Evening star., 1918-07-07
FAMOUS ATHLETES
KILLED IN BATTLE
Stars of Many Nations Have
Died on European
Fields.

FIEIUSs
When the Olympic games are re-
sumed after Uncle Sam has won q
final victory in the present world war
and athletic followers get together in
another great international track and
field classic. there will be many a
famous hero of these former inter-
national contests spoken Of in sad
dened tones as fine specimens of ma
tional character who made the su-
preme sacrifice on the field of battle.
Amateur athletes have already paid
heavy toll in helping to rid the
earth of Kaiser Bill and his warning
boches Deeds Of valor have been
performed by hundreds Of lads who
formerly knew nothing more exciting
than to win track or field contest.
Their bravery in the face of death
is sure to be recorded in bright let
ters in the history of the present
bloody conflict. Sports owe these
heroes a debt Of deep gratitude.
Bou1n the First.
Jean Bouin, Frances greatest dis
tance runner. was the first cinder-
path champion to fall in the great
war. Bouin was sergeant OF IN
fantry and died leading his company
officers had been shot down. His
death scream was "vive la France"
No future French athlete will ever
be q more admired hero among his
than is Boufn. His death
is a credit to Frances great system
of athletics.
No finer lad lost his life in the
great war than Jimmy Duffy. the
Canadian marathoner. who finished In
seventh pace in the race from STOCK
holm to Sollentuna and return. He
Joined the colors at the outbreak OF
the war and was killed In the NeuFe
Chapelle attack.
Cecil Healy. the Australian swim
mer. unquestionably one Of the great
est freshmen ever sent out after Olympic
honors by the island continent, was
killed on the western front after go
ing safely through the terrible Darda-
nelles fighting. He was a captain
of infantry and was cited on many
occasions for deeds Of great bravery.
He gave his life in an endeavor to
save a squad of his comrades from
ambush.
A Great Athlete.
The remarkable speed he displayed
over the various straightaway and
short distance swimming events VIII
live long in the memory of all KAN
garooland athletic followers. The
great victory scored by the Austria
Iian in the four man relay cham
pionship at the stockholm games on
July Is, 1912, was due to the lead
Healy gave Champion Boardman ana
Hardwick over their rivals. He swan
as No. l on the team and never al
lowed an opponent to lead MIN In the
first leg OF the relay course.
Greece lost her most famous athlete.
Tscilitras, in the campaign that
Greece and Serbia made against Bull
garia following the first Balkan war.
He will be remembered by our Amer
ican lads as the star who succeeded
in taking the measure of Platt Ad-
ans by q very narrow margin in the
standing broad jump at Stockholm.
His death did not occur on the field
of battle. He passed away as the re-
suit Of pneumonia contracted in one
of the Greek army camps. Although
gave his life for his country in the
same patriotic way that his brother
Olympic champions are daily sacrific-
ing theirs in the bloody strife "over
there"
Difficult to Estimate.
1t is difncult to even estimate the
great number Of national athletic
champions lost since the start of the
war. e. ]. Webb, who finished second
to q. H. Goulding in the 10000 meter
walk: w. R. Applegarth, third to Bob
Craig and Don Li2pincott in the 200
meter run. and 6: w. Hutson. who was
third to Hans Kohlemainen and ].
Bouin of France in the Stockholm
S .00O' meter run, are a few of Eng
lands athletic stars who have won
citation for bravery during the pres
ent war. All have proved credit
to their country and fitting examples
for all future British athletes to hold
up as their ideals in life and sport.
Russia, Italy and all of the other
great nations have made great sac
rifoes on the field of battle. A. r.
Taipole. the giant Finn. who accounted
for the discus throw at Stockholm
most noteworthy Of the athletic stars
to, lose his life. Taipole was q MEM
ber Of the Russian navy, and was
killed in a fight between his ship. a
destroyer, and q number of German
cruisers. Many Of his brother stars
gagements. Each nation added pres
tige to her national lighting honors
through the value. Of the men who
formerly represented them on the ath-
letic deld.
German Athletes Killed.
The toll exacted of Kaiser Bill In
athletic performers by the allies
would fill book alone. Suffice to say
that r. Rau. Germany's foremost
sprinter and the conqueror of a ma
jority Of the finest short distance men
in Europe, paid the supreme sacrifice
when a giant French "75" burst at his
feet and killed him instantly. Hans
Braun. the finest middle distance run
ner ever turned out In the German
empire and who caused Charley Reid
path Of Syracuse to make his best ef-
fort to win the 400-meter Olympic
crown at Stockholm. was severely
wounded in the early campaign of the
war. He was q sergeant in a brigade
that opposed the early invasion Of AL
SAGE by the French and lost both of
his legs after being struck by a
French shell.
H. Liesche, the high jumper, who
finished . close second to Alma Rich
ards for the championship at Stock
holm, is another cripple. He was
ckr down nv q shall an tia - 49,,