The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-03-31
A rAEK WITH THOMAS BUFORD.
what Led to the Assnssinntion of Judge
John Elliott.


be brought from the capital city TO Louisville
to-day and placed in the Jail here. Yesterday
he was brought before Judge Sneed Mt Frank
fort but waived examination. The reporters
say he was perfectly calm and collected. but
that he looked as II he might have passed
sleepless night-the first after tho murder.
His coat was covered with whitcwash rubbed
from the walls Of his cell. He said no
wanted no counsel. but the Row. Green Clay
Smith. once a General in the Confederate army.
! afterward lawyer. and now Baptist preacher.
was with Duford rs a volunteer counsel. Per-
haps very few lawyers in the State, in the pres
ent excited condition OF the public feeling
toward Buford. would voluntarily appear in
/ behalf Of the slayer of Judge Elliott. but Gen.
| Smiih-people still call him by his old title-s
| us brave as he Is eccentric.
To reporter OF the Couier-J Journal nfter tho
| killing. Buford wanted to know why the au-
| thorities had taken the trouble to place COM
pany OF militia about the jail. There is moth
ing at stake but my lfe" he said, and have
no care for that" He is quoted this morning
| as saying that he is perfectly Indifferent rs TO
| what will be done with him, and that he does
! not care when. or how, or where they dispose OF
him. Being asked rs To his mental condition. ne
| said he had always been competent Tor the trans
action OF any business and that his mind was
not impaired. and that he only suffered from
! melancholy when he happened 70 think OF his
| sister. lie said for some time he had been in
the habit Of hunting and fishing 70 relieve his
| mind Of the oppression Of any reflection upon
the wrongs done to his sister by the Appellate
| Court. Whenever he felt impressed that no
| ought to take vengeance upon the Court, h0
went to the woods or to the waters. and forgot II
| in the excitement. He would not have killed
| Judge Elliott had the slightest thing interierrd
| to turn his attention in another direction He
| felt impelled to the net by some unseen agency.
ogan hs os Co Bnord BSTdsT WAS sitting ben
| fore the window, with his body bent over. star
ing vacantly at the floor. Upon being called. ho
"a bad lfp III Ia IA n
answer to the reporters inquiry. he said he
was not we'll. His stomach was, out Of order
and his mind much troubled. He spoke Of
dream he had the night before. thought
was once more at my home with my sister
TTy II at aqS her s2sTe Snd H %hen
awoke my face was wet with weeping for
her. Il was after midnight, and l got up
but could not drive the vision from my mind
until to-day. Ia the court was looking out OF
the back door at the sky. and fancied that It
was so to happen that was to visit once more
my sisters grave. / thought the Judge asked
me whether i was ready g GO 10 my sisters
grave. and | answered, Yes. Gen. Green
Clay Smith, he being a distant relation and a
prencher. was sitting by me, and he said ihe
trial Then / realized where l was. and told
the Court waived an examination"
| Colonel" said the reporter are you con-
| scous that these troubles have Unbalanced your
'''tI Coi. Buford-This legalized robbery and rs,
sassinHtiOn OF my sister have occupied my mind
constantly for years. and troubled me SO that 1
have moved about and hunted and hshed as n
Toward this dead sister, whose property it
will be remembered, was involved in the suit on
account OF which Buford killed Judge Elliott.
he seemed to have the kndest affection In his
talk with the reporter he again and again re-
ferred 10 her. saying that nobler aud gentlor.
more cultivated woman never lived, and then
his eyes; in spite OF his Efforts TO repress them.
w9onld MI with tears The reporter asked
as much to blame as Judge Elliott in the matter
OF your suity'
Col. Buiord-oh. yes. All were equally culpa-
/ blr
Eeporter-why. then did you single out
Elliott as the oblect Of your vengeance
for him after his ptiiul apology for the rob
sister was making her will promised her
And here no stopped.
