Daily globe., 1879-04-06
BuFoRD, THE KENTUCKY ASSASSIN.
Il Passionate Man, Reckless of Danger and
Ke0nrd[eSs of Lusv.

Regardless of LesO.
1t appears that Col. Thomas Buford, who
assassinated Judge Elliott, of the Kentucky
court of appeals, on Wednesday last, at
Frankfort, had no personal interest in the
suit out of which grew his desire to kill the
judges of the court other than that of ad-
ministrator of his sisters will. He was evil
dently possessed of the idea, however, that
the bother about the lawsuit had shortened
his sisters life. A dispatch from Louisville
gives the murderer's record, as follows:
"Buford's history shows him to be man
utterly regardless of law, of his own life or
that of others when his passions are aroused.
Somewhere in the sos Buford was the hero
of an affray on the Lexington fair grounds
which had great deal of notoriety at the
time: He and gentleman named Thomas,
! of Mt. Sterling, had quarrelled, and m Getting
in the fair grounds Immediately opened fire
on each other. Buford displayed character
istic GOODNESS and recklessness, changing his
position once while Thomas was firing to
avoid shooting in the direction of some la
dies, and at another time deliberately taking
pin from the lapel of his coat and pick
ing the tube of his pistol, which had failed
to go off. He wounded Thomas and escaped
unhurt himself. gentleman of Lexing-
ton, named Ferguson, was keeping Thomas
supplied with pistols. General Abe Buford
made at him with bowie-knife and slashed
at his throat. Ferguson ducked his head
and the knife shaved his beard, taking off a
good sized piece of his scalp, which fell into
the possession of MIR. Mulligan, of Lexjng-
ton, who exhibited it for some time III his
store window as curiosity.
sAnother incident in Buford's career hap
pened at the time when the three colonels
were editing the Times in Louisville. Bu-
ford sent noted belle in that city bucket
of sausage from his home, near Versailles.
Theodore O'Hara author of the famous
'Bivouac of the Dead one of the three
oolonels, made the present a subject of ridi
cule in his paper. As soon as the paper
reached Versailles, Buford, taking friend
with him, got in his buggy, and by driving
rapidly and taking fresh horses from time to
time arrived at Louisville early in the night
Reaching the Calf house and going in he
found O'Hara at the bar taking drink.
Stepping up to him and inquiring as to the
authorship, O'Hara acknowledged it, and
Buford at once struck him. They struggled,
clinched and fell, O'Hara underneath.
O'Hara drew a small pistol, and
reaching around Buford tried to
buOOI uIu; Dut, uAS SoLho VI uuuOI
prevailing over his wrath, he got to laughing
so that he could not discharge it. They
were separated before any damage was done
beyond a good beating for O'Hara, and Blu
ford returned home. Still another, attend
ed with worse results, was his assault or
Mr.. Ulysses Turner, of Woodford, bril-
liant young lawyer and at one time a mem
Der of the banking firm of Saylor, Shelby &
Co., of Lexington. Buford had some busi-
ness controversy with him, attacked him
and beat him so brutally about the head
that his life was dispaired of, his health
wrecked and his sight permanently destroyed
Mr.. Turner died only short time ago, aftel
years of suffering and blindness. Buford's
last violent exploit before the present mur
! der, was his defiance of the authority of th'
sheriff of Henry county, in the earlier stage
of the suit, the final decision in whic]
, was the cause of the assassination