Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-06-27
A CASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY.

PRESS.
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A CASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY.
The Ryder case. i'm Charlotte county.
affords curious instance Of mistaken
identity. and ut the same time admon-
ishes would-be lynchers to be careful to
get the right man before they proceed
with the administration Of unofficial jus
tice."
The victim Of the assault in this in
stance was young woman named
Mrs. Bradbury. The account she gives
is that while in the pea-patch at her
mothers home, and engaged in thinning
the pea-vines. a white tramp suddenly
appeared before her, and by threats
forced her to accompany him to the woods
4 mile off. where he detained her for more
than two hours. She made no cutlery
and no resistance because her captor
told her that If she did he would put her
TO death then and there. When released
and within a short distance Of her
mothers house upon her return, she fell
in a faint. and in that condition was found
and taken TO her room. Soon afterwards
the alarm was given, and the neighbor-
hood was searched, and descriptions of the
offender were sent off TO various tele-
graph stations. Ryder was arrested al
Burlville the next day. though IL was
found that he did not fully answer the
description given. He protested his inno-
cence. said that he was in Danville on
the afternoon in question. gave the names
of persons with whom he had talked
in seeking work and subsequently, drew
a diagram Of the place where he met
several men, whom he asked should be
summoned as his witnesses.
Ryder readily consented to be taken
before Mrs. Bradbury, saying that she
would instantly declare he was not the
man. He was taken before Mrs. Brad
bury. and. alas, with confidence, she as
serted that he was the man. other resi-
dents of the neighborhood testified to see
ing a man like Ryder in the vicinity on
the afternoon of the occurrence in ques-
ton.
When the case was examined into by
n Justice Of the peace large number OF
determined men were present, and but
for doubts raised It Is not improbable
that they would have taken the prisoner
from the officers hands and hanged him.
But. TO the minds Of not a few. the tes-
timony was far from conclusive. The
result was that the Sheriff or his depu-
Ties were able to quietly withdraw with
los In y
Jail, at Smithville.
At the county seat Of Charlotte on the
day before yesterday, Ryder was brought
before the County Judge on an applca-
ton for bail BY this time the witnesses
from Danville had all arrived. Though
Mrs. bradbury continued to assert that
Ryds- was the guilty man, the Danville
witnesses fully proved that Ryder was in
Dany1lle at the time in question, and
no doubt was left upon the minds OF the
people that his accuser was badly mis-
taken.
Mind you, Ryder. who was a man going
from place to place seeking work. did not
so much as know the names OF the men
whom he had summoned in his behalf
from Danville. lie gave to his counsel a
diagram and description Of the place
where these Witnesses would be found,
and with this information the witnesses
were found and brought into court 1t
Is not necessary for us to so into the
details OF the testimony before the County
Judge. but from what we can learn
Ryders abb was established by
thoroughly dsinterested witnesses. and
the Judge ollowed bail in the sum Of
500
Publications have been made which as
sert that Ryder would have been lynched
as soon as he was identified by Mrs.
Bradbury before the justice. but for the
promptness and sccretness with which the
sherinrs officers removed the prisoner.
We hear that this probably does the
people Of the neighborhood injustice We
cannot but applaud the promptness and
discretion exhibited by the officers. but
we are told that after tne Justices ex-
animation the crowd was convinced that
the case was one which ought to be
passed upon by judge and jury. Ryder
has not yet been able 10 give bail, but
the sum In which bail was fixed shows
that the Judge considers that there Is
"only light suspicion Of guilt" Ia his
case.
Mr.. Bradbury's character stands IN
Challenged before the court. and we must.
therefore. attribute her so-calied identia-
cation OF Ryder to one Of those errors,
OF which the court records are not with
out notable instances. 1t may be sur
missed that though she was with her cap
tor two hours. fear had possession OF
her faculties. and left her with mental
Impressions which are not to be relied
upon
The country along the lire OF the prin-
cioal railroads IA this State is fl!ed with