Evening star., 1928-05-31
Jury HOLDS YOUTH
IN FIGHT FATALITY
Companion Exonerated as
Stephen F. Karrigan Awaits
Grand Jury Action.

Stephen Francis Karrigan, 10 years
old, of the Industrial Home School, 2525
Wisconsin avenue, one of the two boys
arrested in connection with the death
shortly after noon yesterday Of Joseph
Cook. Is years old, also Of the Indus
trial Home School, during an alterca-
ton on the Plaza Playground, was held
for the grand jury by q coroner's jury
early this afternoon. Allen Theodore
Rossignol, 10 years old, of the Indus
trial Home School, who had also been
arrested as suspect In the killing, was
exonerated by the verdict Of the jury.
An autopsy performed earlier In the
morning by Deputy Coroner Joseph D.
Rogers indicated that the boys death
was caused by conclusion Of the brain
and local cerebral hemorrhages induced
by blow
Tried 10 Stop Fight.
The evidence presented tended to
show thar Karrigan struck Cook In an
attempt to stop fight betveen the
latter and Rossignoi The majority OF
the witnesses testified that the injured
boy did not Immediately fall to the
klVAAl0f bAS AtASt tOA6 VAC 0AAtSA WV sAANs
he was not going 10 play any more, then
walked over to where his glove was
laying on the ground, stopped over TO
pick 1t up and pitched forward on his
face.
Mrs. Lucy Gauzza, 205 D street north
east, who hailed o passing truck and
had the boy taken to Casualty Hospital
took the stand and, almost In tears, told
the Jury OF the fight
The most coherent story was that
given by Claude johnson. a teanmate
Of the others on the Industrial Home
School base bali team. He said RoSsig-
mol asked Cook to lend him his glove
and when Cook refused, fight ensued
Karrigan. who has only one arm, sep
arated the combatants.
Nine Corroborate Story.
Rossignoi then picked up a catchers
nitt belonging 10 Cook, johnson testi-
fed, and the boys again began to fight.
In separating them this time. he said.
Karrigan pushed Rossignol away with
his foot and showed Cook in the face
with his hand and then kicked him In
the seat OF the pants.
The testimony of six other boys and
of two policemen and Lieut.. Of Detec-
tives Edward J. Kelly corroborated the
story told by johnson.
In telling the Jury of the result Of
an autopsy he had performed this
morning Deputy Coroner Joseph ..
Rogers said that the injury could have
been caused by any blunt instrument.
such as q fist or even the nat surface
Of the ground.
Karrigan Was In Charge.
As Karrigan was older than the other
boys, he had been placed in charge OF
the team by T. w. Cassie. superintend-
ent OF the school. who had planned 70
go with the boys but was unable to
Mr.. Cassie stated that the three boys
involved In the fight had been the
best OF friends. Karrigan In particu-
lar, he said, was level headed and not
apt TO be rash. He was TO have gradu-
ated from Western High School next
February. He Is studious and extreme
ly ambitious, Mr.. Cassie declared. add
ing that he had planned TO assist the
youth through college should he win a
scholarship.
Maj. Edwin B. Hesse. superintendent
of police. said today that the death OF
young Cook shows the need Of adult SUI
pervision over all games In which chill
dren are engaged.
According TO information given him,
Maj. Hesae declared there was no adult
In charge of the Industrial Home School
boys, and fad there been, the tragedy
might have been prevented. The NUM-
cipal and public school grounds. he
pointed out, all have adults TO supervise
the children at play.