The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1879-04-05
THAT KENTUCKY TRAGEDY,
WA AZ LEDTD TEE ASSASSINATION
OFF JUDGE JOHN ELEEDTE.
BUFoRD's VIOLENT oAREER-oNCE VAIN
LY ATTEMPTS To AssAssINATE HIS BRO
THER-MURDER OF THE JUDGE.

he BuFOhD NlOLENT OAREEk-ONCE Val
IS, LY ATTEMPTS TO AssAssINATE HIS DI'
he THER-MURDER OF THE JUDGE.
)r-
us The assassination of Judge John Elio
IS. of the Court of Appeals, at Frankfort, Ky
Il. on the 2Gth ult., has caused more excit
r. ment there than any event since the wa
10 Unhappily, shooting affairs are SO commC
no in Kentucky, that il must be a startiL
murder indeed that will excite the peop
Of of the State to any unusual degree. But
this murder the Courier journal of the 27t
III says:
j "The cowardly shooting which TAXI
g place from time to time in other parts {
h the State is the product of drunken rows
# family feuds. In this case there was COO
determination to slay the grave exponent
Il of the law when decision had barely beel
# enunciated. The crime is of an eXceedingl
g aggravated character. 1t was not committe
in a moment of intense OF sudden passion
or provocation. The purpose was formet
= in cold blood. The deed was done in coll
f blood. Shall friends or family, OF influence
or position, interpose to save the perpetra
tor of this fearful deed p
The full reports of the murder from
Frankfort, would seem to make it very
} clear that Buford had the purpose in his
, mind, more or less definite as his brutal
passion had more or less complete posses
sion OF him. to assassinate not only Judge
Elliott, but at least two others of his asso-
ciates on the Supreme bench. Buford is a
man of ungovernable temper, and it is to
the burning discredit of the administration
of Justice in Kentucky, that the murder
of yesterday was possible. Twice before
it was only by chance that the man failed
to kill his opponent in quarrels apparently
of his own making, and in one instance it
was his own brother who thus escaped assas-
sination. Yet it does not appear that Buford
was ever even arrested for the attempted
crimes. Certainly he was never punished,
and it was this lnxity of the law that un-
doubtedly encouraged the man to revenge
himself upon Judge Elliott for the injury
| he thought he had sustained. The story OF
the murderer's previous life and of the cir
cumstances that led to this last crime will
| illustrate this.
Thomas Buford is the son of the late
William Buford, in his time one of the
best known stock breeders in Kentucky.
Another son, Gen. Abe Buford, of the
''Bosque Bonita farm, was the owner of
Enquirer and other celebrated racers.
When VIM. Buford died, by his will his
property was to be divided among mis- sur
viving children. The estate was valued at
1900, 900, and Gen. Abe Buford took the
Bosque Bonita farm as his share. Between
Thomas and Henry Buford-the latter now
candidate for the next Legislature from
Fayette county-there arose difference as
to the division. Henry offered to sell his
interest to r. A. Alexander, the famous
breeder Of Woodford county. Thomas
sent word to Mr. Alexander that he would
kill him if the purchase was made. Mr..
Alexander did not buy. quarrel between
the brothers grew up. One day they met
in the man street of Versailles, the county
seat of Woodford. There were some words
and Thomas drew his pistol. 1t is remem-
bered by old citizens of Versailles that
Henry calmly folded his arms and looked
his brother fairly in the face, although he
had pistol in his pocket within easy reach.
The man who is now in Frankfort Jail for
the assassination of Judge Elliott, delibS
erately fired three shots at his unressting
brother before the bystanders interfered to
prevent the murder. Henry Buford was |
unhurt, and Thomas was not arrested. His
brother declined to prosecute.
Two or three months after, one George
Thomas, friend of Henry Buford. made
some reference to the quarrel in hearing of
Thomas. There were threats but no blows |
OF display of weapons, and the two sep |
aratcd. They met the next day at the |
county fair. There were thousands of peo- |
pie gathered within reach of pistol bullet. |
Both men drew their weapons, and the |
firing began. Both emptied their pistols. |
Then, as they paused, a friend named Fer
guson handed his pistol to Thomas. Gen.
Abe Buford, who was with his brother,
rushed at Ferguson, caught him by the hair,
and drawing bowie knife cut him to the
ground. The bystanders interfered, and
the Bulords were taken to one part Of the
grounds, and Thomas to another. Fergu-
son was carried home, badly but not fatal y
wounded. A young negro woman III the
crowd was shot in the mouth but neither
of the Bufords nor Thomas was arrested
After three or four years-all this hap
pened in 1SG7-Thomas Buford removed
to Henry County, where his maiden sister,
Mary, had bought a farm of 400 acres.
Thomas had wasted all his part of the es-
tate left by his father. Mary Buford had
agreed to pay S32, 500 for this farm
$40, 900 in cash, and to give three notes,
one for SO, 900 and two for Sc, $50 each.
The cash payment was made, and the first
note for $40, 600 was taken up at maturity.
The other two notes were not paid, and
suit was brought on them eight years ago
to foreclose the mortgage on the farm,
which had been given to secure the notes.
The answer set up that the title to the farm,
as given to Mary Buford, was defective,
and prayed that her title be perfected or
the contract Of sale cancelled. A demur-
rer to the answer was sustained and Judg- I
ment rendered for the plaintiff. The case
was appealed and judgement reversed by
the Court Of Appeals uDon technical
point. Upon another trial judgement was
again given for the plaintiff. Miss Buford
claiming that the person
from whom she had purchased the farm had
represented that the title was
perfect, aud that she had been unable to
sell or mortgage the land by reason of the
state of the title. which was known to the
but not know to her, as she
had removed to Henry from a distant (
county (Woo1ford). The land was sold
in pursuance of the judgment of the Fay I
ette court, and bought by the plaintiff in
The action for about Sl2,OOO, the amount
Of the deferred payments, Miss Butord
thereby losing the $50, 600 she had already !
paid. The judgement was affirmed by the
Court of Appeals III an oppinlon Delivered ]
1y Elliott about year ago. In the mean
time Miss Buford had died, leaving all OF
her property to a niece. Mrs. Annie Wal d
ace. aud naming Thomas Buford as her
executor.
Execution upon the Judgment was is s
sued, and the Sheriff attempted to levy