, 1874-12-22

Tho Hanging of nh Innocent mnn by
El aSA.Ih. ar4x.

Tho Hanging Of nh innocent T1nn by
LyMchora.
Lfa'f""0T' fGn: tpts ~. cDrrf.pondt"e' " e''
4 moat painfully interesting story camc into
my posHoaslon rocontly, which aond to you
with aomo hositatlon, for fear fricI,ds may nut
desire tho mattor made public. As moro or Ions
publicity has boon gfvcn 1t in Rotno quarters,
howoyor, and as ttrro ts no disgrace Attaching to
tho victim Of thu murder, giyo 1t M learned 1t
ill my percKrinntons through tho WcHt
Atany Of tho oldest o.tizens Of Illiuois wilt re-
rncmbor Thomas Ford. enc Of the old lawyors Of
that Htat0, who waB elected Governor Hono tinc
back III tho !" fortios." Gov. Ford waa rockoned
one OF tho "big II. mon Of tho StAto. ,nlboit ho
vna poasoBscd OF III oyorWocnlng 1noaesty that
retarded his advancement and hopt linn poor;
When ho died l,o loft d number Of children sts.d
no property, excepting d history OF ltttuoiH, III
manuscript. ThtH, Ten. Jantcn Shields, now n
ccotiH voro dividod among lilo ehillrca+ lilo
children wero adopted by different citzol,a,--tlo
youneest, Thomas, with whom wo hara to Do in
this sketch, boing adopted by tho lato Hon.
Thomas y. Mooro, Of peorta, ILL.,, md asannod
Ton aoryod In tho Ono 1Iundrod and Thirty
nintA Illinois lufautry, aud thoro mode n.auy
Ifionds, md WIS accounted Eood aold!or.
upou Ills return hc ontcrcd tho artillery service,
nnl did good duty thoro for yoas. Tllon lie re-
turned to Peoria, aud for nhort titno was on
Eagotl In writing Hauiba for tha transcript, the
ieadiug paper III Peoria,
Iii tho fall Of 1871, young Ford or Moore (lio
nlwayH wrote bis name Thomas FORD 1loorol bo-
ca1no dissatisfied with Peoria. and determined 70
10 to tho Far WoAt to Beak hlB fort'tno. Ills
older brother waR somewhere 10 tho Vtelutty Of
Wachita, Kan.. and thither Tom shaped his
Of months Tom mud tla brother wandered up
md down tho P)ainn Of kausns now joining a
limiting party for tho Wost, now helping to
bring hugo drovcs OF Texas cattle from the
South. Sometimes be vae in company With Lis
brothor at other times l4o wont a!onc.
1t this time Excitement WIS running unusu-
ally high In regard to llorgc-stoalns.
It wus noar tho close Of o boautiful day in
July thst youug Ford for tho 1rat timo ap-
preached State Crock Rancho situated In sun,-
iilor County, near tho town Of Caldwell: Ho
had walked all day, coming from tho sonthoast,
and looked forward with Joyful anttcipattona 10
tho rost and food l,o should obtain at The rancho,
previous to pushing on to Caldwell, o miles fur
thor, whittier lie wnH bound. Just before reAch-
ing tho lanoho hn bocnmo cogniza1it Of tho 1lcs
that Two mon wore following bin, but lle had q
revolver, and, surprising il tho non iutorfareed
with him 1t would bo for tho purposo Of rob-
tery, ha Ind no fears of thom.
lie boon arrived at tho rancho. whcro be re-
fresled himself with meat mud drink, fot hall oil
hour, aud thon started for Caldwell. Ills jour
uay lay through u woods Of Ecattorcd treGH and
wllon three men suddenly sFrauE upon him from
hazo copso. So sudden sras tho attack TINT iie
had no timo TO draw weapon, no timo to mako
any defense.
