The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1879-05-10

OF Mrs. Pools residence DIR Bazee
rode to the front part of the yard, ttis-
mounted. tied the bride of his horse to
a dogwood tree, and leaving his pistol
in. the holsters at the horn of his saddle,
walked toward the house,
Ford, in his great eagerness for the
life of his victim who was now unarmed
and completelyAin his power, neglected
giving the signal, thus saving Heeman
Mcclure from the gallows bya comInu-
tation of the death sentence to impris-
onment for life III the State Peniten-
t1ary. Stepping from his amBush, Ford
leveled his double barreled gun, fired
two loads of buckshot into the body of
the ill-fated Dr. Bazee, and then draw
ing his revolver, advanced, shooting
three shots at the man who was killed
by the first discharge, as the loads of
bucksbot entered his breast. Heeman
Mcclure now Appeared, but Ford had
completed the work-Dr. Bazee was
dead.
The murder occurred on the 10th of
June. Four days later Judge D. j.
Reid, Parish Judge, having received
the intelligence, started with the Sheriff
W iANSSbtDdJo Tue utsItcIs dEItNluS hb
the point, sixty miles distant. the next
evening. From tie Hfothationreceived
from the citizens, he ordered the arrest
of Absalom Ford, the two McClures
and Henry Saucier A negro boy by
the name of Lee, fourteen years of age,
testified to DIR. Bazee passing him near
Mrs POOLS place, and to seeing Ford
shoot DIR. Bazee.
Ford and Heeman Mcclure were tried
together, found guilty of murder and
sentenced to death. The Governor has
commuted the Sentence of the latter to
the penitentiary for life.
Frank Mcclure and Henry Saucier
were tired and acquitted on account of
the missing link in the cifcumstsntial
evidence connecting them with the
murder. Subsequent confessions of
nearly all the parties and some of the
principal witnesses, however, show that
they were fully in the plot, and that
Saucier furnished the gun.
FORD IN THE ROLE OF JACK SHEPPARD.
Since the time of the notorious Jail
breaker, Jack Sheppard, there has per-
haps never lived man who has escaped
from prison SO often as Absalorh Ford.
Six or seven years ago this man lived
"A Sabine parish. in this State, where
le had wife and three or four children.
Ee was deacon OF church there, and
lis character was apparently beyond
'eproach, when he became acquainted
With woman who threatened to expose
lis relationship with her il he did not
;npport her. One night Ford burgla-
'ionsly entered the woman's house and
)eat her senseiess. In his confession
le said he intended to murder her and
eft the house supposing the woman
vas dead. For this crime he was ar
ested and sentenced to five years in the
'enitentiary, but escaped from Jail and
led to Texas. There series of des-
'erate encounters, arrests and escapes
rom prison are recorded.
He and Mcclure were confined In the
all at Lake Charles, when Ford sug
ested plan OF escape which Mcclure
greed to. This was for the latter to
ct FIRE to a quantity of paper and straw,
lille the former should give the alarm
rom the door at the top of the Jail,
'hich was reached by his tearing a
lank from the side and placing it in
position in the centre OF
le cell and climbing through the trap
oor (the prisoners descending into the
Ill by means of ladder Subsequently
.awn up).
arm soinae9 as the kaaners onened
,e ontside door Ford nassed ont an
nsaryad MeGl,,re was unable 10 climb
1 tha nlanL Fo,d was NOT missed for
yya or tan m;n,,tes The niobf was
ark and the rain desce.dino In tor
,nts Ha confessed 10 ,emain;no hid.
an in the naiohhorbood Ehyae days
hen he eseaned into TEXAS SWIMMING
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