The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-03-27

Street Cleaning Believed 10 Have
Weakened Football Man.
James J. Hogan. ex-Yale football cap
tain and star tackle. recently deputy street
cleaning Commissioner. Of New York, is
dead. and men in many walks OF life are
trying TO accustom themselves 10 the
realization that one of the most indomit-
able spirits they knew has passed out OF
their lives. It was the rugged straight
forward character of the man that made
II hard for his friends to understand that
he could fail in anything-even to live.
The end came at New Haven last week,
after long siege in which il had seemed
impossible to Hogan himself that there
could be any real danger. AS one OF his
Yale classmates, teammates, and closest
friends. said I know jim could not real
lie the pressing need of the care his case
demanded Football is in no way 10
blame for his death. He lived a clean.
rugged life. he was courageous at all
times. but stubborn once too often. He
set his jaw and faced this sort of thing
as he had faced others. with no thought
OF defeat"
Hogan went back home to Torrington.
Conn. suffering from a general break
down and an acute attack OF kidney
trouble. He rapidly grew worse, and
hearing of this, his friends. members of
the Yale senior society of Skull and
: Bones, and others. went to him.
Ralph Bl0omer. with whom Hogan had
stormed the Princeton and the Harvard
lines in days gone by. said to him:
Jim. 1 want you 10 go down to New
lorla ] want you 10 so TO a hospital; I
want you to have the finest medical at
tendance 70 be found"
But Hogan only shook his head. I'm.
all right" he said, and would not bulge.
Would Not Go to Hospital.
Hogan's cramped quarters at Torring-
ton were hardly the proper theater for
brave fight against disease-even the kind
Of fight the old Yale football star could
make There was no heat in the attic
room he occupied, save for what little
came through hole In the floor from
the room below. The weather was cold
and raw, and even his visitors in their
talked with him. The surroundings were
gloomy though the best of care obtain
able in the little town had been provided.
Both care and quarters, however, were
far from the standard found in a hospital,
to which his friends besought him TO go.
Yet Hogan was stubborn while he had
the strength to be stubborn,
He could hear every word said in the
room below, and as is often the case in
such situations, the sick man heard little
to cheer him.
However. so serious did the situation
finally become, that his friends took his
case out of his own hands and insisted
upon his removal, at least 10 New Haven.
StLyvesant Fish, jr., heard the alarming
reports about his old classmate, and went
to Torrington prepared TO move the sick
man. come what might. Arrived in Tor
rington, he sent for the best specialist
from New York who could be found in a
hurry. and Dr.. Frank Whittemore OF New
Haven. For three days they worked with
the athlete who was making his last fight
sEor life. and so well were their efforts re-
warded for the moment that there seemed
to be a faint ray OF hope.
4 special train was ordered and
Fish and four other classmates su-
perintended every detail OF the trip to
New Haven. and rode in it, although they
were not allowed 10 speak 10 Hogan, who
was then very weak. The news preceded
the train TO New Haven, and there a
great but silent body OF students and
townspeople awaited It. There was no
sound while Hogan was carried to the
ambulance and then driven to the Elm
City Hospital Throughout the night
Fish and others of Hogan's friends sat
waiting in the hospital for the smallest
news of his Improvement None came,
however, and then one of the greatest of
Yale's athletes at last lost the battle
with death.
Commissioner Edwards Tribute,
Although IL had not come unexpectedly.
Hogan's death was a shock to the mem
bers of the New York street cleaning de-
partment. He was popular with the rank
and file. and his former chief, William H.
Edwards. the commissioner, was much
affected
II don't think Hogans death can be
laid TO football" Mr. Edwards said.
The disease which caused his death was
a recurrence Of an earlier trouble. ac-
cording to his roommate at Yale.
He was g fighter: and he never gave
up I picked him for my deputy because
my knowledge OF his football record con-
WINGED me that ne was a born fighter
and leader Of men, Oh, yes, Fknew what
he could do on the gridron-I knew to my
cost, for ! saw him play in every Yale
Princeton game while he was at college.
I never played against him. for I gradu-
ated before his day: but I had kept my
eye on him from the time he was at
Exeter.
II tell you it was a sight worth seeing
to watch Jim Hogan at his place in the
Yale rush-line. with his jersey sleeves
rolled up above his elbows, and smile
on hts face, pounding into the Princeton
line. smashing UP the interference. and
throwing the backs for losses at almost
every try He was a cheerful fighter
that is. he was cheerful as long as the
other man fought fair. But he could
wear the gray look as we'll as a grin.
and he was twice as terrible when he
knew ne was up against a 'four-nusher.'
He convinced the department OF that
from the start
THE men soon learned that II they
were square with jim. he'd be square
with them There's many man in the
department to-day who owes what he
is 10 the good influence Jim exerted on |
him mean men who were taking to |
drink and other things-iust drifting to |
the bad Jim would 90 to them himself, |
ar ~ Tint v-oen't anough he'd on IN n. 1