Edgar P. Rucker

Edgar Parks Rucker
Born	Covington, Virginia, U.S.
Died	21 April 1908(1908-04-21) (aged 46) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Occupation(s)	Attorney, politician, entrepreneur
Years active	1887–1908
Known for	12th Attorney General of West Virginia

Edgar Parks Rucker (December 23, 1861 – April 21, 1908) was a prominent American attorney, politician, and entrepreneur based in West Virginia. Affiliated with the Republican Party, he held the position of the 12th attorney general of West Virginia from 1897 until 1901.

Rucker was born in Covington, Virginia and grew up in Lewisburg, West Virginia. He attended Lewisburg Academy before briefly working as a teacher within Greenbrier County's public school system. In 1887, he obtained his Bachelor of Laws degree from the West Virginia University College of Law and subsequently joined his father, William Parks Rucker, in legal practice. After a significant confrontation in Lewisburg, he relocated to Princeton, West Virginia, where he practiced law for three years. Later, he moved to Bramwell, West Virginia, taking on the role of editor for the Flat Top Monitor. Eventually settling in Welch, West Virginia, Rucker established a law firm as the lead partner alongside Benjamin Franklin Keller.

His political career included unsuccessful bids for the West Virginia Senate representing the 8th district in 1888 and for Congress in the 3rd district in 1892. Between 1895 and 1897, he served on the board of regents at West Virginia University. Elected as state attorney general in 1896, his service featured legal actions that enhanced state tax collections. Outside public office, Rucker was instrumental in founding and presiding over multiple businesses headquartered in Welch. After a period of declining health, he passed away in Washington, D.C., in 1908 following surgical treatment.

Early life and education

Edgar Parks Rucker entered the world on December 23, 1861, in Covington, Virginia, amid the early stages of the American Civil War. He was the youngest among four brothers born to William Parks Rucker and Margaret Scott Rucker. His siblings included Hedley Scott Rucker and William Waller Rucker, who later served as a U.S. Representative from Missouri. The family relocated to Lewisburg in Greenbrier County, where Edgar received his education at Lewisburg Academy. Early on, he took up teaching positions within Greenbrier County’s public schools. Subsequently, he pursued legal studies at West Virginia University’s Law Department, earning recognition for an essay titled "The Works and Age of Milton" and graduating with a Bachelor of Laws degree in 1887.

Law career

Following his graduation, Rucker returned to Lewisburg to join his father’s legal practice. In July 1887, he became involved in a violent encounter with Bedford Beirne, deputy postmaster of Lewisburg. The conflict escalated into a duel during which Rucker fired first, injuring Beirne’s wrist; both men then exchanged gunfire resulting in Beirne sustaining a chest wound. After being arrested and released on bail initially, Rucker was taken into custody again when Beirne’s injuries became more serious.

After marrying Maude Applegate in January 1888, Rucker moved to Princeton, West Virginia, where he practiced law for three years. On September 3, 1890, he received a commission as first lieutenant with Company A of the West Virginia National Guard’s 2nd Regiment. In 1892, he relocated to Bramwell within the Pocahontas Coalfield area and spent one year as editor of the Republican publication Flat Top Monitor.

By 1893, Rucker had settled in Welch—recently designated as McDowell County’s seat—where he launched his own law firm. Initially called Rucker, Keller, and Hamill until 1898 with Benjamin Franklin Keller as a partner and senior member, the firm later included associates such as Luther C. Anderson, William Wellington Hughes, and Daniel J. F. Strother under various partnership names reflecting these changes.

Political and government career

Rucker was actively involved in the Republican Party of West Virginia and made an unsuccessful bid in 1888 for the 8th district seat in the West Virginia Senate. He was defeated by a margin of 403 votes and earned the moniker "the boy candidate" because of his young age. In June 1892, he secured the Republican nomination for West Virginia’s 3rd congressional district but was defeated in the November general election by the Democratic incumbent John D. Alderson. From 1895 until June 1897, Rucker served on the board of regents at West Virginia University, where in 1897 he advocated for legislative funding to construct new facilities to accommodate a growing student population.

