This week, we have a guest columnist named Mr. Wayne Lackey. Mr. Lackey contacted me about sharing the tragic story of Miss Ida Whalen (Whaling), who was murdered 100 years ago next month on the 16th of November 1924. The following is written by Mr. Wayne Lackey; the only thing I have edited is removing the names of the assailants of Miss Ida Whalen as we only want to remember the victim and those who brought the assailants to justice.
My name is Wayne Lackey, a grandson of Henry Lackey. I have heard many tales about Henry. This one, to me, is particularly interesting because it involved a tragic incident that stirred up the emotions of many people in Patrick County and was recounted in the newspapers at least as far away as Danville and Roanoke.
Henry C. Lackey was my grandfather and the brother of Cain Lackey Cain was a prominent preacher, a fervent temperance man, and a prohibitionist Henry, however, liked a frequent sip of whiskey and kept it in a pint bottle, mixed with Grapette, which he carried in his pocket at all times. Henry claimed the whiskey was used as medicine for his “rhumatiz. I have often wondered how he got along with his brother, having such opposing views.
Frank Mays was a good friend of Henry’s, and they spent many hours together drinking whiskey and target shooting. In 1920 Frank ran for sheriff and was elected. Being a good friend of Henry’s, he offered him the job of Constable. Henry quickly accepted. He could use the extra money to help support his big family. When he was on duty he rode a big bay horse called John. He had a Buena Vista saddle and wore leather leggings keeping both shined up like Florsheim shoes. He carried a hawkbill knife, iron knuckles, and a .38 pistol. Although only 5 ft. 6 in. tall he wasn’t afraid of anybody. Everywhere he went someone would offer a taste of whiskey. It would have been impolite to turn it down.
On a cold Sunday evening in November 1924 the 11-year-old daughter of Mr. Green Whalen, Ida, had ridden her horse to her aunt’s house about a mile away to fetch a sack of apples. On her way home at about sundown, she saw an assailant rushing up out of the woods evidently trying to meet her at the intersection of Heidelbach School Road and Iron Bridge Road. She hurried up hoping to reach her road that led to her father’s house before the assailant got there. But he got there first and seized the horse by the bridle, grabbed her by the leg, and tried to pull her off the horse. Evidently his intention was to drag her into the woods where he and his friend, assailant two, had been hanging out together drinking whiskey. Ida screamed at the top of her lungs just as Mr. Gaspard Martin rounded the bend a short distance away and saw what was happening. When the assailant saw Mr. Martin, he loosened his grip on the horse’s bridle. Ida urged her horse forward hoping to get away. The assailant pulled his pistol from his pocket and shot Ida in the back, severing her spinal cord. He fired a second shot but missed then ran down in the woods where assailant two was waiting and disappeared down the holler. Mr. Martin ran to aid the girl and seeing what shape she was in put her on the horse with him and rushed to Ida Whalen’s house. Ida lived for 3 hours in the arms of her father, long enough to tell what had happened and who the person was that assaulted her. Sheriff Frank Mays was notified and in a few hours all available deputies were in the area searching for the killer. A $50 reward was offered for information regarding the whereabouts of the assailant. When word got out about the killing, people in the area were upset and angry as never before. News of the killing spread quickly and soon there were over a 100 men and boys with pistols, rifles, and shotguns searching the woods for the assailant. Deputies speculated that it was unlikely that he could be taken alive.
My grandfather, being the Constable in the immediate area, began a search, visiting all the homes within a couple of miles of the murder site. He would ask if anyone had seen the assailant and look in their sheds and barns for any signs of him. Henry told his sons that the thing he dreaded most was looking up in barn lofts. “The first thing you stick up in a barn loft is your head, I about half expected to get my head blowed off,” said Henry. Henry located a man who said someone had broken into his house and stolen all his quilts. Quite some distance from the house Henry found where the assailant had spent the night on the ground, covered up by the stolen quilts. There had come a light snow during the night and Henry spotted the assailant’s tracks leading away up the mountain. Constable Henry followed the tracks through the woods all the way to Bassett. Henry contacted the local law and told them about the assailant’s tracks leading directly to Bassett. Henry and other deputies searched barns, sheds, and outhouses looking for the assailant. They knocked on doors asking if anyone had seen him. They came to a house belonging to a relative of the assailant. When asked if they had seen the assailant, one of the deputies was told he was hiding in a back room.
The assailant was arrested and taken to the Martinsville jail for safe keeping as the Patrick County jail was considered inadequate to keep dangerous criminals. The assailant admitted to the shooting but blamed his friend, assailant two, saying he plotted the offense and talked him into it. Assailant two claimed he had nothing to do with the assault. Assailant two had also been arrested and was being held in the Patrick County Jail. The assailant was also being sought by the law for shooting a man about 6 months before the murder of Ida.
Newspaper articles made no mention of Henry’s successful efforts in capturing the assailant. As was the custom at the time, as also now probably, the credit for the capture was given to the Sheriffs, however, the people in the area as well as Ida’s father were well aware of Henry’s work culminating in the capture of the assailant.
Thank you, Mr. Wayne Lackey, for sharing the story of your Grandfather, Henry C. Lackey’s, heroism in the capture of the murderer of Miss Ida Whalen on the 100th anniversary of her tragic death. Next week, we will take a look at Ida’s parents and siblings who lived in the Dodson community of Patrick County. Woody may be reached at rockcastlecreek1@gmail.com or (276) 692-9626.
