From the October 27, 1897 New York Times:

“Providence–The Coroner in that portion of South Kingston known as Gould’s Crossing decided to-day, after holding an autopsy upon the carcass of the favorite Jersey cow of Charles C. Allen, that the animal had been killed by a football. The animal became wheezy last Saturday and in the evening at milking time she had kicked and punted so desperately that weakness knocked her out and she fell in a heap.

Farmer Allen sent for a veterinary surgeon, and the two sat up all night and tried unsuccessfully to diagnose that puzzling disease. The veterinary declared that the trouble was a new one to him. He applied all sorts of remedies, and occasionally the distressed animal would arise and kick like a mule, driving her attendants before her. The appetite of the cow failed on Saturday night, and Sunday and Monday she wanted no fodder at all. Then death followed, and Farmer Allen determined to learn the nature of the strange and fatal illness.

The football was found in the stomach and was still partially blown up. It appears that the boys living about Gould’s Crossing went over to one of the fields of the Allen farm Saturday to have a line up, and that in some mysterious manner one of their footballs disappeared. The autopsy explained it all.”