Transcribed by Norma Knotts Shaffer from microfilm of the Calhoun
Chronicle dated 5/5/1896.
5/5/1896 - Last Friday evening Ross Stump and John Ritchea went
over
to G.W. Ritchea's farm on Pine creek after a sewing machine and were
driving
Snyder's team and machine wagon. As they were returning, just
below
the Em Ball house, on said creek, two men, the boys would not say who,
came down out of a little ravine, one of them spoke to and asked the
boys
where they were going, to which John Ritchea replied: "We are selling
sewing
machines, don't you want one?" To which the man replied, "yes,"
and
ordered Ritchea to take the lines (Stump was driving) which he
did.
The man then told Ross to get out of the buggy, but Ritchea perceiving
that the man had a revolver in his hand took a sensible view of the
situation
and acted promptly by hitting one of the horses, which is high
spirited,
with the whip, which started the team at break-neck speed, thus
averting
what might have been a serious trouble. The boys came into town
with
the team wet with sweat. Ross will not talk about the matter,
but
expressed great gratitude to Ritchea for having brought him out of
such
imminent danger. |
