Horror Among The White Oaks: The Strange Case of Roy Rickey Part 7 : The Return to the Rickey Home

 

The Modest Homestead of 
the Rickey Family

Coroner Henderson decided to visit the Rickey home once more.  When he arrived he walked around to the back door. Hearing a noise behind him, he turned quickly and saw a little girl looking at him curiously. She had curly blonde hair and azure blue eyes, and she stood illumined by the brilliant September sunshine, a look of inquiry on her face.

“Good morning, little girl,” said Henderson, somewhat astonished. “How are you?”

“Okay”, she answered timidly.

“What’s your name?”

“Agnes”

“That’s a pretty name, but what’s your other name?”

“Rickey. I’m Agnes Rickey.” 

The girl’s answer puzzled the official.  He had not known that there was still another child. Finally he asked:

“Where do you live?”

“I live here,” the youngster said emphatically.  “But I’ve been staying over there,” pointing to another hill where a clump of trees evidently hid a house from view.

Further conversation elicited the fact that Agnes had two brothers and one sister: Herbert, Roy, and Jessie.  Herbert went away about two months ago, she explained, and no one had heard of him since.

As the child seemed inclined to talk, the Coroner continued his questioning.

“Did you ever see your mother and Jim Andy together, Agnes?”

“Oh yes,” she answered.  “But she’s my stepmother.  They went out together at night all the time, and didn’t ever come back until I was asleep.”

“Do you remember seeing any other men coming up to see your stepmother?”

“Sure. Thomas Winfield and Charles Pond would give me money to leave the house so they could be alone with her.”

“How often did this happen?”

“About once a week, I think.”

“Did you ever see Jim Andy to anything to hurt Roy?”

“Yes. I’ve seen him slap Roy and pull his hair.”

“Do you know why he did this?”

“No. Roy was always a good boy.”

What a home for a youngster, thought the Coroner when he concluded his talk with Agnes.  Later he made arrangements for the little girl to be taken to Grayson and placed in a home which the County Attorney found for her.

Examining the house he found stains which looked like blood in Day’s room.  Also, under weeds in the back yard, he found some bloodstained clothes.  These he took back with him to Olive Hill.

Due to the publicity given the case in Kentucky and adjoining states, the officials soon learned that Herbert Rickey was not dead.  He was living in Fort Gay, WV.

Coroner Henderson immediately went there and returned to Olive Hill with the youngster, a handsome, intelligent lad of fourteen.  The youth confirmed much of the information the officers had obtained, but he was unable to add anything to their stock of knowledge; and he had no idea as to why his brother Roy would desire to commit suicide; or why anyone would wish his death.

From time to time the County Attorney had each of the three suspects brought to his office, and there with the assistance of Coroner Henderson and Deputy Stephens, he endeavored to break down the wall of silence which surrounded the two men and the woman. But neither persuasiveness nor threats had any visible effects on this stolid trio, who, regardless of any differences they might have had in the past, stood united against what they probably considered their common enemy, the Law.

There was nothing to be done but go before a grand jury and attempt to obtain an indictment against all three, even though the evidence had several weak links in it.  They could not continue to hold the prisoners indefinitely and there appeared little possibility that additional and conclusive evidence against any of the suspects would be forthcoming.

Circuit Judge G .W.E. Wolford thereupon ordered a grand jury convened in special session.  The officials marshaled their evidence, and much to their surprise and delight, the jury handed Judge Wolford three true bills indicting Clyde Rickey, Eliza Rickey, and Jim Andy Day for the murder of little Roy Rickey.

Frantically the prosecutors now worked to uncover evidence of a more direct and damning nature.  At best they could only conclude that two of the three were  guilty; in all probability only one had done the killing, and the other two were accessories after the fact.   One thing they did discover—that the cord used in the hanging of little Roy had come from an old suitcase, which Jim Day’s father had delivered to the Rickey home.  He admitted that it was the same cord he had tied around the suitcase to hold it together.

This was an interesting piece of evidence, but of little value.  Each of the three suspects, as well as Roy himself, would have had ready access to it, so it contributed nothing against any of the three prisoners.