The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1879-04-03
COL. THOMAS BUFORD
SHOOTS CHI F JUS
TICE ELLIOTT, OF
KENTUCKY.
He Attributes His Deed to
a Decision Adverse to
lis Sister.
FRANKFORT, Ky, March 90, 1870.

Colonel Thomas BufOrd, OF Hen
~ county, and a brother of Genera
Buford, shot and Killed Judge Johr
NJ. Elliott, of the Court of Appeals.
at a quarter past one o'clock this
afternoon, in front of the ladies' en-.
trance of the Capitol Hotel, in this
city. The weapon used was a
double barrelled shotgun, loaded
with twelve buckshot IN each bar
rel. Judge Elliott, in company
with Judge Thomas Hines, was
coming up Ann street when they
were met at the steps of the side
entrance of the hotel by Buford,
who appeared equipped for hunt
ing. Buford spoke first to Judge
Elliott saying, Judge, | believe |
will go snipe hunting. Won't you
go along:" To this Judge Elliott
replied, "No." DWELL then" said
Buford, "won't you take a drive"
At this point Judge Hines turned
away, and had gone about six feet
when the gun was fired and Judge
Elliott fell upon the sidewalk with
out uttering a word. Bnfold looked
down upon him and said "I'm sor-
ry." He then lifted his head and
put his, Buford's) hat under it.
Judge Hines turned back and tried
to raise the body, but found that
life vas extinct. He thought the
shooting was done by accident I'M
til Buford spoke 10 the Deputy
Sheriff and a policeman, who came
Immediately to the scene.
Buford Immediately gave up his
gun to the policeman, saying as he
did so :-"Be careful with that gun.
| put twelve buckshot in it for
Pryor" He made no resistance
whatever to the officers who arrest
ed him, and Immediately took him
before Esquire Gwynn, who, after
a brief examination, committed him
to jail. On his way TO the magis-
trate's office, or just before he start
ed for it, he handed a letter to the
deputy sheriff addressed as follows
-"Whoever may get this note |
ask earnestly to deliver it to the
person to whom it is directed"
CAPITOL HOTEL. March 26, 1879.
Whatever may happen to me /
desire that my niece, Annie O..
Wallace, shall have everything both
in equity aud in law that belongsto
me. l only ask that my body shall
be laid by my sister, Mary f. Blu
ford, whom | loved SO we'll, whose
robbery and assassination | wish to
try. Thomas BUFORD.
The body of Judge Elliott was
taken to a room in the Capitol
Hotel and a coroner's inquest was
held. The following verdict was
rendered by the jury :
owe, the jury, find that the dead
body now before us is that of John
NJ. Elliott, of Boyd county, Ky,
who was at the time of his death a
Judge OF the Court of Appeals, and
resident temporarily at Frankfort,
and was killed and murdered in said
city on the Goth inst, by being shot
though the body by Thomas Blu
ford, with a double-barrelled shot
gun"
In ten minutes after Mr.. Buford
was taken to jail the Herald CORES
pendent called upon him and held
the following interview :
"Have you any objection to talk
ing with me upon the subject of the
killing Of Judge Elliott :"
"None in the least. / will tell
you all about it,
He then entered into the particu-
lars of the land suit lately decided
against him in the Court of Appeals,
entitled Buford, administrators, vs..
Guthrie. He went over the whole
ground, and said his sister Mary +.
Buford, had been robbed and muir
by the decision of the Cour,
of Appeals. then asked him to
give me the particulars Of the kill
ing.
THE STORY OF THE KILLING.
ooh, that is easily told" said he.
81 made up my mind to kill him. !
thought on Monday | would kill
both him and Judge Pryor, and
took a walk to see if could not
save Pryor on account of his chill
dren. | finally concluded to do SO.
months ago, in March or
/ came to Frankfort deter
to kill Iudre PRYOR and had