Individual Details
Rodolphus "Doll" Judah
(Abt, 1850 - September 6, 1892)
"MURDER. TWO DEAD MEN. An Ax and a Revolver the Handy Tools. Doll Judah Brained with an Ax in the Hands of a Woman. The Crime and the Corner's Verdict. It has been a long time since Monroe county had a tragedy equal to that which was enacted in Salt Creek tp. at an early hour Tuesday. In a cabin some ten miles east of Bloomington resided Richard Wright, with his daughters, the wife of Doll Judah, and Era, also a married daughter. Doll Judah was driving a team at or near Smithville for Sam. Campbell and he and his wife had had frequent quarrels, the last one of which occurred on Monday, had resulted in Judah leaving for Bloomington with the avowed intention of killing his wife on his return. Mrs. Judah, it seemed, feared that he would put his threat into execution, as she went to a neighbor's house and spent the night there. It was between 1 and 2 o'clock Tuesday morning that Richard Wright was awakened by some one calling, at the door. Going out, it seems that after a short conversation he and Judah (the visitor proving to be his son-in-law) got into a quarrel and Judah discharging a revolver at Wright, and as he did so Wright called for his daughter Era, to come to his assistance. She rushed out of the house and saw her father prostrate upon the ground and Doll Judah stooping over him. As he raised with the revolver in his hand and pointed at her, she struck him on the head with an ax, and repeated the blows until he was entirely motionless--she says she does not know how often. She then hurried over to George Strain's house, and told him, and after going over to confirm the girls story he came to Bloomington arriving here at about 6 a.m. Wright had three bullets from Judah's pistol in his head, and Judah's skull was split and badly crushed. Tied to a fence outside was a horse attached to a buggy, Judah having hired a horse and buggy from Brown, the liveryman, to take him home. Judah was drinking while in town, and was in a mood for murder when he started away from here. Dr. Maxwell, the coroner being ill, Dr. Jos. Rogers acted in his stead and held an inquest on Wednesday.
"Mr. John Grimes, a rising young journalist of our city, went out to Salt Creek tp. on Wednesday to get the facts from the lips of the only living actor in the tragedy. From Mrs. Era Riddle, who killed Judah, he secured the following statement: "Doll Judah came here about 1 o'clock this morning. He first called father, then knocked at the door. Father went out where he was, in his night clothes and both stood in the yard and talked for a few minutes, when father asked me to bring his pants, coat and boots. I did so, when he put them on and walked out from the door. He sat down on a rock and was whittling with his knife. I was standing at the open door, and heard Judah ask where his wife was. Father told him she was at Lucas', about a half mile north. He quarreled about his wife being gone blaming father for the trouble. They talked for a few minutes, when Judah said if his wife was not there he had no more business with them and started to go. He turned suddenly and shot at father while he was yet sitting down. Father got up and grabbed an ax that happened to be by him, and started toward Judah. Judah fired two more shots, when the men clinched and father fell to the ground. I saw that father had been over-powered and thought he was going to be killed. I could hold myself no longer and ran to his rescue, grabbing the ax from father's hand as Judah was over him. At this instant, Judah recognized me and turned towards me, with revolver in hand. I drew the ax back, and with all my power struck a blow. The ax hit him on the face and fell forward. I was excited and knew that if he got up again I would be killed so I struck him a number of times as quickly as possible, as he lay at my fee, I noticed the revolver at his side and securing it I fired two shots. Then I began to realize that father had been killed, as he had not moved. I called with all my power for help, and tried to arouse by father, but he was dead. It was fifteen minutes or more before help came -- Mr. Fuel, a near neighbor. I now of no cause of the murder by Judah, unless he thought we interfered with him and his wife. The night before, Judah had threatened to kill his wife and myself, saying he had 'good reasons for it.'"
"Mrs. Era Riddle, who came to the defense of her father, was married several years ago, but separated from her husband. She has a little boy, who witnessed a part of the murderous work in the door yard. A younger sister jumped out of the back window when the shooting began, and made her way to the house of a neighbor. Mrs Riddle is apparently a woman of 25 years. The family are very poor. On Wednesday the bodies of Judah and Wright were buried not far from the spot where the terrible morder occurred. It will be remembered that a brother of Doll Judah, Dr. Winepark Judah attempted to kill his wife at Bedford some time ago, and then shot himself. Doll Judah had three children. Mrs Judah was not very sad over the occurrence as she had lived in dread of violence or murder for several years. In the buggy that Judah had drove from town was found a satchel containing his discharge papers from the regular army, in which he had served five years, a bottle yet half full of whisky and some little articles of no special value. In his pockets $4.70 was also found. The statements of Mrs. Riddle were confirmed by her younger sister, her boy, and such of the neighbors as had gathered in soon after the alarm had been given. After hearing all the evidence that could be secured, the coroner prepared the following verdict: "From the foregoing evidence, I find that Richard Wright came to his death on the morning of the 7th of Sept., 1892, by being shot with a revolver by one Doll Judah, which shooting was done purposely and with premeditation. And I further find that said Doll Judah met his death at the same time by being struck on the head with an ax by Mrs. Era Riddle, while he was attempting to kill said Richard Wright; and I find that the killing of Judah by Mrs. Era Riddle was justifiable, and in self-defense." Joseph M. Rogers, Deputy Coroner, Monroe County." ( (The Republican Progress, September 14, 1892. Clipping archived courtesy of the Monroe County Historical Society, researched 4/10/99 by David Heslar Judah.)
