The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-17
lits Man May Be InpIi- Gated in Fisndish Deed
 Near Meridian
CONFESSION OF NEGRO BOY
 LOOKS VERY SUSPICIOUS
Stepfather of the Murdered Boy Will Sift the Matter to the Bottom-Ex- ctement Has Subsded and
 Violence Is Not Feared.

Meridian. Miss. August 1G.(Special.)- A plot more devilish and fendish in design than was ever matched by the brain of an ignorant negro may develop during the trial of the two blacks who are charged with the dastardly murder of little Ray snard Battle, which brutal deed was done at Temple, in this county, last Saturday afternoon by Spence Ramsey, the younger 'of the two accused negroes, now incar- cerated in tho. Lauderdale county jail foi- lowing one of the most exciting chases in the criminal history of Mississippi.
 The step-father of the dead boy as well as the mother believes there are others in the plot to take the life of the boy; that the two blacks were mere tools in the hands of others is the half-formeG opinion of both The step-father of the dead boy believes the man in the back ground to be a negro his wife, the mother of the lad, believes the arch hend to be white man.
 Motive Is a Mystery.
 Mir Holmes, although only the step father of the dead boy, had learned to love him as his own flesh and blood and purposes to sift the matter to the bot tom in order to unravcl the mystery that surrounds the motive for the murder. The two accuso,. negroes could not possi- bly have d motive for the death of the lit ' tie fellow They had known him but short time and not a single unpleasant thing has passed between any member of either family. The Ramsey negroes had moved to the Temple neighborhood but { three weeks before the murder. The very | friendly feeling that had xsted to the verysa.moment the little white boy was ' shot down by the negro child is proven by the fact that the white boy had visit ed the house of the negroes on the after noon of the murder and first invited the older negro to go rabbit hunting with him and on the refusal of the latter the invi- tation was extended to the younger ne- gro, who accepted. but now claims in his confession that the older negro, his step father. loaned him his double -barreled shotgun with ,he command that If you don't kill lne white boy before you return I'll kill you. I've already killed several white people, and | intend to Kill many more before l die.
 No Immediate Danger
 Raynard Battle the murdered boy was about l3 years olu, the son of Mrs. Lynn Holmes and Sock Battle, her former hus- i band. who is still alive, and from whom she secured divorce The divorce, it is said. was secured in Sumpter county, Ala bama. where MT. and Mrs. Battle lived at the time MT. Battle still resides in Ala bama either Cuba or York
 The excitement following the arrest of the two negroes has supsded and there is no immediate danger of mob violence The older negro, like the younger, has waived examination for an investigator as by the grand jury and they will be kept l in close confinement in the county jail until that time. The Lauderdale jail is constructed 10 make an attack by B mob frutless.
 Murderer In Jail.
 Thomas Spence. the self-confessod mur derer of little Raynard Battle; Gus Me Cleland, or Ramsey. step-father or Spence, and his implicated accompice, and Annie McClcland, or Ramsey. mother of the former and wife of the latter, are all now languishing behind the bars of the Lauderdale county jail.
 Spence was given a preliminary trial before Justice William Walker yesterday fin Temple on a charge of murder and
 
 the action of the next grand jury, being brought here for safe keeping. Telephona service having been discontinued at Tenn ple news of the trial was not received in the city until the boy was brought in late last night.
 The old negro man was brought in from Macon at 9:15 last night on the special which brought the soldiers from the encampment just ended at Columbus. He was placed in the condemned cell anG will he kept there until the time for his trial
 Threats of Violence. \ Spence and his mother were brought from Temple by Constable Ike Vincent and Deputies John Shephard, West Tol- bert. Jim Raburn and Ranse Gabriel After beginning their trip they accoinp- ] Iished the tourney without meeting with the least interference. There was som talk however about the scene of the crime of dealing summarily with the boy while he was there, but under the counsel of cool heads those who favored violence aequesced in the desire 10 see the law take it's course.
 Tn Macon things did not appear so favorable. The good people Of the town Itself were with the officers, put there were several rumors afioat thereaoout that when the old negro left there to come to Meridian. possibly he would not get here alive. It was said that at one point a mob had collected and would m . ercept train No 1, upon which Sherl1t Temple was to return with McClelland, or Ramsey, and take the prisoner into the woods at that point
 Protected by Militia.
 The officers decided. upon learning these things, that it would be best for all to deviate from the outlined plan relative b the transportation of the negro, and CO., sequently set about to do so without let ling anyone know of 1t. Fortune favored them. They had planned for Sheriff Tenn ple and his party to board a through freight which would pass that way be- ,ore No i but this was made unneccs- snrv bv tho arrival of the soldiers spe- ,ial in Macon just before the freight was due. the prisoner being brought to the ritv under the militias guard.