The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-11-14
FATAL WEAPON HELD IN
 HANDS OF AN UNKNOWN
Friends of Youth Will Search for
 Assassin.
AIthoush Msst Incline 10 Belief That woma. is Involved. Grandfather
 of Boy Hints At Discovery of Illicit sstin" in
 Swamp.


 would have 1t. may be factor in the Baisden case. the mystery of which has been the expressing subject in Greenville and in South Alabama dur ing the last week.
 Iva D. Baisden, 16 year old son of Homer A. Baisden was found dead Saturday morning. November 6. The body was placed on a small terrace in the bank along the public road. about one block from the boys home, and the same distance from the Butler county court house. In the center of the boys forehead was bullet wound while on his body lay 4f-caliber Colt revolver, the property of his father.
 Non-committal in the verdict was rendered this morning. the jury. which has been sitting in the case at various times during the last week. has admit ted its inability to cope with the situa- ton. It has left open to the parents and friends of the dead boy an oppor- tunity to prosecute vigorous search for the author ofthe crime.
 The verdict reads as follows.
 We. the members of the jury find that the said Iva D. Baisden came to his death by pistol or rifle ball at the hands of an unknown party"
 Sensation is Hinted.
 That woman. prominently connect ed in Greenville, Is involved in the case is the opinion of many who have studied its various phases. That sensational expose will be made in the near future is not an impossibility
 Several facts give color to the theory that feminine hand may be traced in the crime. The boys camp of the. fatal Friday night was pitched deep In thicket in Hawkins Creek swamp. The location of the carnp is accessible with difficulty fin daylight. Those who knew young Baisden de- clare that he was unfamiliar with the place and that he either was iured to the spot or was lost in the pitchy night of the woods. There is also evidence 10 believe that second person was with Bafsden when he met death. either having followed him, or having laid in ambush for him.
 The finding of a woman's night robe Tn the fork of tree at the boy's camu has thus far been unexplained. Bais- den's father has identified the gown as one which was purchased in Mont gomery last January. A quilt was also taken by the boy. There were other appearances of the camp which would seem to indicate the presence of a woman
 When the body of Baisden wa, round three miles distant from the camp. 1t had been placed on the quilt. the limbs being carefully arranged and she gun placed in position on the trunk some say that cold-blooded mur- derer, If he had brought the body from the woods in which the crime apparent- iy was committed. would have taken no pains in disposing of the body. They believe the corpse was placed where 1t was found by some one who cherished the dead boy in life.
 It Is also believed that, if a woman IS round in connection with the case, she will be of mature years, and one old enough to keep her own counsel. However, those advocating this theory do not believe that the fatal shot was fired by woman. Prominent names are ebing mentioned in connection with line Of circumstantial evidence.
 Negro Hailed During Night.
 Another piece of evidence which has come to light is the fact that on the Friday night in question a team was driven to the gate of Zach Pugh, a ne- gro, who lives near the camp. Some one hailed, but the negro did not re-. ply and the man drove away.
 Zach Baisden. grandfather of the youth, is bitter concerning the course Of the case. He declares 1t the "blackest crime in BueIer's annals :" He clings to the theory that Iva Bais- den unintentionally came upon an H. licit "stilr and was shot. It Is said that similar occurrence took place about fifteen years ago. at which time the innocent victim was shot in much the same position as was young Bais- den.
 A third theory which is given cre dence in some quarters is to the ef- feet that Baisden was killed by a stray bullet from one of the many 'possum hunters known to have been in the thicket at the time.
 Several of the jurors stated in posi- tive terms after the verdict that they are satisfied 1t Is a case of murder Coroner A. R. Ramage agrees with them.
 On the part of some of the officials of Butler County there exists an appar- ent apathy and indifference to the ca SC which has caused much chagrin to many Greenville people. Whether this is due to an effort to allay suspicions in certain quarters that they may even tually discover the author of the crime. or whether 1t is because they believe Butler County cannot bear the expense of ferreting out the criminal cannot be learned.
 However. Homer Baisden, the father of the dead lad, is authority for the statement that the investigation of the case has not ended with the Jury's yer dict. He gives no hint of those whom he may involve in subsequent events.