The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-10-28
THE COR0NER'S INQUEST
HELD OYER THE BoDY oFJ.W. RICE
Number of witnesses Examined aud Much
Conflicting Testimony Given-one Tells
OF q Club with Spear In 1t.

The coroner's jury, made up OF Messrs
Emmett &. Taylor. George i. Browning
w. V. Clark. Henry Wood. w. II. Sales
and John J. Higgins. yesterday morning
viewed the body Of j. w. Rice. the VIC
tim OF the homicide OF Tuesday night az
JOS south Cherry street, his late resi-
dence. and then went 70 the Third pre-
! cinct station-house 10 hold the inquest.
Lewis r. Wade was the first witness
He did not seem TO wish to reply to the
| coroner's questions. and was gently re-
| minded that he could be punished II ne
] did not. so he became mere communlca-
| tive.
| He was the cause Of the row which led
to Rice's death. as he was put out OF
! Ryan's place, and on Rice's interference
| for him the trouble began.
| He said he was I'm the place with J. w:
and Robert Rice and PHI Parsley and
was put out by Ryan. Rice said II was
| bad treatment. Ryan took the stick from
! Rice and hit him. They had all had one
drink at Ryan's. Ryan would not sell
them any. He had only one drink that
evening. Did not know how Robert Rice
was struck. Robert Rice and Parsley
look j. W. Klcc nome. Tie saw no OtLeT
weapon besides the cane.
TIRE VICTIMS BRoTHER.
Robert L. Rice, Of 10 south Cherry
street. brother Of J. w Rice, testified
that Wade was drunk and the rest Of
them sober.
All drank in Ryan's and went out.
Wade was left there, who was thrown
out by Ryan
j. w. Rice told Ryan that was no way
to treat man after selling him whisky
to get him drunk" Jim told him he
would do any Of them in the same way,
and brother shook a cane at him. saying,
You would not do me so" Jim went
into the store and took off his coat, laying
it on some barrels OF -four.
Somebody shut the door so he could not
escape. 1 don't know whether It was
Ford or not. All doors except the front
were closed. He commenced looking
about the store. / thought he was look
ing for a pistol. He came out in few
moments and ran up to my brother. He
you now" No blows passed and no con-
Versation.
He had club or billy about one foot
long, and 1t looked like iron. Brother had
only a cane After several blows from
each side Jim caught my brothers cane
in his hand and hit him on the head with
the club. when brother fell. l started TO
pick him up and Jim struck me. Every
time he struck at brother sort Of
spear-like blade came out OF the club
sidewise. near the end.
Then Jim went in the house and took
brothers cane. He shut the door, but
came back In a few minutes and threw
the cane In the street. saying. Here's
your old cane called him
when he went back lie and
his family came to the door, when
said: "Why did you strike me- He
said: 60 you; I'll kill both OF
you" Brother shook the stick al him
over my head and said: you have killed
me-"
Ryan lodged the lick Then he went
back in the house. Then the brothers Of
Ryan threw stones at brother till he
reached home. Some lady came out-I
think Mrs. Ryan. l don't think brother
was conscious after he was hit. He
struck at Ryan with the metal end Of the
cane. The second blow Ryan caught it
by the end. I don't know whether the
first blow hit him or not.
THE PHYSICIAN.
DR.. J. NJ. Brannock, S13 west Main
street, testified that he was called 10
see Rice about 9 o'clock Tuesday even
ing. He was conscious and rational, and
replied TO questions. Did not seem in
clined to talk much, and complained Of
his arm and head, and thought his arm
was broken. 1t was not. however.
The left side of his head was hit and
his eye swollen. He did not examine the
arm. Rice did not give any account Of
the affair. He heard it happened at
Ryan's. Rice wanted me to let him alone
when / first spoke to him. I told him
he must go to bed, and his wife and I
put him in bed. ] believe he died at 5
O'Clock the next morning.
j. S. Ford, ia south Washington street.
said he was in Ryan's that evening.
Parsley, Wade and others | did not
Know we're there. Wade was put out for
making a disturbance while drunk
The others went out Rice complained
OF the treatment of Wade. Ryan asked
them 70 20 away but they staid there.
talking. Somebody struck at Ryan with
a cane, while he was on his steps. ]
don't know who. Ryan came back, took
off his coat and went outside. ! did not
see him take any weapon with him.
saw no more % the affair and heard
nothing outside. He brought back cane,
with a metal head. 1 saw nothing else
he had. He threw 1t in the street say
Ing take your cane?" Somebody called
him out through the window / don't
know who, and as he went out some
body struck his brother Frank, and RYAN
came back and shut the door.
Ford said he drank very seldom, and
had not had Il drink for two weeks back.
and never drank whisky. He did not think |
Ryan was drunk. ] stayed at the place
till $40 +. VI. when his brother John [
came.
OTHER TESTIMONY.
Pasco Johnson (colored). OF 1903 Cary |
street, saw Rice hit Ryan with a stick |
on the sidewalk in front Of the bar-room. /
Ryan hit Rice with the same stick. which !
be took from him. Ryan threw the stick /
IN the street and went I'm the house. I
went home and know nothing else CT It,
Police Officer J. II. Mcmillan testified I
10 arresting Ryan. He said he hit Rice
with cane in self-defense, after Rice hit
1tm. He did not say which Rice.
DR.. j. NJ. Winfree, 70l west Grace
street, said he was called 10 see deceased
IT 5:l5 o'clock on Wednesday morning
He had been dead a short while.
The verdict Of the coroner's Jury was
nat Rice came to his death on the 26th
lay Of October. 1892 from the effects OF
fracture Of the skull inflicted by James
Ryan on the 25th day Of October, 1892
The attorney for the Commonwealth
coionei N. L. SpotswCod, and the counsel
or the defense, Messrs. d. c. Richard
son and II. NJ. Smith. Jr, were present
There was some discussion between these
gentlemen, as 10 the Questioning ~ wit