Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-03-18
Death Of q Giant.

Mr.. James Murphy, Jr., a giant who
has been keeping restaurant at ISL
South Chester street, on Fell's Point, in
this city, for year or so past, died early
yesterday morning of bronchial atfec-
tion or consumption. Mr.. Murphy was
born at Waterford, Ireland, and was
therefore full blooded Irish giant, and
large one, standing nearly eight feet in
his stockings. He was thirty-three years
of age and unmarried. Some months ago
when he was in comparatively good
health he weighed 351 pounds. He had
weighed more when his health was bet
ter. 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 professional career he
Maine to California and the extreme
South. After terminating his engage
ment with Barnum the giant travelled
the bronchial disease which finally
ended his life. When in good
health he had fresh, pleasant
face, and, Ike all large men, and par
ticularly all giants, except those of the
story-books and nursery tales, was as
amiable as he was great in stature. He
had very youthful expression of coun
tenance, coalblack hair, and his hands
were so large that one of them could
cover the head of an ordinary man, just
as an ordinary hand would cover an
orange. His feet were not so large pro-
portionately as the hands, but beside an
ordinary shoe one of his shoes would
seem TO be a sufficient habitation for
"the old woman" of the story-book. who
chad SO many children she didn't 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 measure OF
man is correctly known when he Is dead
The coffin will be nearly eight and one
half feet long. The body was visited by
hundreds of people yesterday, the giant
being we'll known on Fell's Point, where
he was justly esteemed for his amiability,
especially by the children, who, after
the first shrinkage, generally liked
to be taken In his arms and
elevated So far above the heads of their
parents as he could conveniently hold
them. Some of the little boys in the
neighborhood knew him only by the
name of "The Clint" The body lay
in small room about twelve feet
square, against the south wall, feet
toward the west, stretching almost
across the apartment from side TO side.
Candles were burning at the head and
foot and sides of the corpse, which was
covered with black pail, with large
white cross on the breast and crosses in
the corners of the cloth. The father of
the giant, who is sixty-five years Of age,
probably older, is large man. When
at his best he stood over six feet in his
stockings, though he is now little bent.
The mother is not large woman, being
not above the medium size for the sex.
She Is nearly her husbands age. Both
the old people are in good health and
seem vigorous for their years. Including
the giant they have had born to them five
soLs and three daughters. One son only
is alive. Some of the children were un.
dersized. Only one, q son, attained TO
the size of the father except the giant,
who exceeded the growth Of the parent
by nearly two feet.-Baltfn0re Sun.