Individual Details

Death

Early Hour Yesterday Morning Body Of Prominent Townsman Found Beside Railroad Near Efird Mill. Sometime about 2 o'clock yesterday morning, Walter C. Hill lost his life by being struck and run over by a through freight on the Winston-Salem Southbound railway running between Wadesboro and Winston-Salem. There was no evidence of foul play, since all the money carried by Mr. Hill was found intact, and nothing about his person seemed to have been disturbed. There was some conjecture that he had been murdered and his body placed on the track, but this view is given no credence. His right leg was severed, right hand cut in diagonal way, severing thumb and two fingers, and the back of head was somewhat crushed. The body was found several feet north of where the accident occurred and where blood was first noticed. It is apparent that a northbound freight struck Mr. Hill. Information at the Southbound station shows that freight train No. 212 is due at Albemarle at 1:14 a. m., and that Mr. Sydney Smith is engineer and a Mr. Beeker is fireman on that train. As the freight crosses Main Street soon after pulling out from depot here, it is required to slow down, and it is to be inferred that both engineer and fireman were meeting the rules and that they were on the alert. The train could not have gathered much speed when it passed the point where Mr. Hill’s body was found. Theorizing on the occurrence, either the engineer and fireman were not on the alert and did not see Walter Hill as he was Iying or sitting on the track in front, or, when seen, Mr. Hill was ambling along beside the train and there was no occasion for the trainmen to attach any importance te the incident. If the latter theory is correct, it can easily be imagined that Mr. Hill either stumbled and fell against the moving train, or he attempted to catch it while it was in motion. In doing so, his head was forced against some part of the car and crushed, and he fell under the wheels. The true facts may never be known. Some think Mr. Hill had sat upon the rails to remove a shoe or to rest, and possibly fell asleep. It is hard to conceive that both fireman and engineer should have failed to see him, and gives color to the other theory that Hill was either trying to catch the train or accidentally fell against it. Mr. Walter C. Hill was 40 years of age. He was secretary and treasurer of the Chero Cela Bottling works here, and had been prominently connected with business in Albemarle during his residence of some 15 years or more in our midst. He was married in 1913 to Miss Mary Furr, youngest daughter of the late William E. and Mrs. Furr, Mrs. Furr now a resident of Albemarle. To them were born five children, four of whom survive. The oldest is Ollie, a little girl of 11 years, and the youngest is Ruth. Rose Walker and Broadus are the other two, their little brother having died a year ago. Mrs. Hill, the young widow, is crushed under the blow. She has bravely kept the home together, worked during the day at typewriting and book work at the Knitting Department of the Wiscassett Mills company. She said her husband had not been himself for several days, and that he had not returned to his home at night for three days. Mr. Hill had been drinking some during the past few days, and it is not known just how far he may have yielded to this occasional habit, nor as to whether he was worried over business affairs. He was a likeable young man, attentive in business matters, and a faithful member of the Baptist church. Those who knew him best do not think that he came by death other than in a purely accidental way. Funeral arrangements have been made for burial at 5 o’clock Thursday afternoon, in Fairview cemetery. Services will be conducted from the Baptist church at that hour. If he returns, Rev. F. A. Bower, the pastor, will officiate. Rev. E. M. Brooks will assist, and will conduct the services in absence of Mr. Bower.
The Albemarle Press, Albemarle, North Carolina, July 8, 1926