Tho throe man woro quickly Joined by threo
Others and tho LEADER informed their captive
that ha waa exceedingly yheppy to havo succeeded
| iu captusiug hinl 80 easily. "For," said hc,
1--WE hayo bccu watching you for Several hours
| past" Tom inquired for What they had arreatcd
him. At first llo could got no Eatlsfaction, but
| at length he vns informed that ho waa arrestod
- rho horror ii Lis situation then forced itself
| upon tho young man. lie realized that ho was
i,i tho la.itla Of 1pub WIN knew laW but rlat
| OF Judge Lynch, in whose court they woro
| iurors, Judge, witnesses, attorneys. md exccu-
| fioners. Though thousand tlmoH innocent, he
knew 10 woud die II hc could not fuliy eonvinco
tlioso mcu Of ha innocence. lic know that so1lo
Of tho lpndcst nnd most nctiyo Of theBa vigil
mites wcro tho ronl hor6e.thovcs, who would not
| hesitate to hang au lnnocont nun to diyort sus-
picion from tlelr guilty Belyos. and l1o know Il
tho present rnrty wora Of TINT nunbor bo would
certainly poriBh.
They asked him his nan1e and he told then,
Thomas Moore, and thon informed them that ho
! WAS tho son Of Thomas Ford, former Goyernor
Of Illinois, "11oW Gun your name be Moore.
sad sho 91aor yH arc tho son ,is 9a
the shout Of derisiou that followed, attempted
| to e1p!air. He was dragged along. "Shut up
your cacklo, says ono burly rutlian, striking him
iu tho faco with lis ilst.
| 4 ropn Wna horo brought In Wow " Tako
| hlm to yondor sroe," said tito leader.
| My Cad, goutlamcu,"' protested tho unfottu-
| nate youth, ''aro vou going to Lang mo npoll
bare Auspicion2 Deforo God am Innocent OF
crime aug II you VIZ sivo 'no tlno ana opportu-
| 'NYo hayo all Tho proof NO want" eaid the
leader. =" X YOU'VE got any prayers to say, make
| tholn short, for we have 70 many OF you folowH
to attond to that We hayon'tmuch timo to give
each OF YOU"
| III Gods nnt,.o, men, is there no chanco for
| 1fc? Must die l:'lo a dog for nothing? Giyz
nlo sono chance for MY lifo. .an ifyou will take
it, doa't murder mo i'll such co"nsdlT HAL
nor"
Vain wero tho words Of tho poor boy. They
attempted to bind him, but With all tho young
| strength, OF q woli-bullt frau.o intonHiod and
augmented By desperation, he throw tham oil
Aguin nnd again thoy throw themselves upon
him, but in Ills despair. he hurled them from
lin. But what must bc the result OF this 7
! What could be tho ouly result? TAey wero s.s
to Que. uo waB exhausted, overpowoycd, thrown
| down and hin lanls and. foot securely bound.
r0p9 h'ng pasxea tue fq' no Of
| ho VAS asked II ho had any confession to znnlo'
| "No,e snitl ho, "1ny chinf consolation io tnia
moment Of my death is that a.n Innocent. ]
mover stole ho,so. You doubt my BtosIcs.
/ soy NH, Tor God's sake, look Mt thom."
''Woll hang you first aud Look at your lottore
afterwards." shouted ono Of tho rusKana. "pull
away, boys, and lot us got away with this busi-
AcSh. :.
'.OI, giyo him minute to pray" sa!d The
lender. - Here, young mayl. you may hayo tNe
minutes to pray ILL but mako EN- short"
Tho ropo wah SUCKED up, and tho doomed boy
foil upon his kuces mud engaged il silent prayer
Tha two minutes oyor, tho cruel i,auda al thu
other ont! Of tho ropo pulled it tant, atsd witt
another jerk tho poor innocent youth Waa dang
ling between heaven aud oarth. Il few moments
and the dark transaction was done.
Altar ho was doad tho men examined tho pook
| M un3fc tn4tara
identity, and alao proving lis innocence. Tlt
villains liad literally hung thelr man nrht ant
heard his defenHo afserwara. 0na Of thasn e1
proasctl tho fear that thoy had boon engaged in
bad job Tho faetH OF tho murder camo on
nearly or quito AZ nboyo detailed, and occasionot
mn iitt}o feolinH In tho vicinity.
It WAS InontlB before eYon run&or Ut tho aat
fate ot tho young man reached ila friends !,
Peorin and elsewhere. They know him 10 b.
out upon tho borders Of civilization and did no
expect frequent lotters fran ht,n> The news wns
first brought back by rough character wht
hoard Il In KANSAS. but whoao word WIS not DO