Mysterious Death
GREENVILLE, TEX., May 22 [1893] – News reached here to-night of the mysterious death of Tom Wallace, in the vicinity of Roberts, in the southern part of Hunt county, last night. Wallace was riding along the public road toward his home, four miles north of Roberts, in company with two companions. When about two miles north of Roberts, Wallace complained of being sick and fell from his horse a corpse. A physician was summoned, but when he arrived life had long since been extinct. There are various reports as to the cause of Wallace’s death. Messengers were dispatched to this city for the county attorney and a physician to go to Roberts and hold an inquest on the body.
Fell from his horse a corpse is what originally drew me to this article. This journalist has a way with words and remains anonymous, which is unfortunate.
Roberts, the town, is also mostly unknown now. It was made up of roughly 150 people in 1890, having been settled eight years earlier when the Texas Central Railroad bought the surrounding land from the Governor, Oran M. Roberts. (Get it? Roberts?) It had a post office by 1884 but the prosperity was very short lived, resulting in that same post office closing in 1899. The town ceased to exist shortly thereafter. Roberts, during it’s 20ish year history, was about 17.5 miles south of Greenville, Texas.
Several more “Roberts” enter our story in the next installment.
Need more stories revolving around “Roberts” and locations of the past? Book a tour!
Handbook of Texas Online, David Minor, “Roberts, TX,” accessed January 14, 2018, http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hvr53.
