June 5, 1900: The Death of Stephen Crane

June 5, 1900: Stephen Crane died of tuberculosis. Already America's top war correspondent, and one of its top authors, he was only 28 years old.

Stephen Crane (no middle name) was born on November 1, 1871 in Newark, New Jersey. He published his 1st novel in 1893: Maggie: A Girl of the Streets. Its themes of poverty, including alcoholism and prostitution, made it incredibly controversial for its time. In 1895, despite having no military experience -- indeed, he was born 6 years after the end of the war depicted in it, the American Civil War -- he published The Red Badge of Courage, and made himself a legend of American letters.

He was soon hired as a foreign correspondent for William Randolph Hearst's New York Journal, covering the Greco-Turkish War of 1897, the Spanish-American War of 1898, and the Boer War. But he developed tuberculosis, and died from it at the world-famous health spa in Badenweiler, Germany on June 5, 1900, only 28 years old.

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June 5, 1900 was a Tuesday. The only major sports league in operation at the time was baseball's National League. There were 4 games played:

* The New York Giants lost to the Cincinnati Reds, 14-8 at the 1890-1911 version of the Polo Grounds.

* The Brooklyn Superbas beat the Chicago Orphans, 5-4 at Washington Park in Brooklyn. Since Cap Anson, also known as "Pop" retired, the Chicago team formerly known as the White Stockings and the Colts were called the Orphans because "they missed their Pop." They became the Cubs in 1903. The Brooklyn team was named the Superbas because their manager was Ned Hanlon, and there was then a famous circus troupe named Hanlon's Superbas. They became the Dodgers in 1911.

* The Boston Beaneaters beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 15-11 at the 1894-1914 version of the South End Grounds in Boston.

* And the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 6-5 at National League Park (later renamed Baker Bowl) in Philadelphia.