Extracted from The Hattiesburg American (Hattiesburg, MS)
Monday, January 15, 1951

Services Today For Accidental Shooting Victim

Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. today for Marvin James Denham, 33-year-old coffee salesman of Carterville community, who was accidentally shot and killed by his four-year-old nephew Sunday morning.

Rev. Garland McInnis, pastor of River Avenue Baptist church, was to officiate, assisted by Rev. Leo Johnston, pastor of First Church of the Nazarene, Rev. Quincey Barrett, pastor of Green's Creek church, Rev. Alfred Creel and a Reverend Allport. Burial was to be in Green's Creek cemetery, with Hulett Funeral Home in charge.

A coroner's jury, empaneled by Justice of the Peace Fred Poyner, found that Denham met “accidental death” by gunshot wound at the hands of Richard Dean Denham, four-years-old.

Poyner and Deputy Sheriff E. L. Barnes, who assisted with the investigation, gave this account of the tragedy:

Mr. Denham, his two-year-old son and the young nephew, who was making his home with the Denhams, were playing with toy guns in bed about 7:30 a.m., while Mrs. Denham was in the kitchen preparing breakfast. Under the bed on the floor was a loaded 32-calibre pistol which Mr. Denham had put there for the past two nights, after his wife saw prowlers around the house Friday night.

Little Rickey picked up the real pistol and pulled the trigger. The bullet struck Mr. Denham under the left arm and ranged up toward his heart.

He jumped out of bed, took the gun from the child and ran through the kitchen shouting to his wife that he had been shot and must get to a doctor. He collapsed in the yard and Mrs. Denham rushed for aid to carry him to the hospital.

Mr. Denham was pronounced dead on arrival at Methodist hospital.

A native of Forrest county, Mr. Denham had lived in Carterville community (RFD 2, Hattiesburg) for 30 years. He was a salesman for Standard Coffee company.

Mr. Denham is survived by his wife, Mrs. Mayola Lindsey Denham, son James Michael, and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. L. J. Denham, all of Carterville; four brothers, L. L. and J. T. Denham of Carterville, D. D. Denham of Harvey, and B. R. Denham of Sanatorium; and one sister, Mrs. T. R. Williams of Petal.

Active pallbearers were to be A. W. Tisdale, H. D. Stroud, H. M. Smith, V. L. Williamson, Frank Ramsey and W. W. Carpenter.

Honorary pallbearers were to be Fred Poyner, Sheriff J. E. Bethea, E. L. Barnes, Alfred Creel, Tim Ezelle, W. D. Martin, A. R. Walley, W. M. Pearce, Carl E. Berry, sr., W. E. Lum, S. E. Hodges and Dr. Nollie Felts.