Alonzo Walton

Alonzo Walton was born to Otis Barton (1876-1938) and Sophia Walton (1880-1935) on 8 March 1894 in McLean, Illinois; Sophia would have been 13-14 years old at the time, Otis, 17. The pair do not appear to have married pre-Alonzo’s birth; Sophia Walton married Emanuel Lamarr (1875-1951) in 1906, and had two children, William (1908-1966) and Ruth (1910-1945) Lamarr. Sophia Walton and Emanuel Lamarr do not have a divorce record, yet Sophia and Otis Barton marry in Detroit on 15 February 1919. By 1930, Sophia is again married to Lamarr, living in Detroit with their children and Otis Barton as a roomer.

In the 1890s, Walton attended Illinois State Normal University’s training school, a K-12 program,

“Training school teachers back in the ‘90s remember Alonzo Walton as a very mischievous and naughty little colored boy both in school and out. He never reached the high school, but he reached the front…”.

Alonzo lived with his maternal grandparents in Normal, Illinois from his childhood into teens, after his grandfather John’s death in 1912, he continued living with his grandmother, hosting her into the late 1920s. In the 1910s, he worked as a laborer, later for a plastering contractor.

The Vidette. Illinois State Normal University. 14 May 1919.

Walton served in Co. K, 8^th Infantry, Illinois National Guard as a Private First Class from 23 June 1916 to 11 August 1917 for duty on the Mexican Border. He was mustered into service with MG Co. 3, 370^th Infantry Regiment, 93^rd Division, AEF, and left Newport News, Virginia aboard the U.S. Army Transport Ship President Grant on 7 April 1918. Then-Private Walton received the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions at Rue Lamcher and Point D’Amy, France on 7-9 November 1918,

“The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Private Alonzo Walton (ASN: 1401373), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Machine-Gun Company, 370th Infantry Regiment, 93d Division, A.E.F., at Rue Lamcher and Point D’Amy, France, November 7 – 9, 1918. When his company had been separated from their food supply for two days, Private Walton twice volunteered, taking a machine-gun cart, and under heavy fire located the kitchen and brought back much-needed food.”

Private Walton and MG Co. 3 left Brest, France aboard the U.S. Army Transport Ship La France on 2 February 1919, arriving in New York on 9 February. He was Honorably Discharged on 24 February.

“The Chicago Tribune Friday morning carried an article noting that Alonzo Walton, a Normal boy, had been awarded a distinguished service cross for his work in battle…Walton is well known in this city, where is various boyish dare-devil tricks had marked him as one who would be capable of accepting a difficult undertaking and of putting it thru”.  

The Pantagraph. Bloomington, Illinois. 31 October 1916.

The Pantagraph. Bloomington, Illinois. 8 February 1919.

Upon arrival home, Walton married Hazel Belle Duncan (1898-1970) in June of 1919, the couple had one child, Arlene Triona (1920-1993). Hazel Belle Duncan attended Illinois State Normal University from 1917-1919, where it is likely she received a teaching certificate.

“The bride was formerly a student at the Normal University. It was while she was attending school here that Mr. Walton and she became acquainted. The groom is a well known resident of Normal. He returned a few weeks ago from several months of active service in France”.

In the 1920s, the couple lived in Normal (406 E Locust St.), where Walton worked as a brick mason. The following decade would be troublesome for Walton, starting in 1921, when he was charged with disturbing the peace;

“The defendants [J.W. Enlow and Alonzo Walton] are alleged to have been in a fistic encounter in front of the Broadway garage yesterday afternoon”.

Then, nearly three months later;

“Alonzo Walton and James Louis, colored, both of Normal, put on a post-Fourth of July stunt near the water tower in the C & A yards, northeast of Normal, shortly before noon yesterday, when Walton made a trip to that spot to call on Louis while the latter was at work. Walton took a gun with him and introduced himself by firing at Louis four times, failing to hit him, although an oak track gauge that Louis was holding probably saved his life by warding off one of the bullets…The trouble started Monday evening. It seems that Walton went to Peoria Monday, leaving his wife at home and, it is reported, he took another woman with him. Louis, according to Mrs. Walton, came to her house Monday night and insulted her. The next morning Walton made his ‘call’ on Louis, and some say, it was a very close call for the host. Both men have police records here”.

