Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-04-22
SANITY ISSUE OF
EXTORTION CASE
ALLEGED BLACKMAILER MAY
BE UNBALANCED
is EXAMINED BY ALlENlST AT
RECEIVING HOSPITAL
Friends of Accused Declare Young
Man Is Not Responsible for
Attempts to Effort
Money

Whether Roland Raymond Ritchey
was insane at the time he wrote
threatening letters to DR.. w. L.
Graves, vice president of the Mer-
chants National bank, probably will
be the main question in the trlal OF
the young man.
Justice Roses court yesterday after
noon on a complaint sworn to by De
tective Joe Ritch, charging him with
intent to eXtort money from Or,
Graves by sending letters embodying
threats to poison and kill. The COM
plant was based on letter No. 8, dated
April Is, in which DR.. Graves was
directed to place $4,000 in fives, tens
and twenties on a mantel in a VACANT
house at 2277 West Thirtieth street, IL
he wished to avoid a violent death.
Ritchey was taken into court several
minutes after the issuance of the COM
plant. He seemed daZed on his en-
trance and walked slowly and in
faltering manner
He had but little to say when ar
raigned. He seemed to be extremely
nervous and stood with his head
bowed. his eyes directed upward, and
frequently brushed his hands across
his face while the complaint against
him was being read.
Mrs. Ritchey, the young wife of the
accused, was not in the court room
at the time. Yesterday morning she
became historical in the city jail while
conversing with her husband and was
taken into the receiving hospital.
Later she became more composed and
friends took her to her home.
Engages Attorney
When asked as to when he would
| I, trio
did not know; that he had engaged
Attorney Campbell, who promised to
be in court At this moment informa-
ton was received that the attorney
was on his way to the court and
would arrive in a short time. A re-
cess then was taken, and on the APP
pearance of the attorney for the de-
| PENDANT the preliminary hearing was
set for April &c. BY an ironieal CO.
incidence, Ritchey's bonds were fixed
at $3OOO the amount he is alleged to
| have attempted to eXtort from DR..
| Graves.
Soon after the arraignment of
Ritchey he was taken into the receiv-
ing hospital and subjected to an eX-
haustive examination by DR.. c. H.
| Allen. an expert on insanity and nerv-
Gus diseases, who has been engaged by
relatives and friends of the accused to
ascertain the exact condition of the
| young mans mind.
In response to questions by DR..
! Allen, Ritchey stated that he was of
a nervous temperament and that his
memory was bad. He declared he did
not know he had written the letters
and insisted that he did not intend tc
carry out his threats
DR.. Allen would not give his opinion
and stated that in cases of nervous
disorders only a close observation OF
the patient can determine whether
the person is insane.
Has No Decisions
Ritchey has no decisions that have
been discovered. says the expert. The
physician stated that only close watch
of the young mans daily actions would
reveal anything out of the ordinary.
He intimated that Ritchey might
have been suffering from delusior
that he had been wronged by DR.
! Graves and thus prompted to send the
| letters.
The relatives and friends of the ac-
cused do not believe he is guilty and
think he must have been mentally I'M
balanced when the letters were writ
ten.
1t is not probable that Ritchey vii
be taken to the county hospital fol
observation. but will be kept at he city
Jail and watched.
| In order to be positive that the type
writer which was used by Ritchey was
the one on which the threatening let
tiers We're written, an expert Will be
engaged to compare the writing ano
make other tests