West Virginia's Unluckiest Man

 

The Leader (Hinton, WV)
11 May 1933

It all started on a Friday. Friday the 13th, that is. On Friday, November 13th, 1931, Edward C. Kirk, a 57 year old resident of Charleston, West Virginia would kick off a series of mishaps that would shape the rest of his life for the worse. On that day, he fell beneath a train and lost his leg. A few months later, he lost an eye in an automobile accident. 

But, his streak of bad luck wasn't over; it merely just took a break for a year or so. On May 8, 1933, as he was groping for his artificial leg, he accidentally discharged a pistol, shattering the bone of his left arm, which had to be amputated the next day. 

This poor guy just couldn't catch a break, and that bad luck POSSIBLY rubbed off on his son, as well! While I was searching for some any updates (okay, I was morbidly looking to see if this guy had any further accidents) I came across a small blurb in the Charleston Daily Mail from September 12, 1933, stating the results of a court case. A Mr. Edward Kirk JUNIOR of Charleston had sued several men over being struck by a truck on Anaconda Avenue on May 16th, 1933, barely a week after Mr. Kirk, Sr. had his arm amputated. I can't prove that this was the same family, as when I looked at the death certificate index, there were actually several Edward Kirks in Kanawha County around this time, but it makes ya wonder....

In any event, I hope YOU have a much luckier and happier Friday the 13th!