The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1919-03-27

l'iSHu W luuy lTlenu IN WIcSOufl.
The account will be of interest TO the
many friends of Isaac.
France, Feb. 10, 1919
Miss Nellie j. OBren,
Eureka, Mo-,
Dear Miss O'Brien
The letter you wrote to Private Rey-
nolds in regard to Lieut. Kirkpatrck's
death has been given me that | might
answer il.
We know with what sorrow his fam
lily and friends learned of his death.
and they have our sympathy. 1t not
only came as Il shock to our outfit. but
also to me, for we were pals.
No officer stood higher in the es-
TEEN of his fellow officers and he was
praised and loved by the enlisted men
to such an extent that the first or
phan our outfit adopted. was named
after him.
Lieut.. Kirkpatrick was killed on
Sunday afternoon, Nov. 10. 1918, near
Rimoncourt in a Dodge touring car
accompanied by mess sergeant and
two other sergeants. Lieut.. Kirkpat-
rick died on the way to the hospital.
The mess sergeant died instantly and
the other sergeantS were knocked un-
conscious. They have since recover
ed from their injuries to some ex-
tent but not altogether.
They were going into the country to
bring supplies, and as Il commissioned
officer was requested to sign for them
Lieut.. Kirkpatrick volunteered TO gn.
1t was foggy weather. and the roads
were muddy. AS they rounded curve
in the road they noticed some one
walking ahead. The driver sounded
the horn, but the person made no eff
fort to get out of the way. In max
ing the turn to dodge the person the
car went Oft Of the road into tree,
thus killing Lieut. Kirkpatrick, the
mess sergeant, and injured the two
other sergeants. As | said before
Lieut. Kirkpatrick and were pals. We
enlisted together at FL Paso, Texas,
were sergeants together and came to
France together as officers and must
say never had better friend.
The night before he was killed he
came to the hospital to see me. He
sat on my bed and we talked as to the
prospects Of an early peace. How,
when the war was over and he had
returned home he was going to n
university. He was figuring on
bright and prosperous future. His
ambitions were to be lawyer.
Lieut.. Kirkpatrick will always live
in nv memory as one of my best
friends.
There are two instances that | will
never forget while we were camping
at Brest, and some of our boys were
sick, he got up during the night, went
70 every "pup" sent and saw that the
boys were comfortable.
From Dijon to our present location
n distance Of ninety miles, was made
in trucks, through drizzling rain.
took sick on the way and when
arrived here ] found that ] had lost
my bedding, so rolled up in my over
coat and laid down on the floor, too
sick to care whether had blankets or
not. A few minutes afterwards some
one touched me. ! looked up and IL
was Lieut.. Kirkpatrick. He said, 20.
Neill, come and sleep with me, you
will die sleeping in that wet over
coat" He let me use his bedding m
ill was sent to the hospital five days
later, and he slept 1T the Red Cross,
down town. While was in the hos
pital he visited me nearly every night
and anything he could do for my COM
fort he dit it. He first took care Of
others and then looked after himself.
We lost in him valuable officer
and lost my dearest friend.
Sincerely yours,
Lieut.. John II. O'Neill,
NJ. r. S. Unit 3Os NJ. T. c., A.
p. o., 73l A. +. f., via n. Y.
Miss O'Brier sent the letter to Mrs
Kirkpatrick who has allowed the News
to reprint it so the many friends of
Isaac may learn how he was killed
and what his soldier friends thought
of him.
SUGAR AND PROHIBITION
The prohibition mandate will make