Attorney general

In mid-1896, Rucker received endorsement from McDowell County Republican Conventions as their nominee for attorney general of West Virginia. He was officially nominated at the state convention held in Parkersburg on July 23, 1896, and subsequently challenged Democratic incumbent Thomas S. Riley in the November election. The West Virginia Legislature declared Rucker the winner with a vote count of 105,432 compared to Riley’s 94,060.

Rucker commenced his term on March 4, 1897. Early during his tenure, he represented West Virginia in the case Pittsburgh, C., C. & St. L. Ry. Co. v. Board of Public Works of West Virginia, arguing before the U.S. Supreme Court alongside former attorneys general Riley and Thayer Melvin. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of West Virginia, mandating that railroad companies pay taxes on bridges spanning the Ohio River, including an annual $3,060 tax for the Steubenville bridge along with $12,240 in back taxes owed to the state. Additionally, during his term, the boundary dispute case Maryland v. West Virginia remained unresolved.

In September 1897, Rucker took decisive action to prevent a lynching incident in Keystone by ensuring that Tom Major, who faced murder charges, was securely transferred to jail in Welch, thereby averting a potential race riot. In October 1897, his office prosecuted what became known as the "Wheeling whiskey cases," targeting saloon owners who had refused to pay the $350 annual whiskey license fee while paying lower rates for beer and wine licenses. Working closely with Ohio County prosecuting attorney W.C. Meyer, Rucker obtained injunctions against key offenders that compelled them to pay full license fees and enabled recovery of $18,000 for the state treasury.

Rucker’s service as attorney general concluded on March 3, 1901.

Business career

Rucker held executive positions as president of multiple enterprises including the Margaret Mining Company, Hensley (or Hursley) Coal Company, Merrimac Coal and Coke Company, Slick Rock Coal Company, and Welch Lumber Company. He also served on the board of directors for McDowell County Bank among other business entities. In June 1896, he played a role in establishing the McDowell Publishing Company in Welch, which specialized in printing newspapers and books. By October 1899, Rucker was listed as an incorporator of the C. L. Ritter Lumber Company based in Welch. In March 1905, he joined representatives from West Virginia’s coal industry in discussions with Governor William M. O. Dawson and tax commissioner Charles W. Dillon opposing a state statute that imposed personal property taxation on coal, oil, and gas leases.

Marriage and children

On January 11, 1888, Rucker wed Maude Applegate from Keytesville, Missouri at the home of her uncle, L. M. Applegate, near Keytesville. The Chariton Courier characterized the ceremony as a modest and intimate event. The couple had a single daughter, Margaret Clarke Rucker, born on November 4, 1890, in Princeton. She later married Edward Robert Shannon Jr. on June 12, 1916. Their child, Margaret "Peggy" Rucker Shannon, was born on July 6, 1917, in Cincinnati.

Organizational memberships

In 1894, Rucker held the position of president for the West Virginia League of Republican Clubs. He was affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and actively engaged in the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Within the church community, he contributed to securing a new building and represented as a delegate at the Methodist General Conference in 1902.

Later life and death

During his later years, Rucker concentrated on his legal career and business ventures based in Welch. Between 1903 and 1904, records indicate a gradual deterioration in his health. After consulting medical specialists for approximately three years, he underwent surgery in April 1908 at Episcopal Hospital in Washington, D.C. to remove a cancerous nasal polyp that was affecting his vision. Unfortunately, complications following the procedure resulted in his passing at 5 p.m. on April 21, 1908. His final resting place is at the Old Stone Church cemetery located in Lewisburg.

Following his demise, his wife and daughter relocated to Cincinnati. At the West Virginia Republican Party's meeting for the 6th Senate district held in Keystone in August 1908, members passed a resolution mourning Rucker’s death. Former Governor George W. Atkinson commended Rucker in his 1919 publication Bench and Bar of West Virginia, stating:

General Rucker distinguished himself as an exceptionally talented and accomplished attorney. Perpetually energetic and wholly dedicated to his clients' welfare, he was notably resourceful during crises, an eloquent speaker, a natural leader of men, an excellent lawyer, and a gentleman of high caliber.