Fisticuffs on Princess Anne Street

Cardinal Richelieu Coleman (Library of Virginia)

     Cardinal Richelieu Coleman was born at "Alta Vista," a large farm in eastern Spotsylvania County, on November 19, 1878. His father, Solon T. Coleman, was a well known citizen who was active in Democratic Party politics. Solon was appointed as a registration official in the county in 1867 and was elected to the House of Delegates in 1893. He died the following year.

     Richelieu followed in his father's footsteps and immersed himself in the boisterous world of local politics while still in his early twenties. He was elected twice to the House of Delegates, in 1909 and 1911; the portraits above were taken with the other delegates during those sessions. After his stint in the state legislature, Richelieu was elected as deputy commissioner of revenue in Spotsylvania. During the 1920s, he was working in the Virginia attorney general's office, was a member of the Virginia State Democratic Committee and served on the Spotsylvania County Elections Board. Richelieu's son, Solon Bernard Coleman (1901-1974), also decided on a life of public service and served as commonwealth's attorney, was elected to the Virginia state legislature and was appointed circuit judge.

Charles Ainsworth MacHenry (The Daily Star 29 June 1925)

     Charles Ainsworth MacHenry (1875-1957) was an attorney in New York City. In 1916, he bought historic Oakley farm on Catharpin Road. At the time, Oakley consisted of 1,081 acres. In 1919, he added an additional 730 acres. Like most of the owners of Oakley since the 1860s, MacHenry was largely an absentee landlord. However, he qualified as an attorney in Virginia and practiced in Spotsylvania when he happened to be there. He employed William Lee Kent as caretaker at Oakley 1916-1919, and then hired George Day Stephens to oversee the property until 1926. He also had two engineers, named Stockwell and Ashmead, tending to the mining activity at Oakley. The mining venture was not a success. In 1926, he sold Oakley to George Beals, whose family has owned it ever since.

Oakley, 1935 (Frances Benjamin Johnston)

William Lee Kent

George Day Stephens (Courtesy of Matt Ogle)

     A general meeting of concerned Spotsylvania citizens met in the court house on March 17, 1924. MacHenry was the primary speaker that evening. The stated purpose of the meeting was to discuss the secretive manner in which a road bill had been passed by the legislature. A resolution was passed in which Governor Trinkle was asked to veto that bill. Those in attendance wanted to address other concerns, and MacHenry was only too happy to oblige. Another resolution was passed asking the Governor to remove Judge Frederick William Coleman (Richelieu's cousin) from office as Spotsylvania's Commissioner in Chancery and Commissioner of Accounts.

    

Frederick William Coleman (The Daily Star 29 March 1926)

     The following day, March 18, 1924, an angry confrontation occurred on Princess Anne Street, as described by that day's edition of The Daily Star:

     The case had the usual number of delays and postponements and finally came to trial in early May 1924. Once again, this was front page news in the May 3, 1924 edition of The Daily Star:

     Fortunately for Richelieu Coleman, his life was not defined by this unfortunate incident. He went on to serve in a number of positions of public trust over the coming years, as described in obituary published in the May 8, 1963 edition of The Free Lance-Star: