Services for E. T. Wallace, 69, Are Held Saturday
Funeral services for Elbert T. Wallace, 69, were held at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, Aug 4, at the First Baptist Church. Rev. O. W. Pierce, Kalgary, officiated, assisted by Rev. Wayland Boyd, pastor. Mr. Wallace, an all night attendant at Shamrock Service Station and Grocery, was killed during a robbery of the station Wednesday night.
Burial was in Crosbyton Cemetery under direction of King Funeral Home.
Born in Hill County Feb. 18, 1887, Mr. Wallace came to Crosby County in 1924. He farmed first near McAdoo, later moving to Crosbyton where he worked as a carpenter. He had been a service station attendant for several years.
Survivors include the wife, May; four sons, James W. of Rockdale, Phinas P. of Almsville, Ore., Billy Dale of Bianca, Colo., and Clayton of Crosbyton; two daughters, Mrs. Roland Frazier of Dexter, N. Mex., and Mrs. Jimmy Skidmore of Lubbock; five brothers, James W. of Eastland, O.O. of Waco, C.C. of Wichita Falls, Vernon of Portales and L.Z. of Moab, Utah; two sisters, Mrs. C. W. Blackman of Whiteface and Mrs. Jasper Ford of Crosbyton; and 19 grandchildren.
Pallbearers were Howard Mayfield, O.B. Buck, Odell Justus, Clarence Moores, Pete Pierce and Bill Nickson.
The Crosbyton Review, Thursday, August 9, 1956
Wallace, Elbert T. Born: 2/18/1887 Hill Co., Texas Died: 8/2/1956 Father: J.W. WALLACE (Kentucky) Mother: Julia Ann FORD (Washington Co.,Texas) Survivors: wife, Myrtle; 4 sons: Piney, Rett, Billy Dale, Clayton (of Crosbyton), 2 dau, Frazia, Nettie Mae Skidmore. 19 gc, 5 bro. 2 sis. (Mrs.Jasper Ford of Crosbyton). Came in 1924. Burial loc: blk. 19/ lot 18. Source: Adams Funeral Home Transcribed by Bettye OdomTwo Negro Men Confess To Brutal Slaying of Elbert T. Wallace Aug. 2
Two Crosbyton Negroes, Willie Floyd Law, 16, and Jessie (Mickey) Allen, 33, were charged in Crosby County's 72nd District Court Tuesday with the brutal slaying Wednesday night, Aug. 1, of Elbert T. Wallace, local service station attendant.
The two men broke down after seven hours of questioning in a lie dector [sic] test at Austin Monday. Law's confession stated that he struck the blows which killed Wallace, while Allen ransacked the cash register. Allen is already a three-time loser, having served time in the pen for forgery, post office burglary and attempted murder.
Five Negro men were taken to Austin Monday for the tests. Two were taken down by Sheriff J. T. Herrington and Judge Cecil Berry, while the other three were transported by Rangers Raz Renfro and Gene Graves.
Three of the men L. C. Franklin, Calvin Coleman and Sam Coleman, were released following the confessions and were brought back to Crosbyton by Sheriff Herrington. The two men charged with the murder were taken to Lubbock.
Wallace's body was found about 1:30 a.m. Thursday morining by a riend, C. O. Smith, lying face down behind the counter of the all night establishment. He had been hit about three times over the head with a 3 foot pinch bar, which was found under a piece of scrap tin next to a burr burner of a nearby gin. Officers had followed footprints from the station to the place where the weapon was concealed, then on to the home of one of the suspects.
Although feeling fairly certain that they were on the right track, officers were stalemated until just before noon Saturday when they found $14.05 under the home of Willie Law. Allen had been questioned earlier but had been turned loose. He was arrested Saturday afternoon in order to take him to Austin for the lie detector tests.
Sheriff Herrington said Law broke first, not long after officers told him the money been discovered. Law first claimed Allen had struck the blows, but later changed his confession to admit the slaying, officers said.
The three men who were freed following the tests said that they had been with the pair until about 15 minutes before Wallace was slain.
The Crosbyton Review, Thursday, August 9, 1956
 |
Crosby County TXGenWeb Project
|
This site may be freely linked to but not duplicated in any fashion without my consent.
The information on these pages is meant for personal genealogical research only and is not for commercial use of ANY type.
