and nurses kept at their task
and with a smile and an occasional
cheering word encouraged them in
their labors. He faced death un-
flinchingly and was only thoughtful
for his grief stricken father who was
with him when the end came.
Was Acting Captain.
Young Byrne was only 21 years old,
hut was veteran of the Army foot
ball team and popular with his class
mates and officers. He was acting
as captain OF the team yesterday and
he gave his life struggling on the field
for the honor of the army.
Byrne was injured in a mass play
on the tackle, Standing valiantly as
left tackle, for the Army, Byrne was
forced under the rush of Harvard
players and in falling must have had
his head twisted into position where
the weight of the men piling upon him
was greater than the strong ligaments
of the vertebral could stand.
Following the accident to Byrne
the cadet corps grasped with appre-
hensive agitation at the similarity be-
tween the mishap to Byrne and the re-
cent injury to Earl Wilson, at Annap-
oils.
EFF Byrne dies it will kill football
for both West Point and Annapolis" ,
was the frequent remark heard on the
grounds last night,
Col. Scott Reticent.
Col Scott, superintendent of the
academy, would not discuss the mat
ter at first, but tonight said:
This is the first serious accident
West Point has had during the many
years football has been played here.
1t is considered that football bestils
those manly virtues especially needed
in war; and we know of no manly
game in which accidents do not oc-
cur
This statement is taken to indicate
that personally he would not advocate