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            Detective Allen Pinkerton died from biting his tongue 

     Life can be filled with many ironies and peculiarities. During the typical course of a human life, an individual may find himself on a collision course with destiny, or may find him or herself propelled to greatness by the most unforeseen of circumstances, or the benefactor of a random act of fate that forever changes the course of a person’s life. For many, the events of one’s life can easily be characterized as stranger than fiction.

   If  life can be filled with peculiarities and ironies, then, so too, can death. History has recorded numerous incidences in which people have met their fate in the strangest and most bizarre manners imaginable. These unfortunate people experienced their demises under the most unusual circumstances. Their deaths would read almost like a dark joke.

   Attorney Clement Vallandigham was a highly successful lawyer who died while defending a client in the courtroom.

    In 1871, Vallandigham was attempting to prove his client, Thomas McGehan, had killed Tom Myers by accident during a barroom brawl. Myers died from a gunshot wound sustained in the fight. Vallandigham was attempting to demonstrate to the jury that Myers had accidentally shot himself while drawing his own pistol from a kneeling position. To prove his point, Vallandigham decided to test his theory in front of the jury. Unfortunately, he grabbed a loaded pistol. When he attempted to pull the pistol from a kneeling position the gun went off and fatally wounded the attorney. Shortly afterwards, as the dying Vallandigham heaved his last breath, his client was acquitted.

    Allen Pinkerton was the nation’s first private eye. Born in Scotland in 1819, Pinkerton immigrated to the United States before the Civil War and created his own private detective agency. During his illustrious career he protected President Lincoln during his first administration. After the war he was well compensated by the railroads for helping to stop or prevent train robberies. His agency became a thorn in the side of Jesse James and his gang who they chased all across the west. They were successful at chasing Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid out of the United States to South America. Indeed, for the outlaw there was no safe respite from the Pinkerton detectives. And predictably, Allen Pinkerton was not safe from the oft-contrary hand of death.

    One afternoon in 1884, Pinkerton was on his way to his office when he slipped on the sidewalk and bit his tongue. At first he thought little of the injury. Little did he realize he had just received his death blow. The injury soon set up gangrene of the tongue and the legendary detective lingered for several days before he died from biting his tongue.

    Famed distiller Jack Daniel became world renown for his whiskey that bears his name. But it was his short temper that brought about his death from kicking his safe.

    One morning in 1911, Daniel became frustrated when he couldn’t open his safe. His frustration mounted as he struggled to remember the combination. Finally, he kicked the safe and injured his toe. Within days, infection set up in his toe and he died as a result.

   Michael Williams is the author of "Stranger than Fiction: The Lincoln Curse." The book is a collection of 50 true stories that are stranger than fiction. The stories will leave the reader convinced that perhaps Mark Twain was right when he said "truth is stranger than fiction."

   Michael Williams has written for more than 30 newspapers and magazines including the Civil War Times Illustrated, The Civil War Courier, the Associated Press and the Knoxville Journal.

    The book is 187 pages in a softbound edition with numerous photos. The book can be purchased from amazon.com for $19.95 plus shipping and handling or you can save shipping cost and save $2 on the purchase price by ordering a signed copy directly from the author. Send $17.95 to P.O. Box 6421 Sevierville, TN. 37864.