Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1918-10-01
REFUSAL TO TESTIFY
CAUSES COMMITMENT
Witnesses in lagsdalc inquest Re-
iuSc Ia Answer Questions by Ooun-
~ Attorney As to Facts.

"''u iHELlc DOWNING, both OF whom
are held with Mack McCrady. "A city
pain clothcsmhn. In connection with
Iho killing of Fred Ragsdalc at the
NaHdalc roadhousc Saturday night
HeI" yesterday committed To jaiI py
'uS'l'r JOhn slack for contempt OF
'ourt IN refusing 10 testify at the
toiNner's inquest. They win stay
mere by the judges orders, until
hu'h umc as they feel as though they
W'Sh To answer the questions put 30
,He'h by the county attorney, George
N'eN's. Tho inquest was ordered
continued from day to day until
'',He witnesses answer the queries.
'orohers Inquest AZ To the cause
Iof death OF Fred Rags,iale rro.
Er"S5ed up TO the point where Lizzie
Downing and Cass Pitcock were pnt
on the sand. At tho order OF their
attorney, J. T.. Ingram. they refused
To answer questions on the ground
That they might incriminate them
selves
Il refuse to answer that question
because might ,ncrlmInate my
self.' said Pitcock In answc TO the
query by Reeves as TO whether he
ired the shot that killed Ragsdale.
Earlier In the hearing. Jimmie
smith stcpS"n Of Fred Ragsdalc.
testificd that he workcl with Rags
dale helping him run the roadhouse
near Fiat Rock. lie stated that be-
tween and I o'clock in the after
| noon, saturday, PHcock. McCrady,
Llzzie Downing and another woman
whose name ~ not known. with
TAXI driver named Con Morrison,
drove up TO the place and had some
near beer. They stayed "A half an
hour and returned about dark. They
started drinking again and In tho
meantime Ragsdale had gono TO
supper
According TO this boy. who is II
or 10 years old, after he had started
waiting on the crowd. McCndy be
come abusive. lie was drunk at tho
time, the boy said. and demanded
whisky. which the boy told him he
did not have. McCrady called him a
liar and choked and hit him. Here
Smith exhibited badly bruised
face. Next McCrady offered him
IS apiece for five shells that would
ut Is calibre gun. The boy then
stated that Pitcock had handed HIS
gun to McCrady.
Tho next thing the boy told Of was
OF Ragsdale coming In at the door
and demonstrating with McCrady for
striking him and McCrady asking
him II he would like a dose OF the
same thing. Ragsdale replied. said
the boy, that he I'D not want trouble
and asked McCrady and his crowd to
leave the place. Then, tho boy
says, McCrady fired, iagSdale fall
ing.
says McCrady Threatened Her.
Lizzie Ragsdale, wife OF Fred
Ragsdale, testified that she heard the
shots from her home, which Is but "a
short distance from the roadhouse. |
She ran toward the place and was |
met by Jimmie, who told her that |
Ragsdale had been shot Going to !
the place, she attempted TO be OF |
some assistance to Ragsdale. but Nc
Grady told her to stay away or she |
would get a dose Of the same medi-
cine. He still had the gun In his |
hand, she said. She was afraid, she
said, and ran out Of the house. She
said PitUock and McCrady stayed
about half an hour after that and
then stopped some men who were
passing in an automobile. asking
them to step In and look at Rags
iale, and later went TO town.
Blondy Burton, who was visiting
Fred Ragsdale at both times the
party wero at the house, testified
hat McCrady was drunk. lie saw
he difficulty the boy was having and
vent to tho house to get Ragsdale.
lie saw tho gun. he said. and heard
Ragsdale rem monstratc with McCrady
or abusing the boy. Before he
fepped through the door he heard
he shots fired. He then caught an
automobile and came to Tulsa after
he sheriff.
Con Morrison. the taxi driver,
Itated that he was hired about .
,'clock in tho afternoon and took
McCrady. Lizzie Downing
md the other woman out TO tho
They stayed there the
irst time but little while, going
N north short distance to a house
where they stayed few hours, re-
urnlng 10 the Ragsdale place about
lark. McCrady paid him off when
hey got there, $40 for three hours
10 had used the car. and sent the
econd woman TO town with him.
'oming back after the rest OF the
arty, MOTTlbOn met Ine am DulanCc
oming away from the Ragsdale .
lace, and did not stop there.
VIII Fight Inquest.
]. l.. Ingram, who is defending the
hree held before the coroner's in
u est, II is believed, will attack the
OF holding a coro-
er's inquest, as the state laws do
ot provide for a coroner. George
!. Reeves. county attorney, states
as his belief that the case is moth
AZ but cold -blooded murder. and
o Is going to prosecute II TO the
ullest extent OF which his office Is
apable.
The hearing will be continued
rom day to day at 1880 In the after
oon until such time az Pitcock and
he Downing woman feel they can
nswer the questions put to them by
he county attorney. The following
len make up the coroner's jury In
mis- case; c. T.. Dillon, A, h. Per
am, w. j. Elliston, w. W. Mccall,
i'm Bregassa and c. e.. Wilder.
Cass Pitcock has been for some
me past sergeant on the Tulsa
olice force, while since sometime in
lay Mack McCrady has been en-