The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-04-03
TOM BUFORD'S FIGHTS.
sonE 0v THE AFFAIRS IN WHICH THE
SLAYER OF JUDGE ELLIOTT
HAS BEEN ENGAGED.

A Rather DnlI. phiegmMtlc MAN, Whose
klOwness to Resent Insult was Form
erly Mlsunderst0Od--HOw His True
Character Was gradually Revealed.
HIS Goodness ana DeIiUeratiOn Under
Fire.
LEXINGTON, KY, March 2s. 1879.
To the Editor Of the Commerclal.
Gus, Abe Henry c., Thomas and st. Clair
were the SONS Of the late William Buford Of
Woodford county, who, IL remember rightly,
was the son Of an elder brother Of Col. Abra-
ham Buford, Of the revolutionary army. Gen.
Napoleon b. Buford, OF illinois, and the late
gallant Gen. John Buford, OF the United
States army, we're their first cousins. The
Buford estate WIS near that Of the Alexan-
ders, Of Woodburn, to whom 1t nearly all now
belongs. st. Clair, or 'sink," the youngest
Of the brothers, early developed into dan
gerous madman, possessed Of homicidal
MANIA His brawls were numerous fact,
he was seldom out Of one. Ms impression Ia
that his private graveyard holds the bodies
OF three victims to his shotgun, pistol or knife.
At length, for some slashing exploit OF his,
he was arrested In Versailles. and In his wild
rage openly threatened the life Of Mr.. Carter,
the officer who interfered with his play
| fnl pastme. The people OF Versailles had
grown weary Of st. Car's eccentric disporta-
tions; the crack Of his firearms and the flash
of his steel had become decidedly monotonous; ;
maud upon Thomas f. Marshall to prosecute
him. TO this "every bodys Cousin Tom"
strongly demurred, for the very natural and
sufficient reason that "Sink" had already q
grudge against. and would be sure to kill him
at the very first opportunity. But his vanity
yielded to the pressure, and finally he re-
/ luctantly assentsd, on two fundamental con-
ditionssprecedent: First, that his premium, q
handsome one, should be paid in advance;
second, that double barrel sllot-gun should
be scrupulously cleaned and carefully loaded
with buckshot, and u man be placed with 1t
| just outside the court house door, 50 that In
case st. Clair made the slightest defnonstra-
tioD, he might be able to anticipate his dead
ly intentions. The terms were agreed to and
universally approved and the programme
arranged accordingly. Marshall made one
OF his grandest efforts, but his intended "sub-
sequent proceedings" were rendered unnec-
eessary by the decisive action OF Carter, the
threatened officer, who, while the trial was
progressing, and In the presence Of the court,
etnptled the contents Of shotgun into St.
Clair's body. Court adjourned. The funeral
Thomas Buford continued to i've bache-
lor, on the old homestead, with his mother
and maiden sister. He inherited a good es-
tate, was hosptable, frank, truthful unsuspi-
some who did not understand him doubted his
game. Awkward and rather blunt In speech,
he was made sport OF by some OF the more
polished OF bis acquaintances, who did not
serupie to ridicule his manners even while
eating his mutton. 1t was long time before
! it penetrated his slow mind that he was being
insulted and that 1t was necessary for him to
resent It, When at last this was eompre-
hended it took such possession OF him as to
exclude all other thoughts. In his unsophis-
ticated good nature he had sent q present Of
sausage meat to very beautiful and brilliant
city lady, by whom he had been attracted.
Meeting her and others upon the street one
} day he Invited the party to partake OF some
refreshments In an ice-cream saloon. just to
quiz him the q ntlenen called for the most
costly champagne and other expensive luxu-
ries, 50 that Instead Of trifie Buford found
the bill more than the contents OF his pocket
book. A communication appeared in the
!, Times narrating these incidents and othere
OF similar nature, not calling Buford by
name, but describing him In such terms that
Identification could not fail, ridieulfng him
most numerically, and applying to him de-
risive and insulting epfthets Light broke
upon Buford's dullness; he was being made d
butt OF by his friends. Immediately upon
|, reading the paper he started to Louisville
ascertained at The Gait House that Col. Theo.
/, dore o. OHara the editor OF the Times, was In
i the bar-rOom; walked up to and asked him il
his name was @ Hara never having seen him
previously; on being answered in the affirm
editor OF the Times; being answered second
| time affirmatively said: "My name is Bu.
ford, and I've come to whip you for publish.
ing the insulting article concerning me liz
r your paper, and at once struck him in the
face, and continued to beat and kick him
until O'Hara was well near lfeless. O'Hara
J was o man OF knightly courage; he aeknowl
edged himself In fault for publishing such an
; ford handsome apology. But Buford be.
lieved there were others behind OHara,
and he was not satisfied to leave them un.
punished. Growing out OF this affair other
difficulties came, upon him, but never
day he was standing on the street In con-
: versation, when he was interrupted by Johr
II. Morgan, who gave him the lie. Buford
+ was not armed AID saw that Morgan was
w,h hn quiet laugh he made dem Morgan
gan, II say you are id liar, nop." =
am all the more obliged to you; good morn.
ing, sir; you'll hear from me again" sale
still laughing iowly. He at once. wrote ane
sent q peremptory challenge, naming DR..
x. Marshall as his friend. It was accepted
but the matter was arranged between DR.
Marshall and Col. L. Z. Hawkins, who actet
for Morgan, on terms satisfactory to Bufordl
wounded honor. 1t was not Morgan whom
; he desired to fight, or from whom he believed
his wrong had come, and he was willing tina
, the matter should be adjusted, provided tht
hasty insult were Withdrawn. It was moi
; long after this In 1853 or 1854 when he me-
2 with George Fl. Thomas at the Blue Liet
! Springs The latter was man of talent ane
cultivation, and OF the most unquestionet
courage, excitable, passionate, quick to TAX
: and to give offense, and whom nothing couIt
satisfy save the complete abasement OF any
one with whom he quarreIed. Thomas Z, o.
= once manifested a purpose to force difficulty
5 upon Buford, who passively submitted to hil
: repeated and unprovoked insults, and avoided
!. him. Buford bore Thomas no ILL will De.
I lieved he had been set on by others; dld nor
: want to kill him, and preferred to endure
u rather than do SO. But his motives were mis-.
! construed, attr butte to timidity, and the OF.
= fensive conduct was persisted in. Later they
> happened together 10 the billiard saloon 10
0 the Phoenix Hotel in Lexington. Thomas was
playing, and became engaged 10 az aloerca
+ fion conenrninD the game. BurOTQ Thought