SWORD SWALLOWER DIED FROM USE OF MORPHINE
Had Been Giving Exhibitions With Carnival in Bismarck This Week
Was a Constant Slave to Drug Habit and Died From an Overdose
Autopsy Held and Embalmed Body May be Shipped to New York City
Pierce had disposed of all papers that would have given any information regarding his affairs, but the management of the carnival company knowing that New York City was his home, learned yesterday that Hotel Trafalgar in that city was his headquarters, and a message from the clerk of that hotel last night read as follows:
"Chief of Police, Bismarck, N. D.
"I underrstand that John Hopkins University at Baltimore, Md. owns the body of Pierce the Yellow Boy, but I know nothing more."
RAYMOND T. CONDON
Clerk, Hotel Trafalgar"

It was stated last night that Pierce had often told of having sold is body to that university, and that he had some time ago received the sum of $500, and that his body was to be delivered there after his death. It was not certain last night just what would be done with the remains.
Albert J. Pierce, sword swallower with the Allman Carnival show in the city, died in a tent Wednesday morning about 7:30 from the effects of morphine poisoning.
Pierce had been with this carnival company for the past six weeks and gave some startling demonstrations and also gave an exhibition with live snakes, but outside of the extremely large doses of morphine he had taken externally with a needle and hyoscine, he had taken internally in tablet form, his body seemed to be in a perfectly normal condition.
He had been ill on Tuesday and while at a local hospital before he could be prevented, he took a dose of morphine large enough, it was said, to have killed six men. He had on a daily average used about 10 grains of either morphine or hyoscine, and always took extremely large doses, and he had kept up this habit for the past 24 years, but he took an overdose of morphine Wednesday morning and death ensued shortly afterwards.
The manager of the carnival was with Pierce at the time of his death, and Dr. Smythe, the county coroner, had the body removed to the undertaking parlors of Traux Brothers where an autopsy was held and death was pronounced to have been caused from morphine and hyoscine poisoning.
From what could be learned of Pierce's past history, he was 45 years of age and was a Frenchman by birth. He has a wife, a Chinese woman, who lives in New York City, which place is Pierce's home. He also has three sons there.
At one time he had studied medicine and was well posted as to the uses of strong opiates. It seems that some time ago he had contracted with a large hospital in New York to have his body delivered there after his death, as that institution desired to make an examination of what effects these strong drugs have had.
The management of the carnival is attempting, by telegraph, to locate Pierce's family and his body which has been embalmed will either be shipped back to New York or buried in Bismarck.
**The Bismarck Daily Tribune, Thursday, July 17, 1913, Page 1
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PRINCE YELLOW BOY WAS BURIED IN CEMETERY HERE
No Word Was Received From East Regarding Body of Carnival Freak
His Remains Were Buried In Fairview Cemetery at Expense of Manager
Prince Yellow Boy, the carnival freak, who died Wednesday morning from morphine poisoning, was buried Thursday afternoon in the Fairview cemetery at Bismarck.
No word could be received from his relatives at New York City as to the disposition of his remains, neither was there any response to a message sent to the Johns Hopkins university at Baltimore, which institution was supposed to have paid the Yellow Boy $500 for his body to be delivered after death, and it was decided that it was useless to hold his remains here any longer.
Prince Yellow Boy's name was Albert J. Pierce, and he was probably one of the greatest freaks that ever gave an exhibition in this section of the country. He had a great layout of swords of all shapes and sizes, and gave some wonderful demonstrations in swallowing them. He was also a sensational snake charmer, and the day before he died he received a consignment of new snakes from Texas. These snakes, without their fangs being removed, he handled in a most thrilling manner.
These exhibitions he gave at Farley's museum here with the Allman Carnival company, and the doctors, as well as the general public who saw this man perform were completely baffled. His outfit is still at the museum, and has been exhibited and explained every night by Mr. Farley since Yellow Boy died.
The expense of his funeral was provided for by Mr. Farley personally.
** The Bismarck Daily Tribune, Friday, Friday, July 18, 1913, Page 1.
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QUERIES ABOUT YELLOW BOY
Other messages were received yesterday concerning Prince Yellow Boy, the carnival freak who died Wednesday morning from morphine poisoning.
The first message, signed by E. Botticher of New York City, asking what disposition has been made of the remains of A. J. Botticher, alias A. J. Pierce, known as Prince Yellow Boy, and it is thought the sender of the message might have been his father or a brother.
Another message was from the John Hopkins university at Baltimore disclaiming any knowledge of such a man, or that any transaction had ever been made regarding the purchase of his body.
No doubt his body will remain undisturbed where it was buried in the Bismarck cemetery.
**The Bismarck Daily Tribune, Sunday, July 20, 1913, Page 5.

