The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1875-03-17
DEATH GIANT.
Sketch ola Remarkable Man.

Sketch ola Remarkable Mani
/ Baltimore Sun, 2d.
Mr.. James Murphy, Jr., a giant,
who has been keeping restaurantat
f51 south Chester street. on iFelFs
Point, in this city. for a year or two
past, died early yesterday morning
of bronchial affection or consump-
ton. Mr.. Murphy was born in
Waterford, Ireland, and was there
fore a full-hlooded Irish giant,
and a large one, standing nearly eight
feet in his stockings. He was thirty
three years of age aud unmarried.
Some months ago. when he was in com
paratively good health, he weighed
351 pounds. He had weighed more
when his health was better. He had
been in this country twenty four years
having been brought here by his
father and mother, who still live at
the house on Chester street. The
giant travelled three years with
Barnum as one of the great living
curiosities of the world. In his pro.
fessional career he visited every
part of the world from Maine to Cali
fornia and the extreme South. After
terminating his engagement with Bar
mum the giant travelled with circus,
where he contracted the bronchial dis
ease which finally ended his life.
When in good health he had fresh,
pleasant face, and like all large men,
and particularly all giants, except of
the story books and nursery tale,
was as amiable as he was great in
stature. He had a very youthful
expression of countenance coal
black hair, and his hands were SO
large that one of them cover the
largest head of an ordinary man,
just as an ordinary hand would
cover an orange. His feet were not
so large proportional as the hands,
but beside an ordinary shoe one of
his shoes would seem to be 3 sufficient
habitation for the old woman of the
storybooll, who had so many CHI
dren she did not know what TO do
When the undertaken came to
measure the dead giant for his coffin
it was found that the deceased was
full eight feet long. Surely the meas
ure Of man is correctly known
when he is dead. The coffin will
be nearly 81 feet long
The body was visited by hundreds
of people yesterday, the giant being
well known on FelPs Point, were he
was justly esteemed for his amiabili-
ty, especially by the children, who,
after the first shrinking, generally
liked to be taken in his arms and
elevated so far above the heads of
their parents as he could conVen-
iently hold them. Some of the
little boys in the neighborhoOd knew
him only by the name of"The Giant"
The body lay in small room about
thirteen feet square, against the
south side. feet towards the west,
stretching almost across the apart
ment from side to side Candles
were burning at the head, sides and
foot of the corpse, which was cover
ed with black cloth. with white
cross on the breast, and crosses in
the corners. .t
The father Of the giant, who, Is
sixty five years of age, or more, is
large man. When at his best he
stood over six feet in his stockings,
thonghsuy is now somewhat bent.
The mother is not a large woman,
being not above the medium size for
the sex. She is about her husbands
age. Both the parents are in good
health and seem vigorous for their
age. Besides the giant, they have
had born to them five sons and three
daughters. One son only is alive
Some of the children were under
sized. But one-a son-attained
the size of the father, except the
giant, who exceeded him by nearly
two feet.