Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-09-17

they are held, being booked on a
charge of vagrancy before the man.
slaughter charge was placed against
them
Murphy summoned a photographer
to make pictures Of Davis injured
arm. The airman said Koenecke bit
him. Photographs also were made
of Davis torn and 3lood-stained coat.
In Koenecke's luggage was found a
check for $3.50 from the Brooklyn
base ball club. He also had an mi
tailed travelling bag in which were
found clothing bearing his name and
q watch inscribed Len Koenecke."
The coroner's inquest was set for 8
o'clock Thursday night at Islington.
Had to Make Decision.
"I had to come to a decision" Con-
stable Wethered of the suburban
New Toronto police quoted the pilot.
ut was either a case of the three
of us crashing or doing something
to Koenecke."
Mulqueeney brought his ship down
In a forced landing. The wheels of
the plane were broken. When police
arrived they found Koenecke dead,
the pilots assistant covered with
blood and the pilot scarcely scratched.
The airmen told Constable Weth-
cred that Koenecke, sent home from
st. Louis by the Dodgers yesterday
to make way for fresh talent, ap-
peared under great stress when they
started their flight from Detroit to
Buffalo.
Constable Wethered said Null
uueeney told him Koenecke had been
drinking, but was quiet for the first
few minutes after the take-off, Sit
ting at the front of the plane with
the pilot.
Koenecke Starts Trouble.
For no evident reason, Mulqueeney
said, the base ball player then began
to nudge him with his shoulder.
II told him to cut it out. that ]
had no time to play" the pilot said.
But when he kept up the horse play
I told him to get into the back seat
with Davis"
Koenecke began to poke him in the
shoulder again, Mulqueeney said, and
Davis, sitting near the outflelder, at
tempted to quiet him, only to precipi-
tate struggle.
The ball player and the pilots
assistant, locked in bitter grip after
Koenecke bit Davis in the shoulder,
went to their knees on the floor of
the plane.
The ship rocked dangerously, and
the pilot said he lost all sense of d.
rection as the fight ragged for 10 or
IS minutes. Striving to keep the ship
on an even keel, the pilot was unable
to 60 Immediately to his helpers aid
Selling his opportunity finally, Con-
stable Wethered said Mulqueeney told
him, the pilot battered down Koenecke
with the passenger quiet, took
look around, saw the open field with
possibilities of air landing and came
down." the pilot said.
Plane Off Course.
It was not determined whether the
plane strayed from its course in the
darkness as it few along the northern
side of Lake Ontario.
New Toronto, where Mulqueeney
landed his ship, is in the suburban area
east Of Toronto proper and on Lake
Ontario. The plane was equipped for
night flying.
Col. Douglas Joy, inspector of civil
aviation for the Federal Government,
examined the plane. In addition to
the damaged wheels, the tip of one
blade Of the propeller was bent and
the end of the wings buckled.
Residents of the New Toronto dis
trict said they heard the plane circling
about for a quarter hour or more
before 1t landed.
Koenecke, who set a new major
league fielding record last year with an
average of 1894, being credited with
but two errors in 1913 games, left st.
Louis, where the Dodgers were playing,
Mt 3:45 pm, Eastern standard time,
yesterday for Newark.
Two Brooklyn pitchers, Les Munns
and Bobby Barr. also left with him
for Newark, but at the Detroit City
Airport, Koenecke chartered the sec.
ond plane to fly to Buffalo.
Native of Wisconsin.
Koenecke, born January 18, 1905,
at Adams, Wis, began his organized
base ball career with Springfield, Ill,
In 1927 and finished that season with
Moline, where he batted .343.
He went to Indianapolis in 1928
and batted 1897. He played with
Quincy in the Three-Eye League in
1929 and with Springfield, Quincy
and Indianapolis teams In 1880. With
Indianapolis in 1881 he batted 1854
and was considered one Of the most
promising Of the 1882 rookie crop.
John McGraw of the New York
Giants was SO impressed by his per-
Torrance in the minors that the
Giants bought him in 1881 from In
dianapolis for the equivalent of
$4,000 in players. He was the last
man McGraw secuted personally.
Koenecke failed to click with the
Giants, however, and they sent him
TO Jersey City for a season. There
he settled down to steady playing
and was brought back to the Giants.
Released to Buffalo.
Again he did not measure up to
the McGraw standards and the Giant
manager labeled him "a born minor
Lacquer"
In 1888 the Giants released him
10 Buffalo of the International League
1nn option. Back In the minors he
fulfilled the McGraw prophecy and
showed up 50 well that he was bought
Y,v the Rrooklvn dodgers