LA LA - Belle Chasse, WhtMale 16-17, UP88342, hanged, suicide note, Feb'75 #2

[Romulus]

Belle Chasse is the biggest city in the parish, and unfortunately a lot gets lumped into it. The parish is a marshland, and the tracks are mainly used for shipping. That being said, I remember my grandfather (local to MS but worked in NOLA in the 1960’s) mentioning that Southern Railways had a train in NOLA. Southern merged with Norfolk in the 80’s. Not much of a start but hopefully it will be some help.

I think the railway instead is a trail to follow, he could have hidden in a goods wagon and arrived there without being seen; I checked, this railroad passes through several states (Washington, D.C., Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri and Louisiana) so it could come from one of these states.

 

[Ciriii57]

I think the railway instead is a trail to follow, he could have hidden in a goods wagon and arrived there without being seen; I checked, this railroad passes through several states (Washington, D.C., Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri and Louisiana) so it could come from one of these states.

Can you let us know please what railroad you found? Because from what I have found this particular railroad didn't go any futher than Gretna from where it unloaded the coal it was carrying and it's terminus was in the next town down from Alliance, the rail just stops where the coal mine was located. These were open coal trucks rather than goods cars and it is unlikely anyone would be able to stow away in them.

He could of course have gotten the train to New Orleans from virtually anywhere in the the US but not then on to this location.

 

[Romulus]

Can you let us know please what railroad you found? Because from what I have found this particular railroad didn't go any futher than Gretna from where it unloaded the coal it was carrying and it's terminus was in the next town down from Alliance, the rail just stops where the coal mine was located. These were open coal trucks rather than goods cars and it is unlikely anyone would be able to stow away in them.

He could of course have gotten the train to New Orleans from virtually anywhere in the the US but not then on to this location.

This one but I don't know if it's the same one, I'm not American forgive me, maybe I got confused? This is also an active passenger line until 1982. Now I don't think the railroad reaches Noemi right there, but it could still have come down somewhere else in the state of Louisiana and continued there by other means; on the other hand, if he had not been reported missing, no one would have been able to recognize him anyway, even if he had traveled regularly on the train and not hidden clandestinely.

Southern Railway (U.S.) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Ciriii57]

This one but I don't know if it's the same one, I'm not American forgive me, maybe I got confused? This is also an active passenger line until 1982.

Southern Railway (U.S.) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

That particular line unfortunately stopped in Braithwait (opposite bank of the river) and never extended down as far as Naomi/Alliance.

 

[Ciriii57]

I was just explaining this case to my colleague and she picked up on something that I don't think anyone has ever noticed before. Might there be some significance in the fact that Charles Wallace was a Future Farmer of America and he chose to end his life in a Persimmon tree, which is a fruit producing tree "farmed" on these plantations?

 

[Romulus]

That particular line unfortunately stopped in Braithwait (opposite bank of the river) and never extended down as far as Naomi/Alliance.

Now I don't think the railroad reaches Noemi right there, but it could still have come down somewhere else in the state of Louisiana and continued there by other means; on the other hand, if he had not been reported missing, no one would have been able to recognize him anyway, even if he had traveled regularly on the train and not hidden clandestinely.

 

[cenazoic]

How the hell did this kid; with no transport, no shoes and walking around with a sheet and a glass jar full of letters,

Not to mention enough rope to hang himself with.

 

[cenazoic]

Speaking of hanging, I just realized they never talk about how it was accomplished. Do they think he climbed the tree and threw himself off, or was there some sort of platform he stepped off of (no mention of anything like that)? Regardless, I’ve always assumed his shoes got kicked off during the hanging and LE just didn’t look too hard for them.

 

[Ciriii57]

Not to mention enough rope to hang himself with.

I thought he useed the sheet to hang himself? Was he also carrying rope?

(I must say, I find it unusual to use a sheet. I imagine if planning a suicide so thoroughly you would purchase a rope?)

 

[cenazoic]

I thought he useed the sheet to hang himself? Was he also carrying rope?

Of course it was a sheet, my bad! *hits forehead*. That’s what happens when you start free-associating too much (hanging=rope=incorrect statement).

 

[Rolypolyoly]

I'm wondering about the wording of the note that you mentioned upthread @Ciriii57 "bound to preserve domestic peace" do you think he maybe played on the "insure/ensure domestic tranquility" from the Constitution?, US law enforcement swear an oath to uphold the Constitution and protect its citizens rights, but I've read that different States also swear slightly different oaths of honour too.
I think I'm rambling now to be honest, it seemed like a reasonable idea when I started

 

[Rolypolyoly]

Speaking of hanging, I just realized they never talk about how it was accomplished. Do they think he climbed the tree and threw himself off, or was there some sort of platform he stepped off of (no mention of anything like that)? Regardless, I’ve always assumed his shoes got kicked off during the hanging and LE just didn’t look too hard for them.

