Daily globe., 1879-07-26
Bu7FORD's BOON.

he FScnpeS tho G1ItOtUs, but fS Sentenced
to the PenttenstarK for Ltfe-Intervte,o
scith tho Condemned Nan. I.
lOwenten, Ky, Special (July 23) Cincinnati
Enquirer.
"We, the jury, find the prisoner, Thomas
Buford, guilty as charged in the indictment,
and afix bis punishment at imprisc nment
for and during his natural life in the Ken
tucky State penltentiary."
This is the verdict in the case of Thomas
Buford, the murderer Of Judge John M.
Elliott. The long and fiercely fought trial
has come to an end, and Kentucky is re-
deemed and the outraged law is vindicated.
AT nine O'Clock this morni g the court house
bell rang out on the air, calling in solemn
tones the world to witness that Justice still
holds sway in Kentucky, and even in malipn-
ed Owen county, the jury filed down from
their close room above, the Judge took his
seat upon the bench, and the spectators lean
ed forward with anxious ears and bated
breath to catch the words of the jury, to learn
the fate of the man upon whom the eyes of
the Whole State-indeed of the whole coun-
! try-have been turned since the 26th of
March last.
"Gentlemen, are you agreed?'' asked the
judge in q solemn tone as the last juryman
filed to his place.
'sWe are" answered the foreman, and his
associates in the solemn work silently bowed
their heads to assent to his words of con.
demnation.
"Then let your verdict be announced
said the judge.
Then, in the awful silence of that awful
moment, little slip of paper on which was
written in pencil the fate of q hum an being
was silently passed to the clerk, aud he reao
| in loud voice trembling with emotion
"JULY %, 1879.
1--WE, the jury, find the prisoner, Thomas
Buford, guilty as charged in the Indictment
and attix his punishm MT at imprisonment
for and during his natural life in the Ken
tucky State penitentiary.
''W. L. STEELE, Foreman
For q moment there was the silence of
death, and all eyes were turned upon the
prisoner. Scarcely muscle of his face
moved, and he sat silently as before, gazing
with that perpetual fixed gaze which has
characterized his conduct during the trial.
lmmovably toward the ceiling, but his face
blanched as he understood the dread import
of the words, and his lips quivered with the
emotion which even the strong-wilIed
Thomas Buford could not entirely suppress.
Fheu hum of congratulation ran round
the court room, the hundreds or more pep
pie who had gathered to hear the verdict
made hasty exit to speak the news, thu
| newspaper men rushed to the telegraph
Office to give to the world, on lightning
wings, the news of Kentucky's redemption.
and the great trial Of Kentucky's greatest
criminal was ended.
hEin iv
Thompson, attorney for the defense, gave
Lotice of motion of new trial, aud asked
few minutes to prepare his grounds for
such motion. The judge granted his request,
| and, taking seat under the spreading
boughs IF a convenient tree outside the
court house, awaited the filling of the peti-
ton for rehearing. Within an hour they
! we're ready, and were presented to the court.
lhe judge read them over carefully and
With evident reflection, but as he reached the
eno,with scarcely moments hesitation an
swered: ~ ovcrrule the motions; a new trial
will not be granted. = and, passing them TO the
clerk, directed him to make the proper entry
upon the records, marking the petition ssover-
ruled.''
And with that action died out the last ves-
tige of hope for Tom Buford, save and only
an appeal to the court of appeals, for The
murder of one of whose members he is now
under sentence.
The bell rang, and on the reassembling of
the court this afternoon, at five o'clock, a
large crowd assembled at once. Tue pris-
oner Was brought in, and Judge McManama,
with an impressive voice and manner, pro-
eeeded to pronounce sentence as follows:
''Mr. Buford On the 28th of April last
the grand jury of Franklin county returned
into court an indictment which now bold
IN my hand, charging you with the wilful
murder of John M. Elliott. By your own
motion the case was sent to this county for
trial. You have pleaded not guilty and have
been tried by jury of your own selection,
defended by able counsel of your own choice,
and the jury, after a full, and trust, a fair'
trial, has pronounced you guilty and put your
punishment at confinement in the peniten-
tiary for life. Have you. any legal cause to
assign why judgment should not be rendered
on that verdict p
Th, prisoner responded from his seat: 81
have none to asslkn,' and the Judgment was
thereupun formally pronounced. and at the
close his honor added: "And may the God
Of mercy give you atonement for the crimes
of which the jury say you are guilty. The
bill of exceptions was then signed, and the
Judgment was then stayed for sixty days, to
give the prisoner time to take an appeal, and
an order made for the removal of the pris-
! oner t. the Louisville Jail.
INTERVIEW WITH THE CONVICTED MAN.
Your correspondent called at the Jail to-
day after the verdict had been announced in
court, and found Thomas Buford, the con-
victed man, sitting quietly in the corridor
with folded hands. and gazing listlessly out
of the window. He took my hand, which
reached through the bars, in his own, aud
expressed pleasure at the Enquirer's atten-
tlons. He seemed not at all
agitated, but more himself, and ex-
hibited more the air of perfectly
sane man than at any previous interviews
with him, before the trial and at the Frank
fort Jail before the change Of venue. There
| was less of glitter in the small gray eyes,
more of calmness in the manner, less of the
tragic and pathetic in his air and converse
ton, and more of sadness in his talk about
the trial and his troubles The difference,
indeed, was quite marked.
asked him if the verdict of the Jury was
anything of surprise to him.
SWELL" he answered slowly, 1that is
matter upon which I have nothing to say. l
have left the case entirely III the hands of
my friends and lawyers, and the jury has
seen fit to sentence me to imprisonment for
life. have nothing to say about it,
'sDo you feel hopeful in regard to your ap-
peal to the court of appeals
81 don't know anything abont that" he
answered; 81 leave that to my lawyers. The
court of appeals did me one very great
wrong, and by their action drove me to the
act for which am about to be punished. 1
don't know whether need expect any fur
ther hope at their hands or rot, but am re-