New-York tribune., 1922-01-07
Death of Rov
Laid to Fight
In High School
Blow During Fist Battle
tells l4.Year.Old Eras.
mus Hall Student: Head
Strikes Cement Flooring
Victims Skull Fractured
Witnesses Call Mortal Hu,.,
Unfortunate Accident in
Fair Contest of Two Lads

Harold Cisnev, fourteen wears old,
son of George ". Cisney. of ~ Ocean
Avenue, Brooklyn, died in Peck Me.
moral Hospital last night of injuries
suffered IN fist fight with Theodore
friedman, also fourteen, in the base
ment locker room Of Erasmus uioh
school. brooklyn. The fight took place
Wednesday afternoon. Young Cisncy's
skull was fractured.
The fight resulted from another en-
counter in which Seymour Link. Cls-
ney's classmate and chum. suffered de-
feat and broken nose at the hands Of
Joseph Cornwell, fourteen years old.
Of STA East Sixteenth Street. Cisncy
had offered to fight Cornwell in behalf
OF Link, saying Cornwell was too OK
perienced at fsticuffs. Link rejected
the offer. In the short contest that
followed Link was knocked out.
Fight Follows Rejoicing
lnme ediately, according to witnesses,
a dozen or moro friends Of Cornwell
began a noisy celebration of his vic
tory. The most vocifcrous was young
Friedman. According to witnesses. Cis-
ney challenged Friedman to fight then
and there. The challenge was accepted
and in less than two minutes of action
Friedman dropped Cisney with right
hand punch in the jaw. The blow lifted
Cisney off his feet. His head struck
q cement floor and he lay unconscious.
Twenty-Five witnesses Of tho fight
ran away. Two boys, friends of Cis-
rey, ran to the main school building
and informed Professor Emory, of the
mathematics department, OF what had
happened Professor Emory telephoncd
Cisney's father, who hastened to the
school in an automobile with Or. A.,
Mills and DR.. Z. Rodney Fiske. The
physicians ordered young Cisney re
moved Immediately to the hospital
According TO statement made by
Link at his home, 2316 Beverly Road
Yesterday. the original trouble be-
tween him and Cornwetl arose over
links old golf cap. which Cornwell
SAID fenl1nQeu l'I' "
had been stepped on. Cornwell kept up
his remarks about the cap until LINK
became exasperated and chalicnged
Cornwell to fight it out after schoo'
Link weighs about $50. while Corn"eii
Gives his weight as 12o pounds. LINK
said they fought in the school base
1nent because the campus was 100 "c'.
Pair About Equal in Weight
Friedman and Cisney. who fought
later. we're evenly matched as to
weight, both being of about II? pounds.
Friends of Cisney said last night that
Friedman is a much more experlenced
boxer. They also expressed the beilef
that Friedmans blow which knocked
T,;snev down was largely fortultous.
He hsd made several heavy swings at
Cisney before landing the one that
rendered his opponent unconscious.
Cisuev was a first year student IN
the high school. He is said to have
heen good student, devoted to ath-
lctics and a prospective candidate tor
track honors Boys who witnessed the
two fights were ali of about the same
zoe. between fourteen and fifteen years.
In reply to questioning by detectives
thew took the ground that Cisney's IN
iurv was an unfortunate accident.
Ouarrels between students were often
settled by fights, they said. Most OF
these encounters were staged on tne
school campus. They seldom resulted
CONTINUED on page eight