"Mr. John Grimes, a rising young journalist of our city, went out to Salt Creek tp. on Wednesday to get the facts from the lips of the only living actor in the tragedy. From Mrs. Era Riddle, who killed Judah, he secured the following statement: "Doll Judah came here about 1 o'clock this morning. He first called father, then knocked at the door. Father went out where he was, in his night clothes and both stood in the yard and talked for a few minutes, when father asked me to bring his pants, coat and boots. I did so, when he put them on and walked out from the door. He sat down on a rock and was whittling with his knife. I was standing at the open door, and heard Judah ask where his wife was. Father told him she was at Lucas', about a half mile north. He quarreled about his wife being gone blaming father for the trouble. They talked for a few minutes, when Judah said if his wife was not there he had no more business with them and started to go. He turned suddenly and shot at father while he was yet sitting down. Father got up and grabbed an ax that happened to be by him, and started toward Judah. Judah fired two more shots, when the men clinched and father fell to the ground. I saw that father had been over-powered and thought he was going to be killed. I could hold myself no longer and ran to his rescue, grabbing the ax from father's hand as Judah was over him. At this instant, Judah recognized me and turned towards me, with revolver in hand. I drew the ax back, and with all my power struck a blow. The ax hit him on the face and fell forward. I was excited and knew that if he got up again I would be killed so I struck him a number of times as quickly as possible, as he lay at my fee, I noticed the revolver at his side and securing it I fired two shots. Then I began to realize that father had been killed, as he had not moved. I called with all my power for help, and tried to arouse by father, but he was dead. It was fifteen minutes or more before help came -- Mr. Fuel, a near neighbor. I now of no cause of the murder by Judah, unless he thought we interfered with him and his wife. The night before, Judah had threatened to kill his wife and myself, saying he had 'good reasons for it.'"
"Mrs. Era Riddle, who came to the defense of her father, was married several years ago, but separated from her husband. She has a little boy, who witnessed a part of the murderous work in the door yard. A younger sister jumped out of the back window when the shooting began, and made her way to the house of a neighbor. Mrs Riddle is apparently a woman of 25 years. The family are very poor. On Wednesday the bodies of Judah and Wright were buried not far from the spot where the terrible morder occurred. It will be remembered that a brother of Doll Judah, Dr. Winepark Judah attempted to kill his wife at Bedford some time ago, and then shot himself. Doll Judah had three children. Mrs Judah was not very sad over the occurrence as she had lived in dread of violence or murder for several years. In the buggy that Judah had drove from town was found a satchel containing his discharge papers from the regular army, in which he had served five years, a bottle yet half full of whisky and some little articles of no special value. In his pockets $4.70 was also found. The statements of Mrs. Riddle were confirmed by her younger sister, her boy, and such of the neighbors as had gathered in soon after the alarm had been given. After hearing all the evidence that could be secured, the coroner prepared the following verdict: "From the foregoing evidence, I find that Richard Wright came to his death on the morning of the 7th of Sept., 1892, by being shot with a revolver by one Doll Judah, which shooting was done purposely and with premeditation. And I further find that said Doll Judah met his death at the same time by being struck on the head with an ax by Mrs. Era Riddle, while he was attempting to kill said Richard Wright; and I find that the killing of Judah by Mrs. Era Riddle was justifiable, and in self-defense." Joseph M. Rogers, Deputy Coroner, Monroe County." ( (The Republican Progress, September 14, 1892. Clipping archived courtesy of the Monroe County Historical Society, researched 4/10/99 by David Heslar Judah.)
Events
| Birth | Abt, 1850 | Monroe County, Indiana | |||
| Marriage | August 16, 1887 | Monroe County, Indiana - Chloe Elma Wright | |||
| Death | September 6, 1892 | Salt Creek Township, Monroe County, Indiana |
Families
| Spouse | Chloe Elma Wright (1861 - 1942) |
| Child | Nola T. Judah (1887 - 1981) |
| Child | David Albert Judah (1889 - 1979) |
| Child | Edith Judah ( - ) |
| Child | Frank O. Judah (1892 - 1972) |
| Father | David Barrow Judah (1814 - 1891) |
| Mother | Emma Harriet Parks (1819 - 1888) |
| Sibling | Samuel N. Judah (1839 - 1917) |
| Sibling | Winepark Judah (1842 - 1891) |
| Sibling | Elizabeth E. Judah (1846 - ) |
| Sibling | Morris T. Judah (1848 - 1906) |
| Sibling | Francis "Frank" "Franklin" Judah (1854 - 1888) |
| Sibling | Hattie Emma "Harriet" "S." Judah (1859 - 1935) |