THE KANSAN.
UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
VOLUME IV.
LAWRENCE, KANSAS, JANUARY 11, 1908.
NUMBER 26
ANGNEY LEAPS TO HIS DEATH
TOOK HIS OWN LIFE THURSDAY MORNING.
The funeral services of Urbane Angney, captain elect of the football team, who leaped to his death from a rear window of the fifth floor of Fraser Hall Thursday morning, were held this afternoon at 2:30 o'clock at the Methodist church.
Jumped from Fifth Floor Window of Fraser Hall-Funeral Services Were Held Today.
The senior class of which he was a member and the football squad attended the services in a body. Rev. M. E. Nethercutt of the Methodist church preached the funeral sermon while Prof. J. E. Boodin spoke on behalf of the University. The Jayhawker quartet furnished the music. The interment was made in Oak Hill cemetery.
The pall bearers were his companions on the football squad: Carl Rouse, Jesse White John Carlson, Will Caldwell Howard Reed and George Crowell.
Angney's death came as a great shock to everyone. Thursday morning while the nine o'clock classes were in session he mounted the north stairway of Fraser Hall until he came to the topmost landing, opened the window, went out on the ledge, and from some point, the exact spot will probably never be known, leaped to his death on the cement walk 85 feet below. He struck on his face and death was instantaneous.
Earl Stevenson, a freshman in the medical school, who was on his way from the Medic building to Fraser, saw the body in mid-air and with Nate Miller, the veteran colored janitor, was the first to reach the mangled body. Chancellor Strong was notified immediately and Coroner Carl Phillips was summoned.
On the ledge of the window from which he jumped, Angney left a note very enigmatical in character indicating temporary insanity. This note was written on the back of an envelop and was weighted down with coins. It read:
"Dear Jesus:—
My life is past,
Mv pleasures gone
No pleasure for me. You can know the reason. Do not hold me responsible. I have gone to pay the debt I owe. If I had only done it sooner. Goodby. May you all live happy."
There is no doubt but that Angney was temporarily insane. Dr. Emley, the University physician, Dr. Naismith, and the coroner, Dr. Phillips, all agreed that it was a plain case of suicide of a person mentally unbalanced.
The note was unsigned.
Professor Wilson Sterling met Angney near the stand tower shortly before nine o'clock. He spoke to him but Angney did not reply. Job White was with Angney at 9:12 o'clock only a short time before he took his life. He seemed perfectly sane then.
A few minutes later however, Allan Dodge, president of the senior class passed him on the stairs as he went up to his death. Dodge clapped him on the shoulder and "jollied" him but he did not reply.
CAPTAIN URBANE ANGNEY.
Haughey Angney, a brother of Urbane, was in Psychology class when the tragedy occurred. He had left Urbane shortly before eight agreeing to meet him at the library. Urbane did not keep the appointment and Haughey went to class without him at nine. "I knew something was the matter with Urb, the instant Professor Engel called me out of class," said Haughey the day of the tragedy. "I just felt something had happened to him."
The most important key as to the mental condition of Angney leading up to his suicide probably lies in the visit he made to Dr. Naismith some ten days ago. He complained to Dr. Naismith of feeling queer and of worrying about something. Dr. Naismith asked him if it was financial matters that were troubling him but Angney replied it was not but things of a private nature.
Several theories have been given as to what unbalanced his mind. Some have said that it was caused by a love affair. The family, however, says this is out of question. The fact that the night before he committed suicide, he was reading Plato's Phaedo, a discourse on death and the immortality of Continued on page 4.
BASKET BALL FIVE WALLOPED BY WILLIAM JEWELL.
DOWN TO DEFEAT
Baptists Won 27 to 16—Nebraska Here Friday and Saturday of Next Week.
The fast William Jewell five walloped the Jayhawkers in an exciting game of basket ball at Liberty last night to the tune of 27 to 16. Both teams played an aggressive game throughout but the Jayhawkers could not connect with the basket consecutively. Team work was out of question on account of the narrowness of the William Jewell court.
A change in the schedule of the Jayhawker basket ball team was occasioned by the cancelling by Washington University of the games that were to be played here yesterday afternoon and tonight. A disagreement in the athletic management of Washington University caused the games with Kansas to be postponed indefinitely. Immediately upon receipt of news from Washington, Manager Lunsdon communicated with William Jewell and as a result the team went to Liberty yesterday.
What promises to be the hardest games of the season will be played on next Friday and. Saturday when the strong five of Nebraska University will meet the Jayhawkers in Robinson Gymnasium.
This is the first time Nebraska has played in Lawrence for years and the games promise to be fast and exciting.
BIG FIVE IN CONFERENCE
Representatives of Missouri Valley Universities Meeting at Kansas City Today.
A meeting of the Missouri Valley Athletic Conference is being held in Kansas City today. Profs. C. E. McClung and A. T. Walker of the Kansas Athletic board are representing the University.
The conference is composed of five schools, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri and Washington universities. Representatives from each of these universities will meet today and make some definite changes in the rules which have been governing athletics in the Missouri Valley during the past year.
The Kansas delegates are instructed to ask for a change in the rule prohibiting outside games for the freshman squads. This rule resulted very disastrously for the university during the past year as it was practically impossible to keep a freshmen squad together with no trips.
Each of the members of the
conference will probably have some changes to suggest and the meeting promises to be very important. The question of a conference track meet may be taken up.
PRELIMINARY DEBATE MONDAY
Washburn Tryout in Green Hall — Woman Suffrage the Question.
The tryout for the Washburn-K. U. debate will be held in Green Hall, Monday at 7:30. Two debaters will be chosen to represent the University of Kansas at Topeka. The question for debate is the woman suffrage question.
The judges chosen are: Rev. Nethercutt of the Lawrence M. E. church, Professors Thomas and Hodder. Arrangements for the assignment of places for the tryout will be made Monday.
K. U. BOARD PAYS TRIBUTE.
Resolutions of Athletic Board on Death of Angney.
The Athletic Board of the University of Kansas is called upon to mourn the untimely taking away of one of the best-loved members, who by his fine skill and athletic ability, had brought distinction to the University and who, by his unswerving devotion to his studies and his consistent demeanor as a gentleman, had won the esteem and the regard of all who were privileged to call themselves his friends. Urbane Angney was and will long be remembered in the University as the ideal of the true gentleman in athletics. A mysterious decree of Providence has deprived us of a friend. He exemplified by his life the traits of a true gentleman, a faithful student, and a tireless worker for the University, of which he was a conspicuous and honored member. He was simple and unassuming in his demeanor, and in the midst of his greatest triumphs he retained his fine sense of modesty. In no sense of the word was he self-seeking, and the honors that came to him came unsought. His memory will be treasured by all who knew him. To the bereaved father and mother, and to the surviving brothers, the athletic board extends sincerest condolences and heartfelt sympathy. It is ordered that these resolutions be spread upon the minutes of the Athletic Board, and that a copy of them be sent to the family, to the University paper, and to the press of the city.
(Signed) J. W. GREEN,
WM. CALDWELL,
J. N. VANDERVRIES.
JUNIOR PARTY!
Friday, January 24.
F. A. A. Hall.
Shanty's Orchestra----8 p.m.
Senior Party, F. A. A. Hall, Sat., Jan. 18, Shanty's Orchestra, Admission 75c, 8 p m