Calcasieu County Louisiana Archives Obituaries..... Murphy Foster Kirkman ************************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ************************************************** ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Nancie Whitfield Dubard DUWHIT@aol.com September 15, 2007 Lake Charles American Press Date: Tuesday, 6 Dec 1910 MURPHY KIRKMAN'S FATAL MISTAKE Died Last Night From Effect of Morphine Poising DRANK FROM BOTTLE IN THE DARK And Took Wrong Container From the Shelf Member of Old and Highly Respected Family. Murphy Foster Kirkman, son of Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Kirkman _15 Lawrence Street, died last night in the family home as the result of a dose of morphine, evidently taken by accident. Although the family physician worked a considerable period, Kirkman passed away without recovering from the profound coma into which he had fallen soon after taking the fatal drug. The deceased was alone in his room at the time and it is thought that he swallowed the contents of the morphine bottle on a shelf in the room, thinking it was whisky. He was found soon after in a stupor and a physician who was called to attend him discovered the error he had made. The morphine in the house was accounted for by the fact that the father used it at times to ease the pain produced from the wound he had received in the Civil war, he having lost a leg in that conflict. Young Kirkman was a highly respected young man, aged about 25 years. He married about two years ago, and has a little baby boy surviving, besides his wife, as a result of that marriage. Young Kirkman and his wife, lived with the former's parents. The deceased operated a baggage transfer business, and was considered very successful in his work. In addition to his wife and child and father and mother, the deceasd is survived by four sisters and one brother. They are: Mrs. Fred Dausant, of Houma, La; Miss Ella Kirkman, at home; Mrs Leonard Jones, of Beaumont; Miss Lille Kirkman, at home; Jack Kirkman of Shreveport. The funeral will be held from the home tomorrow morning at 10:30 o'clock, the interment to take place in the Orange Grove cemetery.