Walton Edward Wallace (1893 - 1926)

Born 12 Sep 1893 in Harris, Washington, Arkansas, United States

Ancestors

Biography

Walton registered for the World War I draft on 24 May 1917. He was living at 631 N. Willow in Fayetteville, Washington County, Arkansas. He worked as a mechanic doing steel work for the American Bridge Company in Gary Indiana. He had a medium build, was slender, had blue eyes, and light brown hair.^[1]

On 16 January 1920, Walton lived with his parents in Prairie, Washington County, Arkansas. He helped in the shoe shop.^[2]

Walton was married to Minnie (--?--).

Walton died by "strangulation by hanging suicide" on 18 February 1926 in Fayetteville.^[3]

If first arrivals to the scene where Walton E. Wallace, aged 32 years, committed suicide Thursday night by hanging himself, had had sufficient presence of mind to cut down the body immediately and apply artificial respiration, his life could have been saved.

This is the opinion of members of the family and of others familiar with the effects of strangulation. Even when he was found, an artificial pulmotor- if precurable- would have restored life, some believe.

The body was cut down by Chief of Police Toy Gregg, W. S. Duggan and B. O. Kelly, some 15 or 20 minutes after it was first seen. No one acted until the police had been called. The body was still warm. When discovered, Wallace was still alive and was waving his arms in the air, according to children who saw him and who believed the man to be practicing some kind of calisthenics.

A group of children was still watching the man when Mr. Gregg arrived. The body was found hanging from a rafter in the rear part of the Wallace and White grocery store about 6:15 Thursday evening, and was first seen by Gussie Hays, colored girl, who attempted to notify several people before she could have anyone take her seriously.

A banana rope was tied loosely about Wallace's neck and fastened to a large hook in the rafter. His knee rested against some boxes and one foot touched a heap of onions. The slightest effort on his own part could have replaced his foot on the floor. The man had been dead only a few moments.

Joe Nix of Springdale, coroner, hurried to the scene and in inquest declared Wallace met death by suicide.

Had Been Acting Strangely

"We are sure that Walton was not himself," his sister, Mrs. Ruby Falls of Fort Smith, who was visiting here at the time, said today. "He had been acting strangely for more than two weeks and several of the family had noticed it.

"We do not believe business worry caused his act. He may have been worried, but he did not have sufficient worry to cause him to take his life. We are sure now that he had a mental breakdown a couple of weeks ago, and that he was mentally sick, not merely despondent over business."

Leaves Family

Besides Mrs. Falls, Wallace leaves his parents, Mr. and Mrs. W. E. Wallace, 631 North Willow; his wife, Mrs. Minnie Springer Wallace; two step-children, Carl and Loraine Springer; five sisters, Mrs. Falls of Fort Smith and Mrs. W. H. Hall of Conway and Misses Sadie, Grace and Louis Wallace of Fayetteville; four brothers, Albert, of Springfield, Mo.; George Wallace of Tulsa, and Arthur and Harold Wallace, both of Dallas. All are present but the last three brothers, who are prevented from coming by illness.

Wallace was born at Harris, Arkansas, September 12, 1894, and come to Fayetteville in boyhood and had lived here practically all his life except a short time during which he was in the grocery business at Russellville with his brother-in-law, Mr. Falls.

He and Mr. White had recently gone in business here, and Mr. White was the last person to whom he talked, the conversation happening about 6 o'clock when Mr. White left the store. Mr. and Mrs. White and Mr. Wallace's stepson, Carl, left together in a car a few moments after. The boy said they had been reluctant to leave Mr. Wallace, as "he did not seem well."

"He told me to ride home with Mr. White, and to see that the fires were all right, and that he would come on home a little later," the boy said. The body was found fifteen minutes later.

J. F. Moore is in charge of funeral arrangements. Interment will be in Fairview Memorial Park following funeral services conducted by Rev. H. Lynn Wade and Rev. Harry Glenn Finney. Pallbearers will be Joe Campbell, Edgar Wright, Ernest Sexson, Harry Ewalt, P. R. Green and Roy Armstrong.^[4]

Walton was buried in the Fairview Memorial Gardens in Fayetteville, Washington County, Arkansas.^[5]

Sources

1. ↑ Arkansas > Washington County > ALL > Draft Card W: "U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918"
   Arkansas > Washington County > ALL > Draft Card W > image 57 of 505
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Image (accessed 31 March 2022)
   Walton Edward Wallace
2. ↑ 1920 United States Federal Census: "1920 United States Federal Census"
   Arkansas > Washington > Prairie > District 0147 > image 14 of 23
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Image (accessed 31 March 2022)
   Walton Wallace
3. ↑ Death: "Arkansas, Death Certificates, 1914-1969"
   1926, 001-016 > image 2509 of 3186
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Image (accessed 31 March 2022)
   Walton Wallace
4. ↑ W. E. Wallace Takes his Own Life at Store Here. Fayetteville Daily Democrat, 19 February 1926, page 1, column 4.
5. ↑ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/85644737/walton-wallace