Horace's Story

Horace Irwin Pearson was born March 23, 1894, in Pulaski County, Illinois, to George William Pearson and Emma Katherine (Green) Pearson.

Horace's unfortunate story begins in January 1903 and is detailed in a series of brief mentions in the Cairo Evening Citizen                                                                                           (http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ilgssi/Cairo/obits_1903.html):

Monday, 26 Jan 1903:

Eric [sic] Pearson, aged about 8 years, son of George Pearson, fell off a freight train at Mounds this afternoon at 2:30 o’clock, and was run over, both legs being cut off.  The boy’s father is employed at the Illinois Central round house at Mounds.

Wednesday, 28 Jan 1903:

Horace Pearson, the lad who was run over by a train at Mounds Monday, had both of his limbs amputated, as they were too severely injured to save.  It is hoped that his life can be saved in spite of his terrible injury. Last evening he was somewhat better.

Friday, 30 Jan 1903:

Little Horace Irwin, son of G. W. Pearson, who was badly injured by being run over by a train, will recover.  (Mounds)

The injury does not seem to have kept him homebound.  The following clipping is from the September 20, 1904, issue of The Cairo Bulletin.

In March of 1917, Horace's mother died. Horace is not mentioned as attending her funeral, nor is he listed in the card of thanks (see below).  

However, in June of 1917, Horace lists Mounds as his residence.  If this is the case, why did he not attend Emma Kate's funeral? 

To date, I have been unable to find a 1920 census for Horace, so I have been unable to confirm his residence.

In 1927, The Pulaski Patriot mentions Horace in his father’s obituary.  "[George] is survived by two daughters, Mrs. Nettie Miller, of Mattoon, and Mrs. B. Arter, of Chicago; three sons, Ben Pearson, of Chicago, P. E. Pearson, of Evansville, Ind., and Horace Pearson, of Mound City."

There is a 1930 census from Mounds that lists a Horace I. Pearson married to a Lulu D (lines 40 & 41).  The date of birth corresponds, but the birthplaces of his father and mother do not.  

However, it also lists Horace as a “canvasser of notions” which corresponds with this Find-a-Grave entry for Horace Pearson: 

Relatives of Horace Pearson could not be located, but it was learned that he operated from Cairo to Jonesboro, Ark., selling pencils, shoe strings and other small articles, and had at one time lived in Mounds, Ill. However, efforts to locate relatives in either of these towns failed and his remains were interred at the county farm.

- Democrat Argus - Caruthersville, Missouri - Tuesday, April 1, 1941

Imagine my surprise when I found this!  What was Horace doing in this area?  How had he died?  Why didn't any of his relatives claim him?

Christina Sides-Williams, of The Democrat Argus (which is still in circulation) was able to provide this additional information:  The headline on the front page that day read Hayti Attorney Loses Life In Disastrous Fire Early Saturday: Legless Cripple Also Is Victim. The fire was in a two story office building in the Hayti square. Specifically in the office of U.S. Commissioner Houston H. Buckley.  A jury verdict was used to decide the cause of death because there was not much left of Mr. Buckley and there was a concussion in his skull above his ear, so they were worried that it could be foul play. In the end they decided he died from  burns and asphyxiation and that the indent was from heat. It goes on to mention Mr. Pearson who was known as Happy Jack. He evidently had no legs and got around on a makeshift platform that had been mounted on roller skates. They believe that he often slept there and that he had been on his way to Buckley's office, probably to check on him when he was overtaken by the smoke.  They were unable to locate any relatives for him but said that he operated from Cairo, Illinois, selling pencils, shoe strings and other small trinkets and had at one time lived in Mounds, Il. 

What was Horace doing in this area?  Business, apparently.

How had he died?  In a fire.  We can assume from the information above that he was penniless and virtually friendless.

Why didn't any of his relatives claim him?  By 1941, I don't believe he had any immediate family left in the Pulaski County area, but his half-sister, Rosa, resided in East St. Louis, IL.  His brother, Peyton Eric, lived in St. Louis, MO.  Surely they were close enough...

Because of the notoriety of Commissioner Buckley, there are many articles detailing Horace's final moments.  Below is the most detailed account I have found.

Caruthersville Journal

April 3, 1941

Horace died March 29, 1941, in Hayti, Pemiscot County, Missouri, and he is buried at the County Farm Cemetery in the same town.