Me too re the shoes. Especially if they were loafers.

 

[Ciriii57]

I'm wondering about the wording of the note that you mentioned upthread @Ciriii57 "bound to preserve domestic peace" do you think he maybe played on the "insure/ensure domestic tranquility" from the Constitution?, US law enforcement swear an oath to uphold the Constitution and protect its citizens rights, but I've read that different States also swear slightly different oaths of honour too.
I think I'm rambling now to be honest, it seemed like a reasonable idea when I started

That is along the lines I was thinking actually yes, something specific to a state or jurisdiction where this wording is used? I did a quick search and the closest thing I could find was indeed the US constitution and something about the 14th amendment.

 

[Ciriii57]

Regardless, I’ve always assumed his shoes got kicked off during the hanging and LE just didn’t look too hard for them.

Me too re the shoes. Especially if they were loafers.

Something in my mind just clicked when you bith mentioned the shoes. It might be wild speculation but :

Charles Wallace's mother asked to see BCJD's feet because there was something identifiable about them. So, if it is possible that Mrs Wallace either made a mistake or misindentified him on purpose (which I do think possible) then we might assume that Charles Wallace may have had to wear specially made shoes for whatever his foot problem was. If these shoes were specially made then they could probably identify him - it therefore stands to reason that he would get rid of his shoes.

I still find it totally weird that he would write a long note of explanation to his parents, and then leave a note asking for his parents not to be notified. That has never made sense to me at all; like why bother with the long letter to mum and dad, protected in a glass jar, if you don't want them to ever read it?

 

[Rolypolyoly]

Something in my mind just clicked when you bith mentioned the shoes. It might be wild speculation but :

Charles Wallace's mother asked to see BCJD's feet because there was something identifiable about them. So, if it is possible that Mrs Wallace either made a mistake or misindentified him on purpose (which I do think possible) then we might assume that Charles Wallace may have had to wear specially made shoes for whatever his foot problem was. If these shoes were specially made then they could probably identify him - it therefore stands to reason that he would get rid of his shoes.

I still find it totally weird that he would write a long note of explanation to his parents, and then leave a note asking for his parents not to be notified. That has never made sense to me at all; like why bother with the long letter to mum and dad, protected in a glass jar, if you don't want them to ever read it?

That is a very good shout!.

I have just gone back and read the article about Charlie's mum again, and I am pretty sure that he was Charlie's now. There is a description of the injury to his mouth, from a schoolyard fight, which required 40 stitches and ran from the inside of his cheek to his lip. The scar inside the mouth noted by the coroner ran from the side of the face to the mouth.

The article mentions that Charlie's mum was not decisive, she said it resembled him but just didn't look like him, but his feet were just like Charlie's.

I honestly think that because the body looks different in death, he looked just different enough to let her hold on to that little bit of doubt.

None of what she is reported to have said in that article leads me to believe she was confident in her assertion that he wasn't her son, quite the opposite actually.

Adding it all together with the dental records, the feet, the scar, the fact that the she said the note sounded just like Charlie speaking to them, it's hard to find much room for doubt IMO.

 

[Romulus]

I think this case will be resolved when the body is actually exhumed, they know where but they don't know the precise location; do you know if Charlie Wallace had brothers or sisters? So as to do the DNA test and at least get something.

 

[Rolypolyoly]

I think this case will be resolved when the body is actually exhumed, they know where but they don't know the precise location; do you know if Charlie Wallace had brothers or sisters? So as to do the DNA test and at least get something.

He definitely had brothers.

 

[Sweetluv]

His Mom may still be alive...
I cannot find any info on Charlie, besides the newspaper article about Mrs. Wallace viewing the body, being missing. Do we know if an actual report was made?

 

[Rolypolyoly]

Also noting from the article, Charlie disappeared in February and he was angry that his father wouldn't let him come home from the Memphis halfway house yet, saying he thought it was too soon.
It also states he had tried to take his life more than once before, and he was intelligent, scoring 119 out of 120 on the naval exam.

I also noticed that his parents had been in New Orleans 20 years before, and Charlie was 19. Maybe the area held a special memory for the Wallace's?.

 

[Sweetluv]

Where did Charlie go missing from ..the halfway house and do we have a date?