Omaha daily bee., 1909-09-08
CRY At MURDER SCENE
Policeman Declares Voice Was that
of Colored Man.
DEATH OF LAD MOST ATRoCIoUs
RatIiff, EIeveR-YeRr-Old
Negro Boy, KILLED By
Man Thought to he of
same Race,

The cry Of a man near Twenty-third
and Nicholas streets, within a block Of
where Othello Ratliff was found dead,
was heard by Policeman Dudley at IL
o'clock Monday night while he was walk
ing his beat on Cunning street.
Don't d. thatl" the voice exclaimed
with an oath.
officer Dudley thought little Of 1t at
the time and said nothing of the matter
until ne reported for duty at the police
station Tuesday afternoon. He says that
from the sound Of the voice, II belonged
to a colored man, as the voice was Of
negro accent and deep.
Zerma Ratliff, the 16-year-old sister of
the lad, who accompanied him to the show
grounds Monday evening and lost him
there, according to her story, has been
questioned further by the detectives. She
win be placed upon the stand at the in
quest. 1t is thought that by that time
she will be able to give a better and
fuller account Of the affair, after she re-
covers from the shock the murder has
given the entire Ratliff family.
Boy Died In Lingering Agony.
That the boy did not die at once, but
fingered some time, was ascertained by
the examining physicians. They ventured
Lne ODlnlOu Lldl peIlhpS NlG wy AA"e
been left half buried in dirt, bricks and
rubbish while he still lived.
The wounds might have been made by
a horsewhip or other similar article used
as a weapon. A knife may not have been
used at all. and the bricks found around
the scene, blood-stained and disturbed, are
now regarded as having been only incl
dentals Of the crime.
The police have some slight clues, out
of which it is hoped something will be
developed.
Found at school House.
Ratliff, who was an 11-year-old
colored, boy, living at 1905 Patrick ave-
nue., was found evidently murdered under
the east side porch of the Kellom school
building, Twenty-second and Caldwell
streets, at s o'clock Tuesday morning.
Thomas G. Olson, the ~janltor and GUS
todian of the building, discovered the
body, partially covered over with dirt,
bricks and rubbish.
The motive for the atrocious crime is al
yet undiscovered. The back Of his
head was partly crushed in, there was a
cut to the skull over the right temple,
another one through the lobe Of the right
ear, the right cheek was bruised and cut
and the whole face and head was badly
d~isfigured.
Numerous pools of blood were by the
body and near the porch and the blood
was fresh, indicating that the little fellow
had been killed during the night.
The lads clothing had been almost tori
from his body. The body was found in g
position indicating that he had died in in
tense pain.
Coroner Heafey took charge of the body
- lit IL - - -
ters are in shape for one.
Mother Identifies Him.
Until afternoon the body remained un,
identified, although the authorities made
every effort to discover who the dead Lac
was. Finally a telephone bell rang and {
! grisf-stricken woman declared she believed
the dead boy was her son. She was Mrs
Sarah Ratliff, and later identified the body
Her husband, Joseph Ratliff, died tw'
years ago. Several other children com
prise the family that is left
Little Othello had often sold papers oil
the streets, done messenger work, and ha'
worked at the County club all summer
Mrs. Ratliff says the first she learne,
Of the killing of her boy was when som
friends took her a copy Of the noon edition
Of M Bee containing the account of tn
murder. She had missed the boy sine
Monday night and as soon as she reai
about the murder of the colored boy sh
FASTENED to Coroner Heafey's and identi
fled the body as that Of her son.
HE went to the circus Monday nigh
with his sister, Zerma, who is 16 year
old" said Mrs. Ratliff. He had been t
the show in the afternoon. so he did no
go In at night.
1T was 7:SO o'clock when he went wit
his sister to the circus grounds, Sh
says she last saw him at a lunch stand'o
the grounds when she went into the show
He was to wait there for her.
when she came out he was not around
She came home and he was not there
In the morning he had not come HON,
We then ~telephoned the police station an
other places and told them about the boy
going away.
IL heard nothing then until a, o {
The Bee was brought to me, / felt righ
then that my boy had been killed. 1 the
came to the coroner's and found my so
had been killed.
Zerma. the sister believes a colOred en-
lploye Of the show lured her brother ava!