New Britain herald., 1916-01-13
STUDENT KILLED IN
 PENN. BOWL FIGHT
Six Others Injured Coroner Finds
 No Reason for Arrests

Philadelphia, Jan. 13.-One student was killed and six others were injured in the annual bowl fight yesterday beg tween the freshmen and sophomore classes of the University of Pennsyl- vania which was won by the first year men. The young man who lost hls life was William Lifson, seventeen years old, of Elizabeth, N J., who was taking a course in arts and science. - The most seriously injured are Cor don Smyth, sophomore, concussion of the brain; Arthur Essick, sophomore, sprained leg; John Hill, freshman, lacerations The others suffered from shock and exhaustion.
 The fight was one of the fiercest held in years by the two classes and I4if- sons death was the first fatality in the long list of bowl fights since 1870, although there have been men injured in these contests.
 TOO in Struggle.
 The fight was to have been held on the football gridiron at Franklin Field, but the turf was too soft and the bat tie was transferred to the grounds of the commercial museum nearby. There were 700 men in the struggle, 400 sophomores and 300 freshmen. Some wore football togs and others were stripped to the waist.
 The first period of the fight result ed in a draw. In this period the ob- ject of the second-year men was to touch the freshmens bowl man with the large wooden bowl in the posses sion of the sophomores. They failed.
 Probably Suffocated. In the second period the side which succeeded in having the largest mum Der of hands on the bowl when the ] marshals blew their whistles won the contest. The battle waged fierceIy for | fifteen minutes and when the big mass of students was disentangled Lifson was found at the bottom of the pile with his face deep in the mud. He was unconscious as were several of the other students found lying about the bowl. Lipson was rushed to the | university hospital, where life was pronounced extinct. The exact cause of his death was not determined in the first examination. One theory was that he was suffocated. L Edward A. Lifson, a senior in the Wharton School of Finance of the 1 university and a brother of the dead freshman, who saw the fight, said that his brothers death was accidental He did not want the police to make any arrests. Provost Smith Shocked.
 Provost Edgar Fans Smith was shocked when he learned of Lifson's death. He said: ~ .
 The question of the continuation of the bowl fights and other fights will receive careful and serious con- sideration after a few days. Tn the light of what occurred, I am sure no one would care to have this form of sport continue. The sympathies of the entire university, family, fac ulty and students, is with the boys relatives
 No Arrests to be Made.
 Resolutions favoring abolishment of bowl fights and urging the institution of inter class athletic contests under faculty supervision were adopted by undergraduate organizations last night. Many members of the board of trustees also recorded their disap- proval of the fights.
 Coroner Knight, after Investigating the affair, said that the death of Will liam l.. Lifson, the freshman who lost his life in the fight, was due 9 suffo- cation and that he had found nothv ing to warrant arrests All of the injured students are expected to re- cover.