Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1876-12-01

DOWNFALL VI Uil6 OCCulICllCC anu w IeL Jill
if VIM. l. Mowry repaired to the scene
where jury Of inquest was impannelled
with Hon. a. B. Lightner, foreman and
Messrs. H. Malaney, VIM. J. Fix, Jas. f.
Ball, James B. Thomas, and A. NJ. Jor-
dan.
DR.. C. A. Brown who had been called in
at the time of the occurrence testified that
he found Mr.. Rippetoe already dead, the
blow from he knife having severed both
the jugular vein and carotid artery.
There was no other wound but there were
one or two cuts in the clothing. In the
pocket of the deceased Dr.. B. found a
pocket knife closed.
STORY OF AN EYE WITNESS.
James W. Patterson, a young man about
"a years of age and q companion OF Wren,
who saw the deed testified as follows:
Sam Wren came with me Monday even
ing about dark from my home to church at
Buffalo Gap. 1t was after o'clock. We
went in church and sat. down. He said a
lady had given him a note for his sister
Beclzie and added II will 60 out and read
it'' He went out OF church and presently
came back and went over IN another part
of the congregation. He then nodded his
head to me and got up and walked out
of church with him. He said "Press Rog-
ers has told John Rippetoe some damn lies
on me and he is trying to make me out a
liar about it and [ mean to cut --- out
of him, d s-n Of q b-h." | said no Sam
[ wouldn't +; don't have any fuss here. 1
walked towards the store with him and
we met Reppetoe just as he got off the
stile at The store, Sam Wren said to him,
'Press Rogers amt here but he'll be here
directly and I'll face you in that thing. l
wasn't at your saw mill tuat day" Ripe
toe said, Il Say you WAS Sam. "Wren said,
II say l wasn't" Rippetoe caught him
in the bosom and said ''Sam don't call me
a liar Wren reached in his pocket and
pulled out his knife and opened it. Ripe
toe pulled his knife out. don't remem-
Der whether he opened it OF not, Or wheth-
er he let so his hold. Sam up and stabbed
him. Sam didn't say word but wheeled
to run and Rippetoe after him followin G
him to the corner Of the fence, about Is
yards. Rippetoe turned there and came
back, l met him and he said, "that man
has killed me-" I said 'soh I reckon not,
you go on in the store" He fell on his
hands and knees. 1 didn't look back at
him. 1 didn't want anything to do with
it. There WAS nobody else present.
Coroner Gushing GU say that after
coming out with Wren, and hearing his
threats and seeing him stab the man, and
seeing Rippetoe fall to the ground on the
snow, and with nobody present to assist
you, you turned and walked off
Witness-Yes; I didn't want to have
anything to do with it. 1 went to the back
window Of the church and looked in, and
then went in and told Myrtle of it. I
never heard Wren make any threats against
Rippetoe but those I have stated. My
brother, G. F. Patterson, came oyer to the
church, and said ''That man is dead.''
Coroner Gushing did you do
p Witness-I just stood around here. Sam
kept on running up the road l never saw
him afterwards.
WHEN THE KNIFE WAS BORROWED.
Rev. J. A, Rulay testiied-When [ took
the pulpit Monday evening, it was early
candle light. James Patterson and Sam
uel Wren came into the house. While 1
was giving out the hymn, Wren went out
and while we were singing the last two
lines of the hymn, he came back and Dor
rowed a knife from Mr.. Spiece. He then
went to the door and looked back and mo-
toned to James Patterson to follow him.
and Patterson followed him. He was out.
not more than q minute, when Patterson
opened the door and motioned to Frank
Patterson, who also got up and went out
WHO LOANED IT.
James w. Spiece testifed-Sam Wren
came into church and borrowed my knife.
| thought he wanted to make q fire in the
stove. He went out, and in five minutes
l heard of John Rippetoe's death.
THE EYE WITNESS NARRATIVE REPRO
DUCED.
James n. Myrtle testifed-I was in
church; Sam Wren came in and asked me
where young Rogers was. 1 told him he
wasn't there. He made 10 reply, and then
becllnned for James Patterson to go out
with him, and Patterson went out. In five
minutes Patterson opened the door and
beckoned for me TO come out. a-d I went
out-and he told me that Sam Wren had
stabbed John Rippetoe. Patterson then
told me how it occurred. HE. witness
gave Patterson's statement, which was the
same that Patterson made to the inquest,
except that he said that Wren said to Rip
petoe You are liar,' and Rippetoe then
said Don't call me liar," and that Wren
when he plunged the knife into Rippetoe,
sad 'God damn YOU ! After Patterson
told me this, [ went out to find Rippetoe,
and saw man lying at the stile I thought
it was Bob Wren drunk. but from the
whiskers and high forehead recognized the
man to be Rippetoe. I went in and told
Mr.. Tierney in the store. james Patterson
told me not to tell what he told me- I
know Of no former ill feeling Letween Rip
petOe and Wren.
MI. Lightner-Did Rippetoe owe Wren
anything?
Witness-I only know what I heard last
summer-that he owed him something, but
meyer heard there was any trouble about
it; never heard Wren threaten Rippetoe.
WHAT LED TO THE TRAGEDY.
MI. John Tierney, who kept the store in
the village. testifed-Mr. Rippetoe came
to the store Monday evening to pay me for
a railro ID ticket that he bought in the
morning to go to Staunton. He was sit