Mashed Between the Cars

In Memory of
Albert B. Wallace
Born Feb 11, 1860
Died Jan 25, 1889
A brother has gone from our circle
On earth we shall meet him no more
He has gone to his home in Heaven
And all his afflictions are o'er.

Photo © 2009 S. Lincecum; from Oak Hill Cemetery; Talbotton, Georgia.

I believe I found what caused Albert to be taken at such a young age...

27 January 1889
Columbus Daily Enquirer, Georgia

"MASHED BETWEEN THE CARS.

Albert Wallace, a White Brakeman, Meets a Terrible Death in Troy.
A terrible accident occurred at the Troy Central road depot on Thursday afternoon.  Albert Wallace, better known as Bud Wallace, a white brakeman, while coupling cars, was caught between a flat and the engine and terribly mashed about the stomach and chest.  The engineer noticing the fearful predicament Wallace was in, at once moved the engine slightly forward.  The injured man scrambled to a seat and fell into it.  Dr. Brown was in prompt attendance, but he at once saw that the unfortunate brakeman's condition was hopeless, and he so informed him.  Everything was done, however, to assuage his pains.  Wallace died of his injuries on Friday night.  His remains were brought to the city by the noon train yesterday, for interment.  He belonged to Marion county, was unmarried and about twenty three years of age.

Wallace was well known in this city as an honest, upright man.  He formerly clerked for Mr. Dave Rothschild."

27 January 1889
Macon Weekly Telegraph, Georgia

"CRUSHED BETWEEN CARS.
Albert Wallace of Geneva, Ga., Killed While Coupling Cars.
COLUMBUS, Jan. 26 -- [SPECIAL.] -- Albert Wallace, the young man of Geneva, Ga., who was mashed at the depot at Troy, Ala, day before yesterday, died last night at 12 o'clock.

The accident occurred by negligence while coupling cars.  He was 22 years old and well thought of by the railroad company.  He was well known in this city."

28 January 1889
Columbus Daily Enquirer, Georgia

"Laid to Rest Yesterday
The remains of Albert Wallace, the young man who was killed in Troy a few days ago while coupling cars in the Central road depot, were removed to his late home near Geneva yesterday at noon, for the purposes of interment, where they will be laid to rest with his ancestors."

Although not all of the information provided by the papers matches the inscription, I still believe these items apply to Mr. Albert B. Wallace whose tombstone is pictured above.  I found an Albert B. Wallace in the 1880 Marion County, Georgia Federal census. Marion County is adjacent to Talbot County, and Geneva is located just south of Talbotton in Talbot County.


(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.)