SWORD SWALLOWER DIED FROM USE OF MORPHINE
Had Been Giving Exhibitions With Carnival in Bismarck This Week
Was a Constant Slave to Drug Habit and Died From an Overdose
Autopsy Held and Embalmed Body May be Shipped to New York City
Pierce had disposed of all papers that would have given any information regarding his affairs, but the management of the carnival company knowing that New York City was his home, learned yesterday that Hotel Trafalgar in that city was his headquarters, and a message from the clerk of that hotel last night read as follows:
"Chief of Police, Bismarck, N. D.
"I underrstand that John Hopkins University at Baltimore, Md. owns the body of Pierce the Yellow Boy, but I know nothing more."
RAYMOND T. CONDON
Clerk, Hotel Trafalgar"

It was stated last night that Pierce had often told of having sold is body to that university, and that he had some time ago received the sum of $500, and that his body was to be delivered there after his death. It was not certain last night just what would be done with the remains.
Albert J. Pierce, sword swallower with the Allman Carnival show in the city, died in a tent Wednesday morning about 7:30 from the effects of morphine poisoning.
Pierce had been with this carnival company for the past six weeks and gave some startling demonstrations and also gave an exhibition with live snakes, but outside of the extremely large doses of morphine he had taken externally with a needle and hyoscine, he had taken internally in tablet form, his body seemed to be in a perfectly normal condition.
He had been ill on Tuesday and while at a local hospital before he could be prevented, he took a dose of morphine large enough, it was said, to have killed six men. He had on a daily average used about 10 grains of either morphine or hyoscine, and always took extremely large doses, and he had kept up this habit for the past 24 years, but he took an overdose of morphine Wednesday morning and death ensued shortly afterwards.
The manager of the carnival was with Pierce at the time of his death, and Dr. Smythe, the county coroner, had the body removed to the undertaking parlors of Traux Brothers where an autopsy was held and death was pronounced to have been caused from morphine and hyoscine poisoning.
From what could be learned of Pierce's past history, he was 45 years of age and was a Frenchman by birth. He has a wife, a Chinese woman, who lives in New York City, which place is Pierce's home. He also has three sons there.
At one time he had studied medicine and was well posted as to the uses of strong opiates. It seems that some time ago he had contracted with a large hospital in New York to have his body delivered there after his death, as that institution desired to make an examination of what effects these strong drugs have had.
The management of the carnival is attempting, by telegraph, to locate Pierce's family and his body which has been embalmed will either be shipped back to New York or buried in Bismarck.
**The Bismarck Daily Tribune, Thursday, July 17, 1913, Page 1
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PRINCE YELLOW BOY WAS BURIED IN CEMETERY HERE
No Word Was Received From East Regarding Body of Carnival Freak
His Remains Were Buried In Fairview Cemetery at Expense of Manager
Prince Yellow Boy, the carnival freak, who died Wednesday morning from morphine poisoning, was buried Thursday afternoon in the Fairview cemetery at Bismarck.
No word could be received from his relatives at New York City as to the disposition of his remains, neither was there any response to a message sent to the Johns Hopkins university at Baltimore, which institution was supposed to have paid the Yellow Boy $500 for his body to be delivered after death, and it was decided that it was useless to hold his remains here any longer.
Prince Yellow Boy's name was Albert J. Pierce, and he was probably one of the greatest freaks that ever gave an exhibition in this section of the country. He had a great layout of swords of all shapes and sizes, and gave some wonderful demonstrations in swallowing them. He was also a sensational snake charmer, and the day before he died he received a consignment of new snakes from Texas. These snakes, without their fangs being removed, he handled in a most thrilling manner.
These exhibitions he gave at Farley's museum here with the Allman Carnival company, and the doctors, as well as the general public who saw this man perform were completely baffled. His outfit is still at the museum, and has been exhibited and explained every night by Mr. Farley since Yellow Boy died.
The expense of his funeral was provided for by Mr. Farley personally.
** The Bismarck Daily Tribune, Friday, Friday, July 18, 1913, Page 1.
~
QUERIES ABOUT YELLOW BOY
Other messages were received yesterday concerning Prince Yellow Boy, the carnival freak who died Wednesday morning from morphine poisoning.
The first message, signed by E. Botticher of New York City, asking what disposition has been made of the remains of A. J. Botticher, alias A. J. Pierce, known as Prince Yellow Boy, and it is thought the sender of the message might have been his father or a brother.
Another message was from the John Hopkins university at Baltimore disclaiming any knowledge of such a man, or that any transaction had ever been made regarding the purchase of his body.
No doubt his body will remain undisturbed where it was buried in the Bismarck cemetery.
**The Bismarck Daily Tribune, Sunday, July 20, 1913, Page 5.