Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1909-11-07
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CRIDIRON DEATHS
HARD ON FOOTBALL
Three DEATHS IN ONE DAY GIVE
THE GAME A SEVERE
JOLT.
TALK OF SURPRISING IT
College Presidents Not In Favor OF
Abolishing the Sport-Maroons
Lose Western Championship-Ted
Coy's Last Year on Gridiron.

Three deaths in one day on the foot
ball field, one of the victims being Eu-
gene A. Byrne, a cadet at West Point,
member of the Army eleven, has re-
vived the talk that is heard every year
about abolishing the gridiron game.
So far as the army. and navy are
concerned there may be no more foot
ball teams at the academies where
Uncle Sam trains his young men for
officers Following the death of
Byrne, who was killed in the game be-
tween West Point and Harvard, the
authorities at the military and naval
academies called off the remaining
games of the season. 1t is likely that
the matter will be brought to the at
tention Of congress. President Taft
played football while at college and
enjoys the game, and whether he will
take hand in stopping the game so
far as the military and naval AGA
denies is concerned is not known. 1t
is believed that he will not oppose
the game.
Byrne's neck was broken in a scrim-
mage, and he died the day after the
accident. He was one of the stars of
the team and popular as a player and
as a cadet. Roy Spybuck, member
Of the Haskell Indian schools second
team, and Michael Burke, a player on
the Medico-C hirurigical college team
a 9a1 thn 9TH n
tins. These three deaths made to-
tai of II fatalities in football up to
that date this season.
A majority of the college presidents
who we're induced tp express opinions
on the question of stopping football
because of the fatalities opposed such
action.
1.-THE death of the West Point play
or is unfortunate and will give foot
ball black eye with some persons"
said Harry Pratt Judson, president of
the University of Chicago. TT has
not changed my attitude. Accidents
may occur in any sport, but / think
they are less frequent and less danger
GUS In college football than in any
other branch"
II fought to have football restored
at Northwestern, and still am enthu-
siastic over its right to a place." as
serted A. N. Harris, president of North
western university. "Of course the
death Of Cadet Byrne is deplorable.
But as game football is compare
lively safe in colleges now, with their
excellent system of coaching and train.
ing. The new game is a vast improve.
ment over the old, and feel that Its
security will not be shaken by the &C.
cident in the east" ~
such accidents naturally will have
depressing effect on football. and
they are regrettable," was the state
ment Of Cyrus Northup. president of
the University of Minnesota. II am
not an expert on football and there
fore cannot say whether it would do
any good to revise the rules of the
game with the hope of minimizing the
danger of fatalities or serious injury
to the players"
It is likely that some action will be
taken by the College Football Confer
ence association next month to elimi-
nate certain rough features of the
present game. 80.
When the Minnesota eleven beat the
University of Chicago by a score of 20
to Stages hope of winning another
western championship went glimmer-
ing. However, the Chicago coach
feared the result before the teams
lined up. His team was a bunch Of
cripples and he knew they had little
chance to beat the fast lot that Coach
Williams got together this season. It
was hard blow to the Maroons, but
they took it with the best grace DOS.
sible :
This is Ted Coy's last year in foot
bali and Yale will miss him as much
as it has ever missed one of its grid