The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-07-26
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TOM BUF0RD'S TRIAL.

Hhsape,S! Much Conflicting Testimonv.
Tho case Of Thomas Buford, for the
. lnnrderSof Judge Elliott, has attracted
Innach interest. The killing WAS done
immediately after the court had (. dc.
cidcd case which swept away
Butord's property. Hc claimed that
his sister had died from distress oven
the same case, and that the Judges had
murdered her. Tho strong point of
the defence was to prove the prisoner
insane. Some of the evidence is here
adduccd.
... WALLACE HARPER.
Live in Woodford county, and have
for sixty-tlircc years; live in mile of
where the Bufords lived. and was in
innate with them all; went to school
with them. Several on both sides
were crazy. There were Sinclair n
brothcr), Elizabeth Allen Ga sister, ,
Miss Betsy Kirtlcy Gan aunt), jeff
kirtlcy and Jack Kirtlcy (matcrnal
uncles), all crazy. William Buford "a
brothcr), was little wild on religion
before he died. Miss Martha's mind
was not right when shc died. Abram
had three idiotic sons, who were very
dangerous whom mad. Mrs. Stone L
did not know. Mrs. Crutchcr I only
knew by sight. She was crazy. Thc
prisoner lived at my house several
months. lie IS well posted, but acted
strangely when disagreed with; would
never give up, whether Fright or
wrong. Talking about his suit, he
talked strangely. Said Hord (his own
la"ycr) wrote the decision. lie did
not sleep an hour that night. When
ne left he said, "D-d if he know
where ho was going or when he would
return" Three or four days later hc
committed tho murder. He staid two
nights at my house and slept scarcely
at all. lilo would say he was robbed,
and constantly walk the floor. Said
when he gained his suit he would buy
his brother 1cnry's farm. think he
was insane when ut my house, and
whatever was said he would return to
tho suit, lie said he would gain it, or
somebody would be hurt. l thought
rom what he said he meant Judge
tryor. lie seemed insane. IIe men-
toned Cofcr and Elliott and Pryor,
put did not warn them, though |
thought ie was going to do something
desperate.
N. J. MOORE.
He was at my house several times n
week, and at night hc would slccp an
hour, then wake up and call me. lie
would get up, chew tobacco, and be-
gin to swear about the law suit. When
1 would not answer him he would
I curse me, sit by the fire, and say thev
were trying to rob his sister, and he
would protect her if no could. lie
would ride about, followed by n favor
ite dog. gcsticulating and swearing.
lie nearly always carried his gun. lie
was pleasant except when on tho one
subject. | avoided it, and sometimes.
when he did not want to annoy the
women, he would take me out to talk
about it.. Ele said therc were three
confessed judgments-thrcc cross-pcti-
tlons confcssed-and that the Court
ought to give him three judgments but
would not give him one. Ife said tic
continuance Of the suit killed his sis
ter. lie never told me the spirit of
ms sister communicated with him. +
thought him insane on the suit and on
tho rascality Of man. He would run
all account with only one house in the
county, and he thought he was SWIM
died six pounds OH the hundred in the
sale of hogs. He would allow stock
weighed on only one set of scales in
the county.
l.. T. MADDOX.
Live in Henry county. Have known
accused ten years. Have slept with
him in the fall of 1872 for a month. lie
would lie down and sing and chew
tobacco, walk the floor, and sing q
song he said he had composed for q
young lady in Woodford he loved but
did not marry. He would talk fire.
quently every night about the lawsuit,
and get very excited. Would talk to
himself while walking the streets of
EuNncnce, and would notice none of
his friends. Buford employed me to
como and live with him. I did not
think Butord sane man.
On the other hand numerous wit
ncsscs, physicians among them, testi-
f'cd TO Butord's perfect sanity. They
regarded him as q cool but desperate
and determined man.
DIR. BELL, OF LOUISVILLE,
who Is regarded as one of tho leading
authorities in tho land Oh insanity,
testified as an expert as follows:
:, my opinion has been made up ell
nrely since coming into court. have
listened carefully to the testimony, and
find he has, for a long time, been a
slceplcss man, and frequently greatly
prostratcd in mind and body. M one
can give any reason for his slcepless-
ness, except from tho state Of his
nina. am confident that he had
been for long time prior to the kill
ing approaching insanity. lie could
not talk of anything but his suit, and
1t had a tendency to dethrone his mind.
40 not mean by dethroncd that he
was insane on all Subjects but that his
mind had lost its rudder. Some of the
worst cases ever seen were of this
character. The death Of his sister. the
loss OF money, ETC., were calculated in
MS case to produce insanity. From
my visits to the prisoner in the iail.
here 0n1 Qt ,nr,sous1lo