Anerward he said Had not Judge Elliott
come up when he did might have got away
and not done IT, ] am not going TO talk but
! want 10 contradict tue statement that
intended TO Kill Judges Coier. Hines and
Lindsay. / did not intend 20 hurt them.
Elliott has treated me very badly. ana his
disgusting apology for his decision "A year
ago | did feel hard toward Judge Pryor for
M hrst decision IN tne case, ~ lhn henrS Clr-
ored 10 mend that matter. did not Put the
pistol IN my pocket TO XIII anybody. ! carry II
when 20 TO Henry but l dld not know was
in my pocket yesterday till after the kuiinE."
A writer in the Midway CipDG' says II is
well known 10 all our citizens mat Tnomas Bu-
ford had embarked every cent of property that
he owned. together wi;h the whole estate 81 his
SISTER since deceased. in tract OF land IN Henry
County. and that the parties from whom lie
purchased, failing to make title TO tho land a
suit WAS urndiug before the Court of Appeal,
Tor the RECESSION ot the trade and tho repayment
% Buiord Of the twenty or thirty thousand do
lars which he had paid on the property.
deeision , 0' Of the the crsun Curt Cur ""tf the
farm was sold for the deferred payments
, stll due from Bulord, some $4,000. and the
parties from whom he had purchased became
the BUYERS. bidding IN tue property Tor the sum
, cour-e. the twenty odd thousand dollars al
ready pRld, and leaving hun puupet without
n cent on earth. THIS decision nud sale were
, appealed 10 the highest court IN the State. ana
last saturday the decision WIS rendered. us
tanning the sale. and leaving HIM To- brood oyer
hiS rutlre loss OF everything he hhd ever had.
"Col. Buiord has a very strong hereditary t"n-
dency 10 insanity. lie lost brother years a-o
10y an awful tragedy, VINO was known 10 he Vio-
lcutiy insane Tor years before his tragic death. \
lie IN Nor youns Wumunrood: ana un aunt ON
his motuors side wis furnished home in his
fathers house during years ui lunacy.'
A computation published IN yesterday :
CoWie-joWnGl has crcatri much excitement.
, In II the writer said There IL a constantly
growing aversion 10 lawyers and Judges Nor
J The courts and laws are often the source Of tho
greatest injustice. We hHye trusted lawyers TO
make our laws. bllndN submitting To what
! ana they now have the country entirely in their
ycrs Will not DO. provided they can reap fame
or profit. No man can die and feel that hs
property Will be divided rs he has willrd;
, and at the end the lawyers and the Judges
viii dispose of his goods. Disguised IN
the silly lingo OF the profession, our laws are
, quite rs much "a curse ns n blessing The
shameful treatment OF witnesses in courts has
. | long dlssruced The bench ana lar yet no effort
Is ever made 10 protect them. WhU surprises
me- II that the shotgun rs not resortedt 10 uitcner
than II Is. II judge ana lawyers would unite
b. 10 abolish the Nliiaiulos of their profession.
, they would soon have paid to them all the re-
. sprct tnHt could be- desired
I The Frankfort CORES ponlent OF tho Courier
journal, referring to this letter said that " the
communlstic communication created very un-
favorable comment ana the author is regarded
, as encouraging still lurth"r shotgun appeals
from III" decision Of the courts The author OF
, the ARTICLE Is no doubt too consummHtr a coward
| 10 give his name Evidently this remark WAS
, shown hy the editor 10 the writer OF the
offending letter, lOr, in the samo number
OF tho paper, this second communication
from him appears: After he thufordl shall
huye been hanged, let tho newspapers make a
report OF his case in PLAZA language and not in
the largOn of the law. Let Us know ali tho facts
IN the litigation which brought about tho muir
I der No newspaper has yet nude u thorough
, and careful report OF It's own concerning this
litigation. The people are expected 10 swallow.
, | without question, everything that comes from
the courts. The COiU't0-J0WUHi is AT liberty Ia
. give my name 10 any persons who may ho de-
termlned to lulict bodily harm upon me"