Headline: Ritchie's Slayer Behind The Bars
Phillip Ritchie Murder: Post #3
From the December 28, 1906 edition of Harrisonburg Daily News.
Charles R. Roadcap who stabbed Philip Ritchie to death in Brock's Gap Christmas night, was brought to Harrisonburg last night on the Southern by Deputy Charles R. Fawley and locked up in jail. Roadcap was held responsible for the murder by a coroner's jury yesterday afternoon and was sent to the grand jury by Magistrate Cooper, after he had waived a preliminary hearing.
The coroner's jury convened at 10 o'clock yesterday morning at the home of Hinton Caldwell, where the killing took place and after viewing the body, began taking testimony.
Five witnesses were examined, three of whom were eye-witnesses to the killing. They were Mrs. Hinton Caldwell, the dead man's daughter; Nimrod Dove, who had accompanied Ritchie to the Caldwell house; Abbey Donavan, against whom Ritchie is alleged to have had a grievance; Calvin Bear, to whom Roadcap confessed on Wednesday; and Dr. C. S. Dodd, of Cootes' Store who performed an autopsy on the body.
According to the evidence introduced at the inquest the killing took place about 12 o'clock Tuesday night at the home of Hinton Caldwell, who married Phil Ritchie's daughter. The Caldwell house is about half a mile from Ritchie's house and is on the road from Broadway to Fort Seybert, W. Va., being located in a ravine near the foot of the Pendleton Mountain; fives miles southwest of Fulk's Run. Roadcap and Abbey Donavan went to the Caldwell house early in the evening with a jug of liquor. After that Donavan went to Ritchie's and gave the later's cook, Sallie Shoemaker, some whiskey.
Ritchie came home from Fulk's Run about 11 o'clock Christmas night. He had been drinking and had some liquor with him at the time. He offered the Shoemaker woman a drink, but she had told him Donavan had given her enough to get drunk. In reply to a question from Ritchie, she told him Donavan was at Hinton Caldwell's. When Ritchie learned that Donavan was at his daughter's house, while her husband was away in West Virginia working in the lumber camps, he became enraged and said that he was going and drive him away. He left his home accompanied by Nimrod Dove, a man sixty years of age.
Upon reaching Caldwell's Ritchie inquired for Donavan, and his daughter told him that he and Charles Roadcap were upstairs in bed. Ritchie called for them to come down, which they did in a few minutes. When the two came down Ritchie picked up a stick about three feet in length and nearly an inch in diameter, with which he made as if to strike Roadcap. The latter told him not to hit him, as he was looking for his cap. Ritchie ordered them out of the house and they started to leave, Ritchie following them to the porch. He struck at them once or twice with the stick and just as they neared the edge of the porch Roadcap wheeled upon him with an open knife in his hand.
Roadcap drove the knife into Ritchie's left side, less than inch from the heart. Withdrawing the weapon, Roadcap fled, followed by his victim who was wearing a heavy overcoat at the time.
When the party reached a point about fifty yards from the house, Donavan and Ritchie turned on Ritchie and began pelting him with rocks. Unable to withstand the assault, the wounded man ran back to the house, stumbled, and fell just inside the doorway. His daughter caught him as he was falling and the two went to the floor together. Just at that moment Mrs. Caldwell's baby began to cry and the mother hurried to quiet the infant, thinking her father had merely fallen in a drunken stupor. Dove, who had remained at Ritchie's side during the entire fracas, thought the same and both he and Mrs. Caldwell had went to bed. Toward daylight Dove awoke and called Ritchie. Receiving no answer he went to the man's side and found him dead. Dove then went to the home of Tim Roadcap, three miles distant from the scene of the killing, and telephoned to 'Squire Cooper.
Dove testified that on the way back to the house, after Donavan and Roadcap had rocked Ritchie, the latter said to him, "The - - - stabbed me." Witness replied that he reckoned not, but Ritchie insisted that the had, saying that he felt the blood running. Dove said he paid no attention to the remark, thinking that Ritchie was too much under the influence of liquor to know what he was doing or saying.
