Robert Lee Rickman was born to William Henry Rickman and Emily Frances Boyd Rickman on the 18th of August 1861. Robert was the sixth child born to the couple; the first child Sarah Jane Rickman only lived from 1855-1861. The second child William Daniel Rickman lived from 1856-1920; Emily Frances 1857-1862; Mary Elizabeth 1859-1859; Lucinda Ellen 1860-1861; then Robert Lee from 1861-1912. Next was born Susan Emma Rickman Rorrer lived from 1863-1936; Milta Alice 1864-1865; Samuel Dobyns Rickman 1866-1919; and Adolphus Green Rickman 1869-1942.
Robert Lee Rickman’s wife, Virginia Elizabeth Rorrer was born to John Wesley Rorrer and Virginia Adeline Griffith Rorrer on the 16th of September 1864. Virginia Elizabeth was the oldest child, followed by her brothers Samuel Green Rorrer 1866-1950, and Thomas Reed Rorrer 1869-1941.
Robert Lee and Virginia Elizabeth married on the 11th of March 1880 in Patrick County, Virginia. The couple’s first child, Murray Edward, was born the next year, followed by Mary Ella in 1883. Lera Annis came along in 1886; Frederick Lee in 1889; Benjamin Abel in 1891; and Virginia Adeline in 1894. The seventh child born was Robert Guy in 1896; Bessie Frances in 1898; Amos Raymond in 1901; Nellie Reed in 1904; Ernest George in 1906; and William Wyatt Rickman in 1909.
Tragedy fell on this Stuart family in the fall of 1911. According to Mr. Rickman’s obituary that was published the 30th of May 1912, in the Stuart Enterprise, “Robert Lee Rickman was struck suddenly ill two weeks before and died at his home last Thursday, the 23rd of May 1912. It is the belief of the physicians that Mr. Rickman died of hydrophobia, becoming infected with the deadly germs while treating a horse that died with rabies last Christmas.”
Mr. Rickman’s funeral was conducted from his home in Stuart Friday afternoon by Elder L. I. Gilbert and Reverend M. F. Sanford, after which the body was turned over to the Stuart Local Farmer’s Union, of which he was a member. The Union men, some fifty in number, formed a line in front of the house, and the body passed through the line being carried by Mr. Alex Spencer, Honorable E. Parr, Dr. L. O. Dickerson, Mr. John Atkins, and Mr. Ulysses Lawson.
The funeral procession was led by Chaplains W. H. Clark and J. M. Martin and was conducted by Marshall A. W. Williams. At the grave, the services were conducted by County Chaplain J. M. Martin and Local Chaplain W. H. Clark. President of the Local Farmer’s Union, W. G. Hylton and acting Vice-President E. H. Handy, with the other Union members formed a circle around his grave. On the Sunday after his burial, Drs. R. S. Martin and L. C. Dickerson had Mr. Rickman’s body taken up and sent to Washington, D.C. to have it examined by experts to ascertain if he had succumbed to hydrophobia.
So, how did this tragic death happen? According to an interview in the Enterprise with Mr. Rickman’s son-in-law, James Monroe McHone, husband of Lera Annis Rickman, “people had heard talk of mad dogs in the community and even mad hogs, but folks didn’t get scared, and no one thought it would be so bad. A dog belonging to Mr. Rickman’s little boy contracted rabies and a neighbor shot it. Then, around Christmas, one of Mr. Rickman’s horses got sick and Mr. Rickman treated the horse himself for some time. The horse began having convulsions and died a short time later. It was suspected that the rabid dog had bitten the horse.”
Mr. McHone continued, “Mr. Rickman took ill on May 10th and as far as we know, he had not thought about having hydrophobia unless it was about a week before he was taken; for that week, he went around terribly depressed. One day he told his wife that he had something to tell her, but he felt too bad to talk to her about it at the time. Mr. McHone believed that Mr. Rickman was infected through an abrasion on the back of his hand while treating his horse.”
Mr. McHone stayed with his father-in-law starting the night before the convulsions began. McHone stated, ‘the convulsions were terrible. Mr. Rickman had to be held down in the bed and the convulsions occurred for several days. Next, Mr. Rickman became quiet and talked to his family, but soon became much worse, passing away on May 23rd.
Mr. McHone went to Richmond and told this story to Dr. Meade Ferguson, the state bacteriologist at the Office of the Virginia Health Department. Dr. Ferguson, who administers the Pasteur treatment for the department, reiterated the advice given Mr. McHone by Dr. R. S. Martin of Stuart…everyone who came in contact with Mr. Rickman must be brought to Richmond for the Pasteur treatment. Mr. McHone was the first to receive the treatment and he rented a house on the east side of Richmond where the family stayed for the three weeks that it took for the treatment.
Mr. Rickman’s widow brought her children to Richmond for the treatment: including her adult daughter, Lera Annis Rickman McHone. The young Mrs. McHone also brought her two young children for the remedy. Thankfully, the injections were successful and no one else became ill. Mrs. Rickman lived until the age of 65, passing away on the 26th of September 1929 in Leaksville, North Carolina.
Thank you to Brenda and Jimmy McHone for allowing me to share this deeply tragic story and to Sarah Davis for the photo. Woody may be reached at rockcastlecreek1@gmail.com or (276) 692-9626.
