FOOTBALL FATALITY.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1686, 22 June 1904, Page 23

FOOTBALL FATALITY.

lIS'QUEST ON EDGAR C. THOMSON

VERDICT OF ACCIDENTAL DEATH

On Thursday afternoon Mr James Ashcroft. District Coroner, conducted an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of Edgar Coutts Thomson, which occurred on Wednesday morning from the result of a kick on the head received during the progress of the junior Rugby match, Wellington v. Poneke, at Mirimar, on the 11th inst.

George Kenneth Hitching, captain of the Wellington juniors, stated that deceased was playing left wing threequarter, and while he was fielding.the ball,, stopping a rush, a, Poneke man kicked at the ball, missed it, and his boot struck Thomson on the back of the head. Witness had no idea who the Poneke man was. When Thomson was on the ground witness walked over to pick him up, bub Thomson rose himself, and said he felt all right. After that Thomson played a hard game, and did a lot of work. The kick made by the Poneke man at the ball was only an ordinary kick that a man would make. When the game was finished, Thomson said his head felt sore, but said nothing that would leave the impression that there was anything serious the matter. Could not suggest any alteration in Rugby rules to mitigate the dangerous play that the Coroner stated seemed to be on the increase. Saturday’s game was a friendly one all through, and there was nothing that anyone could object to in the play. To Sub-Inspector O’Donovan, witness said Thomso'n was falling on the ground with the ball in his hand when he received the kick. He stumbled.

The Coroner: 'Would a player kick at the ball when another player had it in his hand ?

Witness: Oh, yes; lie was holding the ball out from his body. Thomson attached no blame to anybody, in fact, he thought he had received a bump on the head through colliding with another player. Alex. Croskerv, cousin of the deceased, knew that Thomson had played in first-class Rugby matches both in Westland and in Melbourne.

Dr Logan said that he saw deceased on Saturday night at his lodgings between 9 and 10 o’clock. Thomson said he had met with an accident at football—.someone’s head had struck liis head. There was a mark on the right side of the head above the ear. Witness got a professional nurse in to attend to the patient, and visited him next day. In the evening Thomson was removed to Nurse Guard’s private hospital. About eleven o’clock that night witness saw the patient again, this time with Dr Collins, and on Monday Dr Ewart was called in. On Tuesday morning Thomson seemed better, but in the evening lie was worse. Witness had made arrangements to meet Dr Ewart on Wednesday morning, to consider the advisableness of an operation. About 5 o’clock, however, that morning he (Dr Logan) was called by telephone to come to where Thomson was, and on arriving found him dead. He thought if an operation had been performed sufficiently early the man’s life might have been saved. It was thought best to wait until more serious symptoms set in, but when the more serious symptoms did set in there was no time for an operation. Death was due to compression of the brain, due to effusion of blood. The fact that Thomson continued to play after he received the injury, militated against his chance of recovery. The skull was fractured. sJTilli&ia George Shilling, who was re-

feree in the match, saw a collision between Thomson and one of the Poneke players. The heads of both men bumped in a scramble for the ball. Deceased rubbed his head, and did not appear to be much hurt. There was nothing unsportsmanlike in the game. Play was very easy and friendly. Did not know the Poneke player who bumped against Thomson. Sub-Inspector O’Donovan pointed to the fact that, although all the witnesses could identify Thomson, none of them knew who the other man was. Was there a determination not to disclose the Poneke player? Witness said he could not say who the Poneke man was at all. Most of the players were strangers to him. Algernon Worger, captain of the Poneke juniors, saw nothing of the accident. Heard of it first on Monday morning. Had not heard or any one of his own team who had inflicted the injury. In summing up, the Coroner said he was not disposed to say that the game could be carried on without some danger, but tlie number of accidents in the field lately suggested that the play was rather severe. It seemed to him that where life was at stake there should be the greatest possible care exercised. He would not say for a moment that there was any wilful intent to do any harm by one player to another, but in the heat of the game many things might be done that were not intended. He could not help thinking that football was becoming a game that parents would bo very shy of. An old footballer had told him that lie would not allow his son to play. Some very rough fellows were taking to the game. Self-restraint was very important when using brute strength against men in the field. He would like to see a solemn warning administered to the leaders of football, because, he added, “I cannot see that human nature is benefited by carrying on a savage game that leads to a large percentage cf injuries and deaths.” Sub-Inspector O’Donovan said it would be a good thing for footballers to remember that, whatever the cause was of the death of Thomson, any unlawful act that caused death or serious injury came within the provisions of the Criminal Code. He quoted the well-known football case, Regina v. Bradshaw, where it was laid down that if, while engaged in a friendly game, one of the players commits an unlawful act whereby death is caused to another, it is manslaughter; nor is it material to consider whether the act which caused the death was or was not in accordance with the rules and practices of the game. “No rules or practice of any game whatever,” said Lord Justice Bramweil, “can make that lawful which is unlawful by the law of the land; and the law of the land says you shall not do that which is likely to cause the death of another.” The Coroner could not see that there was any need to go to extremes in the game (if football. It was for the jury to say whether a rider should be added to the verdict.

After a few minutes’ retirement, the jury returned a verdict of accidental death, no blame being attachable to anyone. They saw no reason to add a rider.