Frank Grader Dies

Seven weeks of stories have all been leading up to this: Frank Grader died in an unusual way. Two years ago, when I first began researching my ancestors, I found Frank’s death certificate and was intrigued. It wasn’t the standard “yellow fever,” or “pulmonary embolism.” The document reads, “accident (fell from trestle).” Following a hunch that such an odd death would be mentioned in the newspaper, I found the three articles shown. Generally, they describe Frank’s drunken evening at Wallace’s Saloon where he was seen breaking beer bottles. He later wandered off and, at some point, fell from the Illinois Central Rail Road trestle at the foot of Beale Street. While this is oceans more than we knew before, the articles open up many questions: The papers say he lived on Mosby Street, but he isn’t listed in city directories as a resident. Did he have family on Mosby? Did he tell police he was from Scotland or is this a reporting error? On a related note, it’s sad to learn that he was well enough (externally anyway) to visit the police station before he was admitted to City Hospital. Who put forth the suicide / murder theory? Was there an investigation? Is there a record? According to Buddy Plunk at the Shelby County Archives, “There are no homicide or investigatory records prior to 1915, and even now investigations are not always open to the public if it did not result in a conviction.  As such, what you have in the newspaper articles is all there will be.” A job selling Coke Dandruff Cure seems more in his swim lane (as a druggist), but how long had he been working for them and why out of Chicago? Finally – Heartbreak! – his mammy visited his body in the morgue?!  I tried to find her but to no avail. I shall keep her on my radar. Special thanks to Knox Martin and the Shelby County Archives!	Memphis Commercial Appeal, 5 April 1905
Memphis Commercial Appeal, 2 April 1905
Memphis News Scimitar, 2 April 1905
Frank Grader's Memphis death certificate	1901 ad for Coke Dandruff Cure
ICRR trestle Grader fell from, as photographed in 1950.