Newspaper Clipping covering the burial of the unknown boy. Submitted by Never Forgotten on Facebook page I Was Raised in Greenville, Texas.
Tragedy struck in Greenville late in July 1935. At the height of the Great Depression, it was common for young people to leave home to find work. Often there were too many children for the parents to feed. Older ones left home with no skills, no money, and frequently no identification.
Such was the case on a Cotton Belt freight train that pulled out of the Greenville yards one hot Saturday morning. A young man was on top of the car, helping a young woman to the top when the train passed under a Katy overpass. A passerby reported the lad was on his feet with his back to the bridge when he was knocked off. Cotton Belt employees were unaware of the accident until police met the young woman in Fort Worth. They hoped she knew him, but not so. She met him in Greenville, thought his name was Walker, and that he was from Arkansas.
The witness notified Greenville police who called for Neer-Lybrand Funeral Home ambulance to transport the unconscious boy to the hospital ward at the county jail in the courthouse. Doctors said the young man suffered from a severe brain concussion and loss of blood coming from his ears. The wound was located at the base of his skull. Although he never regained consciousness, he screamed and tore at his clothes almost constantly.
Authorities described him as a young, white male with short, dark hair, fair skin tanned by the sun and roughly dressed. He was reported to be five foot, ten inches, with blue eyes. He had scars on his left arm, right leg, and marks on his back. Radio stations in the Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana areas ran notices in hopes that someone would recognize the description. There was no identification on him, no one recognized him or reported him missing.
By Monday he was transferred to a private convalescent home and cared for by the Hunt County Chapter of the American Red Cross. After his death on July 31, the body was embalmed and remained at the funeral home for several days. Photographs of the young man were circulated in newspapers in the four-state area.
No one stepped forward to claim the body.
Tombstone for the Unknown Boy donated by Leer-Lybrand Funeral Home in Greenville, Texas. Photo by Marc & Donna on Facebook page I Was Raised in Greenville, Texas.
The body was laid to rest in East Mount Cemetery. The county bore the funeral expenses. Some local young men volunteered as pallbearers. His grave is just a few yards north of old west gate to East Mount. Neer-Lybrand donated a headstone and a curb around the grave. Today there is a large cedar tree covering the grave and headstone. Both are in need of tender, loving care.
This is one of the most graphic events I have come across in my research of the 1930s. Most, such as this, are incredibly sad, as are any from desperate times in our past.
Thank you for sharing