Evening star., 1917-12-01
TWELVE FOOT BALL
VICTIMS THIS YEAR
But Not a Fatality or Serious
Injury Occurs in Ranks
of Big Colleges.

CHICAGO. December Foot ball.
the toughest of American outdoor
| sports, exacted a toll of twelve victims
during the 1917 season, which ended
| with Thanksgiving day games. accord
ing to reports to the Associated Press
today. The number was six less than
/ in 1916. and four less than two years
ago. In 1914 there were fifteen deaths.
Defenders of the popular college
sport pointed to the fact that not a
fatality nor even a serious injury oc-
Cured in the big universities and col
leges, where the game is conducted
under expert physical direction All of
the victims with one exception were
either high school students or play
ers, who with little or no training.
participated - in semi professional
games. A majority of the cases showed
that the players entered the game with
out proper knowledge of it and with
out proper physical condition for SO
rough a sport.
The open style of play, instead of the
smashing game which rapidly is be-
ing discarded. has eliminated much of
the danger in the opinion OF Fred l..
Murphy. former Yale star, now coach
at Northwestern University. The play
ers. he said, also are better protected
through improved heavily padded uni
forms and headgear.
Lack of Training Menace.
Lack of proper training and physical II
game, Coach Murphy said today High
school students and semi-professional /
players, as rule, are not properly
hardened to play the game. In the big
colleges and universities the players
are Systematically conditioned and
trained. In addition they undergo a
rigid physical examination If they
nave symptoms of heart weakness they
are not accepted"
A A Stagg. the veteran coach at the
University of Chicago, said that uni-
Versal physical examination and train
ing OF high school students would ma
terially reduce the number of foot bal
deaths Some of the larger high schools
but. he said, the practice has not been
put into effect in smaller cities
List of Victims.
The list of victims:
roscoe +. Battan. Hastings, Neb..
high school student: killed November
16 by blow which produced heart
paralysis.
George A. Blewett of Los Angeles
twenty years old. student at the Uni
versity of California; died of a brain
hemorrhage on October S, two days
after a-freshman game
Charles c. Persiani, jr.. of Plantsville,
Conn.,. nineteen years old, student of
Pennsylvania Military College; died No
vember is of ruptured blood vessel Of
the brain.
Elvin Anderson. Trinidad. Col. high
school student; died October 80 of an
injury to his spine.
Roy Groues. Wilsonville, Neb high
school student, seventeen years old +:
died November Is Of internal injuries.
Guy Henry. Athens. Tex. high school
student, eighteen years old died Octo-
Der 1s of internal injuries. sustained
in a high school game
Thomas Ryan of Alvardo, Tex, died
November 13 of injuries received in
high school game played four days
previously.
Henry Leidendecker, Champagne ILL.,,
high school student, seventeen years
old: died November Is as a result of
injuries in a game played two weeks
previously.
Harold A. Holtz, seventeen years old,
died in Indianapolis on November u
of injuries received in a game played
a month previously.
F. J. Boyes, halfback on the Charles
ton, s. c., navy yard team; died No
vember 8. of conclusion of the brain, as
the result of being tackled.
Ellis Hamilton of Detroit, seventeen
years old; died November 2S of in
juries received in a game played the
previous day.
Harry De Loft of Detroit, twenty-six
years old, died November 29 of injuries
suffered in a semi professional game.