Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1874-10-10
A Negro Detective as the Fig
ure-Head Of a Frank
lin Story.
Second Attempt at Murder and Ar
son by a Negro Preacher.
Shot to Death in the House Of His
Intended Victims.


of this morning publishes two long COM
munIcations detailing the particulars OF
a desperate encounter between Joe Raw
ages, negro preacher. and DR.. Shy at
the residence OF Simon Shy, near Frank
lin, on the night of the 9th inst. An
attempt was made TO fire the residence
of Mr.. Shy on the 10Th of September by
some unknown party. The communica-
ton says the facts were Immediately
communicated to Governor Brown, who
offered a reward of FIVE hundred dollars
for the arrest and conviction of the per-
petrators, to which reward DR.. j.. S. Shy,
son of Mr.. Simon Shy, added the sum of
two hundred and fifty dollars. Ever
since the attempt nothing has been left
undone by the family and friends to fer
ret cut the villain and bring him to JUS
tice. A negro detective from Nashville
some days since appeared in the
neighborhood, disguised as lab.
orer, and found employment at wood
chopping with quite a number of other
negroes. By adroit questioning, aided
by information received from colored
woman in the neighborhood, he was led
to suspect that one Joe Ravagcs, negro
preacher, who lived on tie farm of Monte
Oglesby, adjoining Mr. Shy, was the man
for whom he was searching Accordingly
by insinuating himself into the conf
dence of Joe, he learned from him that
he indeed had made the attempt He
remarked that he had failed, but the
next time he would make better work
Immediately it was agreed that Joe and
the Ito him. unknown detective were to
combine and on Thursday night, proceed
TO old man Shy's and effect an entrance,
when Joe was to proceed to the old folks
room, kill them and then rob and burn
the house. Dr. Shy was informed of the
plan by the detective, and accordingly
repaired to his fathers house on
Thursday night, accompanied by
Mr.. j. A. Cayce and Mr. Thompson
Allen, of this place, for the purpose of
seeing the thing well done. They barely
arrived in time to arouse Mr.. and Mrs
Shy, who live alone, and inform them of
what was to take place. When the vii
lain. followed by the detective, entered
the house by the front door, DR.. Shy, who
was secreted near by, heard the murder
GUS victim remark in a whisper to the
detective that he wonld first proceed up
stairs and kill the old folks, secure their
money and then finish the job by firing
the house. As he was proceeding to the
stairway to carry out this hellish design
DR.. Shy opened fire upon him. The first
shot, the Doctor thinks, missed him,
when the negro leveled pistol at
the Doctor and snapped it at him, and
then closed in on him, the Doctor firing
rapidly all the while. A hand to hand
struggle ensued, the negro vainly trying
to thrust his pistol into the face Of his
antagonist, and the Doctor having
emptied his pistol and caught the weapon
of the villain, with his other hand
was pelting him over the head with the
butt Of his pistol. At this stage Messrs.
Cayce and Allen appeared and com
menced firing, when the negro Embossed
himself and made for the stairway. A
A double 5arrelled shot gun was fred by
Mr.. Allen and repeated by DR.. Shy, and
Joe Ragages fell corpse in the parlor
of his intended victims, his body perfo.
rated with pistol balls and buckshot
DR.. Shy in the scuffis was shot through
the hand, by one Of his own party he
thinks, but except this although the negro
| fred twice, no damage was done to the
inmates. An inquest vas held by Coro.
ner W. r. Haynes on Friday morning
and q verdict returned in accordance
with the above statement.