The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1909-10-14
DRANK CARBOLIC ACID BY MIS-
TAKE.
William Shirley, Former Resident
of Eden Township, Dies in Ok
lahOma.

" AAAAesAh oA1Ai ICY, q oOu VI u.
Shirley, for many years a resident of
Eden township, died recently in
Oklahoma, the result of drinking car
bolic acid which was supposed to be
Jamaica ginger. The deceased was
raised in Eden township and moved
to Oklahoma about eighteen or
twenty years ago. He was 40 years,
3 months and days old, and is
survived by a wife, two children,
father, mother, five sisters and three
brothers.
The following account of the de-
plorable accident is taken from the
Selling, Okla, Guide:
A telephone message was received
In town Tuesday about one o'clock,
calling DR.. Fox to the Krober ranch,
eight miles east of town, to attend
w. M. Shirley, who was suffering
from the effects of a dose of prepar-
alton supposed to have been Jamaica
ginger, but which was found to be
carbolic acid and glycerine, and was
not expected to live. Mrs. Shirley
and son Clifford were also summon
Gu but Mr. Shirley was unconscious
when they arrived
The details of this sad and sudden
ending of the life of one of Settings
estimable citizens are as follows as
near as we were able to get them:
AS was his every day vocation Mr..
Shirley was intending to make
purchase of bunch of cattle. Mon
day OF this week, in company with
A. G. Shut, he went out to the
krober ranch to look at some stock.
They not being corralled and he be-
Ing unable to see them all at one
time he returned to town leaving
Mr.. Shut to assist in the round up
the next day at which time he was to
return to the ranch. This he did
about eleven o'clock Tuesday, and
the round up not having been COM
pleted he rode out into the pasture
to help. When the work was done
the drivers congregated around the
well for drink, but Mr.. Shirley
complained of his stomach hurting
SO he went to the house and asked if
he could get something to relieve his
trouble. Dick Krober took down a
bottle he always kept some Jamaica
ginger in and fixed up a preparation
for Mr.. Shirley. He drank it, and is
said to have remarked, "You have
given me carbolic acid
Dick stepped out doors and called
Mr.. Shut, who, as he was shown the
bottle, discovered that it contained
asid and Immediately telephoned for
the family and DR.. Fox, as stated
above. Mr., Shirley was unconscious
and past all medical assistance when
the doctor arrived. He was brought
TO town as soon as possible, but be-
fore reaching home he died.
An inquest was held over the body
Tuesday night and the verdict of the
jury was Death by taking carbolic
acid through mistake That it was
a mistake seems a fact beyond any
doubt, and the loss of man whose
standing in community, who in
commercial and business way, per-
haps had few equals, is one to be de-
plored; loss that will be mourned,
not only by the family and parents,
but by the entire community, for Mr..
Shirley's ability as stock buyer and
shipper was known and appreciated
throughout the southwest, and in
the Wichita and Kansas City mar
kets as we'll.
Ihe deceased was member of the
M. w. A. lodge of Selling and when
1t became an impossibility to retain
the body greater length of time
pending the arrival of parents and
other relatives, the lodge conducted
their services at the home and in
tered the body about one o'clock
p. m. Just after the procession had
entered the cemetery the aged father
and mother reached there in time
for a last look at their son. The
funeral services were conducted at
the Presbyterian church at 10 o'clock
this morning