His cap, found at Ballard's home, was said to be a winter hat made of brown wool. Conversely, the "Illinois State Journal" described James as a "typical southern darkey of medium size and of color not real dark." James was said to be positively identified by Sheriff Deputy, Harry Taylor, who identified the cap, and the piece of torn shirt, as belonging to James. He was also identified by Bob Oakley, a 38-year-old mulatto, said to have been a former police officer, who was now a bartender at one of the black saloons. Oakley lived with his nephew, Lee Oakley, who was a shoe shiner at a saloon near Sixth and Monroe streets. Oakley voluntarily called into the police station when he heard about what happened. Oakley stated that he had seen a "strange negro," possibly James, ordered out of Bill Johnson's saloon on East Washington street the night before. Oakley was shown the cap and piece of shirt allegedly found at Ballard's home and, "at once furnished a correct description of the little negro [James]..." Oakley added that the "strange negro" was wearing new shoes. Three weeks later, Oakley's nephew, Lee, would be arrested for stabbing someone with a knife. James was also said to have been "positively identified by those who had chased him," "by every member of the Ballard family who had an opportunity of catching a "glimpse" of the murderer," and by the bloody "penknife" that Officer Jack Golden, accompanied by Ballard's sons, found after James' arrest. The weapon was conveniently located three feet from where James was sleeping on the grass. The penknife was reportedly stained with blood, with a blade less than two inches long. The police verified that James had no weapon on him when he left the prison on the afternoon of July 4. It was reported that James had been kicked out of "Johnson's" saloon for "mooching" money for liquor, with the same report stating: "...how he [James] got back on Ninth street is unknown." James was immediately labeled "the murderer." However, newspapers questioned the logic of the reported event, and admitted finding his motives to be "difficult to understand." Robbery had been ruled out because "nothing in the house was molested and Ballard's modest home is not one to attract a burglar." But with the alleged intrusion occurring in the bedroom of Ballard's daughters, and with James being black while the girls were white, it was surmised that James must have been attempting to rape the girl(s), and newspapers began defining him in sexualized terms, i.e. "a brute of the lowest form."