NEWS: Death of Drs. Selby and Wallace, Oct. 17, 1930, Dover, York County, PA

Contributed and transcribed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Abby Bowman

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News Comet, East Berlin, PA

October 17, 1930

Death Robs Dover of Its 2 Doctors

The borough of Dover is without the services of a resident physician, death 
having removed both its doctors within a period of fourteen hours.  Dr. N. C. 
Wallace died Sunday from injuries suffered Sept. 27 when he was struck by an 
automobile, and Dr. R. Wilson Selby, who was also the chief burgess of the town, 
passed away Monday at Richmond, Va.

Dr. Selby suffered an injury to his foot, several months ago, which, at first 
seemed not to be of a serious nature.  After treatment at the West Side 
sanitarium, his condition improved, and he decided to spend a vacation in 
Virginia, his native state.  He drove his automobile to Richmond himself, a trip 
which aggravated the injury to his foot.  While in Richmond, his condition 
became worse and he was admitted to the Johnson and Wills hospital there about 
Sept. 22.  He failed to respond to treatment, blood poisoning developed on Sept. 
29, paralysis set in the following day and he went into a state of 
unconsciousness, from which he never fully emerged.


Burial in Virginia

Surviving Dr. Selby are his widow and a daughter, Miss Harding Selby.  His age 
was 46 years.  He was a member of the Masonic order and of the Episcopal church.

Dr. Selby served in the U.S. army during the World war, being commissioned a 
first lieutenant in 1918.

Before going to Dover in December, 1927, Dr. Selby practiced at Middleburg, Va.  
In Dover, he took over the practice of Dr. J. C. Hamme, who moved his family to 
Edinburg, Texas.  At the fall election in 1929, Dr. Selby was chosen chief 
burgess of Dover.  He was an active member of the Dover Union Fire and Hose 
company.


Dr. Wallace Well Known

Dr. Wallace, one of the best known physicians in the county, was aged 75 years.

Dr. Wallace was a native of Dover township, and was of Scotch and German 
descent.  His paternal great-grandfather, Adam Wallace and his wife, Barbara 
Godfrey Wallace, settled in Dover township after buying on May 18, 1811, a 
homestead about two miles east of Dover.  The physician was one of 11 children, 
only two of which are now living.

He was married to Clara Anna Aughinbaugh, who died about a year ago.

Early in life the doctor manifested a great desire for knowledge.  He attended 
the public schools of Dover and Conewago townships under the instruction of his 
father, who was a teacher.  After attending a session in Union seminary, New 
Berlin, Union county, and another at a select school for boys at Mechanicsburg, 
he began to teach school at 15 years of age.


Studied While Teaching

For several years following, his time was occupied teaching during the winter 
and attending the state normal school at Millersville during the summer.  At 
this time, he taught in the Dover grammer school and in Emig's school, Dover 
township.  He was graduated from this institution in the class of 1879.  During 
the summers of 1880, 1881, and 1883, while studying medicine, he taught a select 
school in Dover for the preparation of teachers.  In this school he was so 
successful that for a number of years nearly all the schools of Dover township 
were taught by graduates of his school.

Dr. Wallace entered Jefferson Medical college in the fall of 1881, and was 
graduated from that institution in 1883.  After taking a post-graduate course of 
one year in Philadelphia, he located in the spring of 1884 in Dover, where he 
has been in continuous practice, although in later years he no longer practiced 
as extensively as formerly.

He was a member and past president of the York County Medical society and served 
at one time as a member of its board of censors.  He was a former member of the 
Dover town council and was borough treasurer for five years and postmaster of 
the same borough for 11 years.  In politics he was a Republican, and in religion 
a Lutheran.  He was a past president and served as trustee of Washington camp, 
No. 55, P.O.S. of A., and was a member of the York lodge, No. 266, F. and A. M.

Dr. Wallace leaves a daughter, Mrs. Mabel Benn, of Santa Barbara, California; a 
brother, Howard Wallace, Washington township; a sister, Emma Wallace, also of 
Washington township, and a granddaughter, Marguerite Wallace, of Indiana.

Funeral will be held next Sunday at 2 p.m.  Interment will be made in Salem 
church cemetery.


Exonerate Driver

Dale J. Baughman, 16-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. H. U. Baughman, driver of the 
automobile which fatally injured Dr. Wallace, was exonerated of all blame 
following an informal hearing conducted by Coroner L. U. Zech.

Seven witnesses, including young Baughman, were sworn in and testified.  Mrs. E. 
J. Shoemaker, seated in a parked automobile at the scene of the accident, was an 
eye-witness.  She testified that Dr. Wallace, who was 75 years old, had come out 
of his office, walked up the middle of the street on the trolley car tracks and 
gazed up into the sky several times, an odd fashion of his.  He waled directly 
into the path of Baughman's car, she stated.

Her testimony was corroborated by Curvin Boyer, Edward M. Spahr, Harry Neiman, 
Richard Lankford and Richard Crone, the last two being companions of Baughman in 
the car at the time.  Boyer said that he had just left the office with Dr. 
Wallace and saw the physician walk down the middle of the street, gazing now and 
then at the sky.  Baughman himself said he did not see Dr. Wallace, the 
headlamps of an approaching automobile blinding him for the moment.  He said he 
was driving between 15 and 20 miles an hour and stopped immediately after 
striking the doctor.  It was his opinion that the car did not hit Dr. Wallace, 
but that the latter walked into the side of it, putting forth his hands to 
protect himself, an action which caused him to be thrown violently backward onto 
the hard surface highway.

It was brought out at the hearing that Dr. Wallace had the habit of walking in 
the street in an absent-minded sort of way, and that his friends had repeatedly 
warned him against it.

Dr. Zech announced after the hearing that he exonerated Baughman of all blame, 
holding that the testimony showed that Dr. Wallace's eccentric habit of walking 
in the street and gazing at the sky had been entirely responsible for the 
accident.