Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-08-10


| only reason that said be not gentleman.
''kendrick went to see Wheeler and told him
| about it and urged him. as / believe. to have it
out with me. met Wheeler on the road sew
| eral times and he spoke as we passed, but he
never said word to me about what had told
Kendrick, and that is one reason have for be-
lieving that Kendrick and possibly others put
him up to come over to my house.
THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE SHOOTING.
"Wednesday afternoon" he continued, 81
was sitting on the front porch stemming to-
bacco when boy came in and told me that
Wheeler wanted to zee me at the fence. had
the pistol in NV pocket at the time and it was
| wrapped IN handkerchief. /, however, had
no idea that would have to use it When
reached the gate / saw that Wheeler was very
angry, and as our conversation continued he
became worse until he got out Of the buggy.
He said to me, You Internal scoundrel
III
Just then he reached for fence rail and
he also reached in his buggy, and thinking
he meant what he said / took the handkerchief
from around the pistol and shot him. l shot
him in self-defense, 1 had every reason to
believe that he intended to murder me.
After l shot him my nephew asked me what
we had best do, and told him that we had bet
ter put the wounded man in his buggy and
drive him home. The reports Of the pistol
shots had caused the horse to walk of up the
road, and went and brought the animal back.
Then lifted Wheeler into the buggy. He was
not dead, but he died in a few minutes and
when met two men on the road got them to
drive the buggy to Wheelers house."
no INTENTION OF ESCAPING.
Here suggestion was made concerning his
escape, but he said: 81 never had the slightest
intention Of escaping; il had 1 would never
have been found going to Port Tobacco. Az
soon as turned the horse and buggy over to
the other men went to see neighbor who
Ovvad ma OYna and ua1 fov 60
settle bill of Sif25 that owed at . store.
The bill was not due and / told him to settle it
by the list Of September. From there / went
to the house and changed my clothes and then
i started for Port Tobacco to give myself up
to Sheriff Adams. When on the road near
Hill Top met Mr.. Luttrell, 9 farmer and
another man. had the pistol in my pocket
then. The men were looking for me, and when
they neared me told them would surrender
and give up the pistol only on condition that l
would be taken direct to Port Tobacco and not
back in tine direction of Nanjemoy. They
promised to do as / had suggested and so gave
up my weapon and accompanied them. In
stead of doing they had promised they
turned around and took me all the way back
to Price Gray's store, reaching there after sun
down.
Il knew, said the man charged with murder,
shat something other than foul play was
meant. but IL it had been decided to lynch me
had made up my mind not to die like cur.
PREPARATIONS FOR LYNCHINa.
"After We had been in the store . short while
and was sitting on box some one said that
the men were q long time coming, and the rope
which was intended to hang me with was
brought in and laid beside me, but the men
from the lower part Of the county did not ar
rive. You can lynch me and choke me to
death, told them, but I'll fight till hell freezes
over
There was kept all night until the magis-
trate made out a commitment and deputized
Luttreu to take ME to the Jail. knew if l
could get there that Sheriff Adams would pro-
tect me-"
Speaking Of himself Rye said that before
this be had never been in any trouble in his
life. He is now over sixty years old and was
never arrested before. He lived in Washing
ton nearly twenty years of his life. spending
most of his time in South Washington. where
he was a member of Eastern Lodge of Odd Fell
lows. His wife, who still lives there, is pretty
well to do, but she has nothing to do with her
husband.
WHY HE LEFT HIS WIFE.
Thirteen years ago." said Rye, my wife
told me to leave and did so without saying .
word or causing any trouble, as many others
would, and / have not troubled her since that
day. 1 went south and worked for my living,
and during the time was there never had a
cross word with any one"
The people here do not take much stock in
Rye's plea of self-defense. He either had
right to kill Wheeler on sight, they say, or else
he Is guilty Of murder. In the minds Of the
citizens his only justification can be to show
previous to the fatal meeting that he had a
right to kill on sight from the circumstances
that caused the trouble and not to say that he
was in danger of his life from a crippled man
who was unarmed. Nobody in the county
seems to sympathize with the prisoner, and
many are inclined to the belief that the shoot
ing resulted from a cause other than the one
stated, but that the cause was known only to
Rye, who did the shooting
ANOTHER CAUSE FOR THE SHOOTING.
1t is believed by these people that Rye went
armed for Wheeler and was glad of an oppor-
tunity to fire the fatal shot and have an excuse
for so doing. One of the leading residents of
the town stated Saturday night that Wheeler
and Rye had kept company with the same
woman, and he thought that Wheeler was not
aware of Rye's visits. while the latter was well
aware that Wheeler was paying her attention.
After killing Wheeler Rye reloaded his revol-
yer and put 1t in his pocket. He knew that
there would be feeling against him, and had
he known that Farmer LuttreH was going to
take him back to Gray's store instead Of bring
ing him here he would no doubt have hal the
blood Of another person to answer for.
The next meeting of the court is in Novem-
Der and Rye cannot be tried before that time
In the meanwhile he will have to content him
self in the little room of the Charles county
jail where Sheriff Adams serves him three
meals a day and provides him with q bucket of
fresh water each time. His food is much
better than the food furnished prisoners in
larger prisons, and Rye is perfectly satisfied
with his treatment at the hands Of the shel if
and his deputy.