The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-04-03


the lady away, turning his back on Buford.
This was the straw that broks the eamels
back. The imperturbable, deliberate dead
game man was fully reused, though not In
the least excited. He waited eooly until he
saw Thomas alone; then walked UP to him
him, With his mocking sneer Thomas re-
pied. Why. sir, | never run man down.
was satisfied with what / said to yot last
night" Buf0rd immediately struck him In
the lace, knocking him down, and then kicked
and stamped on him.. The two men were
complies contrasts. Thomas tall and slen-
ger, t.hin-ilanked, plpe-stem legs, and long
as.qiiline nose; quick, but not athletic; temper
IKE ,u ,e Lender boy; brave but top tenpestuous
nine Inches high, broad shouldered, slightly
rounded;. deep chest. thick bodied, strong
arms and sturdy legs; rather low forehead,
and 9 ,s.11 small % blue eye the ealnest, coolest
man alive; slow 10 anger, but utterly Inn
placable when Injured; Impossible to force
into difficulty when against his will, and
equally impossible TO throw Off his guard
busted his hat with his handkerchief, and
then wiped the blood from his face; bowed rs
coolly as Buford could have done, said he
would soon be heard from, and walked away.
He proceeded. to Lexington, armed hmse!f
waited until he had caught his eye, and then
struck negro woman, whom 1t dangerously
wounded. In an instant Bnford had his re-
volver leyeled and Thomas completely COW
cred, but there were ladies running behind
Thomas and In the range OF Buford's fire, and
one Of them would almost certainly have been
Killed had the ball passed beyond Thomas.
side, shifted his position, waited until
Ing two harmless shots from Thomas
Ia the meantime, then fired quickly. but
could not see Thomas distinctly from
the smoke Of the latter's pistol, and missed.
A second time he pulled the trigger, hut the
cap snapped. With laugh he took fresh
caps from his vest pocket, put one on the tuse,
fired and Thomas who all the time had besrll
gus0n, handsome dandy friend Of Thomas,
rushed toward the latter with a fresh pistol.
Abe Buford saw this, cried out, On 1t.
Tom, throw down your pistol, and go 10 with
Ferguson, caught him, knocked him down,
kicked him with the heel OF his heavy military
boot, lined with brass and with shatp edges,
and scalped him as clean as an Indian could
have performed the job with q knife. Then
the two giants had q tumble over and over
one another, Ferguson receiving q terrible
beating.
Tom Buford did draw his knife. but made
| fer Ferguson instead Of Tilprnas. He was
caught before he could use 1t. BY this time
Buford began to be understood, and his enc
mics let him alone Thomas was engaged In
blockade running, and died Of consumption
chansa Gee dqpg bz 8 the Jhso Tar aef e t syg spg
he chose pistols at six PAGES, but there was no
| fight. He also tried to force q difficulty with
Gen. VIM, Nelson, but that officer would not
crafty him.
above, Thomas Buford's brother Henry at
| tackled him, slot at him half dozen times,
one taking effect In his hand. Thomas Bu-
ford was fully armed, but would not fire at
| his brother to save his own life, and walked
l u a flfdt nj In
| him.
The account OF his holding at bay the sheriff
OF Henry county aud his posse is so recent as
| to be familiar When the decision against
him was first rendered by the Court Of APP
peals, about year ago, persons In Frankfort
who knew Buford expressed themselves as
satisfied that he would kill the judge, not
from any threat that he had made, but from
| O knowledge of the man and the view he had
| taken oil his own case. He would walk the
floor Of the large office Of the Capitol, his face
| looking calm stern and sorr0wfui, saying lit
tie to any one. evidently brooding over his
| imaginary wrong and actual itnpoverish-.
ment. He made up his mind then to kill IL
the case should finally go against him, ana he
has never wavered from that purpose. have
known him for nearly quarter OF q CEN
1 tury, and / believe his statement that he
did not intend to assassinate Judge Carter,
| and had relinquished his purpose to Kill Judge
Pryor on account Of the latter's wife and chfi-
| dren. He had the power TO select tho victim
OF MS VeuBehlfCS, sbnu GHO56dluSS GIIIDbG hS
did not give warning, for that would have
frustrated his purpose. Had q thousand men
stood with their muskets ready to shoot him
down, 1t would not have avai1ed to have de-
tered him, but h1 would have been rather
glad to have the finaiity then and there A
man Of strong passions, they have no safety
valvs in muscular excitement, but seem still
and deep. 1t Is not true. as stated In the
/ Commercial, that he has killed three men.
Not the murder itself, but the coclness, delib-
GRAFTON with which 1t was done, and his In
difference to the consequences, are character
istic OF his whole life. The only inconsistency
/ can detect ID the expression OF momentary
compunction for what he had done. after hav-
ing so long weighed 1t. KEITH.