In August of the same year;

“Alonzo Walton was arrested again yesterday afternoon on charges preferred by Morris Tick, of Bloomington. He paid the debts owed and was released”.

In September, Walton was indicted for assault with a deadly weapon for the charges of “firing five shots at James Lewis”.

In 1922, Walton was fined $7.80 for disturbing the peace.

In 1925 Hazel Belle Duncan Walton filed for divorce that was ultimately not followed-through.

In 1926, Walton was shot,

“Alonzo Walton, colored, who was shot Wednesday night while Normal officers were searching for two colored tramps, was reported resting easily at Brokaw hospital last night. Walton’s left leg was broken between the hip and knee by a charge from a riot gun. Walton was accosted by Special Officer William Pearl and continued walking away from Pearl, according to the latter, until the third command to halt. At the third command Pearl claims that he turned and struck a menacing position and it was then that he was shot. The charge entered his leg from the side and in front”.

He recovered, and by 1930, was working as a plasterer for a masonry company in Jacksonville, Illinois (1134 Lincoln Ave).

In 1933, Walton was charged on assault;

“Alonzo Walton was arraigned yesterday in the court of Justice J.W. Jackson on a charge of assault and attempt to steal. The arrest of Walton was made by Sheriff F.J. Blackburn on a complaint filed by Robert Ferreira. A preliminary hearing was set for nine o’clock this morning and Walton was committed to the county jail to await his appearance in court. On Saturday night Walton is alleged to have walked into the grocery store operated by Ferreira on North East street and helped himself to an arm load of groceries. When Ferreira attempted to resist such action, Walton attacked him and injured the complainant’s hands. Several bottles and boxes were reported to have been thrown by Walton before he was chased from the store, a bottle of catsup being thrown a glass door”.

In 1935, Walton was involved in one final incident;

“Alonzo Walton, 41, colored, was shot and fatally wounded about 9:30 o’clock last night, in front of the Coultas restaurant on North Sandy street, and Samuel Coultas, proprietor, is being held by police, charged with firing the shot that killed Walton. According to a statement given by police by Coultas, an argument proceeded the shooting. Coultas claims that he had just returned to his place of business from his home and that Walton and several other men were congregated in front of the restaurant and that he asked them to move on. Coultas entered his restaurant and when the men did not move he came to the outside and requested them to clear the doorway, according to the story told the police. When Mr. Coultas asked the men to move on, he told police that Walton reached for his back pocket and uttered some words, not understood by Coultas, who is deaf. Coultas told the officers that when he saw Walton reach for his pocket, he pulled a pistol from his pocket and fired. Walton slumped to the pavement with a mortal wound in the left temple.

Police were quickly on the scene…He died within ten minutes before Drs. T.O. Hardesty and Ellsworth Black arrived…Walton has been a resident of Jacksonville for several years. He is married and has one daughter. The remains were taken to the Gillham Funeral Home. Coroner E.O. Sample will hold an inquest at the funeral home at seven o’clock tonight. Chief of Police Baker took charge of the case and brought in several witnesses for questioning. It is said several men witnessed the shooting”.

Walton died on 16 April 1935; he is buried in Diamond Grove Cemetery, Jacksonville, Illinois.

The Pantagraph. Bloomington, Illinois. 26 June 1919.

The Pantagraph. Bloomington, Illinois. 27 April 1921.

The Pantagraph. Bloomington, Illinois. 6 July 1921.

The Pantagraph. Bloomington, Illinois. 10 August 1921.

The Pantagraph. Bloomington, Illinois. 17 September 1921.

The Pantagraph. Bloomington, Illinois. 20 July 1922.

The Pantagraph. Bloomington, Illinois. 23 October 1925.

The Pantagraph. Bloomington, Illinois. 8 January 1926.

The Pantagraph. Bloomington, Illinois. 21 April 1933.

The Pantagraph. Bloomington, Illinois. 11 April 1933.

The Pantagraph. Bloomington, Illinois. 17 April 1935.