Mrs. Caldwell testified that Roadcap, Donavan, and her father were all drinking, but that Ritchie was very full of liquor.
Cal. Bear, who lives near Oak Grove Church testified that Roadcap had come to his home Wednesday afternoon and after telling him that he had stabbed Ritchie, asked him for advice. Witness advised Ritchie to give himself up to 'Squire Cooper, which he did about 6 o'clock that evening.
Dr. C. S. Dodd, of Cootes' Store, performed an autopsy on the body yesterday morning. Dr. Dodd described the wound before the coroner's jury, saying that the knife had entered the left side between the fourth and fifth ribs a distance of 5-8 inches. The course of the wound was downward, backward, and inward, penetrating the muscles of the heart nearly two inches, but not touching the main organ. Dr. Dodd said that in his opinion the wounded man could not have lived over five minutes. He was probably dead when he struck the floor.
Magistrate Cooper, who lives about eight or ten miles from the scene of the killing, near Oak Grove reached the Caldwell house late in the afternoon Wednesday. He found the body lying on the floor with the clothing saturated with blood. The face was badly discolored as were also the fingernails, showing plainly that Ritchie had bled to death. Ritchie had fallen on the side of his face and one leg was doubled beneath him. It was late in the afternoon before the magistrate got in communication with Coroner Firebaugh and Commonwealth's Attorney Conrad, and after he had received instructions as to what proceedings he should take in the matter it was too late to take any action Wednesday night.
Deputy Sheriff Fawley, of Fulk's Run, was in West Virginia at the time of the killing and was on his way home when Magistrate Cooper notified him that Roadcap had surrendered. Officer Fawley went to the scene at once and took charge of the prisoner about 9 o'clock Wednesday night. Mr. Fawley experienced considerable difficulty in securing a jury, the greater number of the residents of the section within a radius of eight or ten miles of the scene of the crime being related either to Ritchie or to Roadcap. The coroner's jury was in session until after 2 o'clock yesterday afternoon. The verdict was as follows:
"We the jury find that Phillip Ritchie came across death by a wound inflicted to the left side by a knife in the (illegible) of Charles R. Roadcap." The following were the jurors: John A. Fawley, foreman; Wade O. Fawley, William C. Fawley, G. W. (illegible), A. R. Shickel, Chas. L. Mill(illegible), J. C. Cooper, magistrate, acting coroner.
Commonwealths Attorney Conrad, and Deputy Sheriff E. J. Carickhoff went to the scene of the murder yesterday morning, arriving there shortly after the coroner's inquest was begun. They were present throughout the inquiry, Mr. Conrad conducting the examination of the witnesses.
Immediately after the inquest Magistrate Cooper issued a warrant charging Roadcap with the willful and premeditated murder of Philip Ritchie. The prisoner waived a preliminary hearing and was committed to jail for the action of the grand jury. Deputy Fawley started for Harrisonburg with his prisoner at once.
Roadcap talked freely about the killing with several people yesterday. He said he stabbed the latter because the latter was crowding him with a club. On the way to jail, he appeared to be downcast, evidently realizing the gravity of his offense. He is twenty-four years of age and the son of Amby Roadcap. His reputation is said to be none too good, having frequently been mixed up in drunken carousals and various disorderly affairs. He is about five feet eight inches. He wore a heavy overcoat to the jail.
Ritchie was between 50 and 55 years of age and leaves a wife and several children at the time he was killed. Ritchie wore a heavy overcoat, while his assailant was dressed very (illegible). He also leaves several brothers and sisters. He will be buried today from Oak Grove church.
The knife with which the stabbing was done was found on Roadcap's person by Deputy Sheriff Fawley. It is an ordinary pocket knife with two blades, the one with which Ritchie (Illegible...)
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