Photo submitted by Ed Sproles Jr.

A deplorable accident happened in the Water Street yards of the Louisville and Nashville about 7:30 o’clock last night.

Mr. Alexander F. Dix, Jr., night car sealer at the Louisville and Nashville freight office, was standing between two cars on the freight house track, when suddenly a switch engine bumped against the string of cars.  The young man was just reaching up to seal one of the end windows in the car when the accident happened.  He was knocked down, one of the trucks of the car passing over his body and mangling it fearfully, and but for the fact that a negro switchman saw him fall and jerked the body out before the other truck struck it he would have been instantly killed.  The Louisville and Nashville surgeon was summoned at once, but the unfortunate young man was so covered with blood that there we no opportunity of ascertaining his injuries there.  He was sent at once to the Plant Hospital. 

There it was found that the wheels passed over both his hips, mangling them to a jelly, the flesh was torn from the bone in large pieces.  His hands were also badly mashed.  Notwithstanding all this suffering, the young man was perfectly conscious and talked hopefully.  He begged his mother and father not to grieve for him, as it made him suffer more.  Once he told the doctor he would be so happy if he could stop the pain for one minute.

Mr. Dix is the son of Rev. and Mrs. A. F. Dix of this city, and a brother of Mr. L. D. Dix, General Secretary of the Y. M. C. A.  He has been living here several years and during that time made many warm, staunch friends, who poured in a continual stream at the hospital last night anxiously inquiring about him.

Mr. Dix is a magnificent specimen of a man physically and this together with his cheerful spirit is the only ground the physicians have for hope of his recovery. 

Young Mr. Dix died at five minutes to 11 last night; he was conscious to within five minutes before he died.

(The above was copied from a clipping in Nellie Dix’s scrapbook, undated, unattributed.  Based on another clipping, this one probably was published in Mongomery Advertiser on a Thursday, September 21, 1899.  ESS)
 

 Directions:  The oldest part of Oakwood Cemetery  spreads out north and east from the intersection of Columbus and Ripley Streets in downtown Montgomery.  The newer addition is called East Oakwood Cemetery and is accessed by heading  east on the Upper Wetumpka Road which begins at the confluence of Columbus and Jefferson Streets.  Turn left into East Oakwood Cemetery.  This is somewhat confusing, in that, the Saint Margaret's Cemetery shares the same entrance.  Graves to the right of the main road are in the Saint Margaret's Cemetery, while the graves to the left are considered East Oakwood Cemetery.  Once in the cemetery, turn immediately to the left, then back to the right at the first opportunity.  This goes up toward the top of the hill and passes between 2 cedar trees.  The Dix plot is near the cedar tree on the left (west) between the road and the "Miller" marker.

 On the left, a double grave that marks the remains of both of Albert Sidney Dix's parents.  At the head of the granite gravestone is a marble pillow marker with his Confederate Veteran's information.  It is inscribed:
 

The birth months for AFD on the Confederate Veteran's pillow marker and the main gravestone are different.  The July date seems to be correct.

To the right (north) is the broken marble gravestone of their son, Alexander Franklin Dix Jr., and  their daughter, Mary Belle "Dollie Dix".

 The missing letters [shown in red] in the inscription are due to a broken and missing piece of the marble gravestone. 
 

I was curious about the names Dollie and Allie [see resolution below]engraved in the corners of the cement border around the marble marker.  I have used two sources that were in with Dad's (Francis Dix Whigham) family history items.  One is a schematic Dix family tree that goes back to when the Dix's came from England.  The other is a book that Mom (Mavis Vickery Whigham) had made.  Mom mentions a Dollie and a Will Allie as two of Albert Sidney Dix's siblings that are not included on the schematic (done in 1934 or 1935 per a hand written note on it).  I though Mom had "gotten off" a generation until I saw these inscriptions.  Now I thinking that Albert Sidney Dix's son Will Allie (Uncle Billy), was named for Albert's (younger) brother. 

Update  09/28/2001:  Martha found a book at the Samford University Library titled "The First 150 Years of the First Baptist Church of Montgomery".  In it was a reference  to "Mary Belle Dix (Dollie), daughter of Alexander Franklin Dix Sr."  I had incorrectly assumed that the "Mary" buried with Alexander Franklin Dix Jr., was his wife (we never found anything on AFD Jr.'s wife).  Martha also found in the Alabama State Archives microfilm, under "Dix" and "Clippings", the inscription from the gravestone above with the missing segments.  The letters in red are from the archive records and fills in the missing information from the broken gravestone.

OK, that takes care of the "Who's Dollie?" problem.  Now, this leaves the other name on the border of the gravestone is "Allie".  Since we now know that this grave contains the remains of two of AFD Sr.'s children, and that "Dollie" was the nickname for one buried there, it seems logical to assume that "Allie" was the nickname of the other -- Alexander Franklin Dix Jr. i.e., Allie, short for Alexander Jr.  It seems the "Will" half of "Will Allie" was an incorrect assumption on my mother's part when making the notes.

Case closed!

Thanks to Martha for making this connection!  RDW