Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1880-06-03

Facts and circumstances Connected
With the Arkansas Judi
cial Murder.

who was a few days since hung
at Marion, Ark; and we espec-
tally request that you give, SO far
as you may be able to do so, the
reasons of his unexpected exc
cution on the 2Sth inst.
AS there is a general belief
that said Ford was wholly inno-
cent Of the crime for which he
was convicted and sentenced TO
death, and that the Governor of
Arkansas should have spared his
life, the desire to know more of
this matter has become intense
throughout the county.
Very respectfully,
W.A.Millard, B.M. Hatcher, b.
Chafin, A.D.Ruth, C.C.James,
welcomes, W.K. Woodland, w.
L.Shofner, H.C.Lamb, j. B. Will
son, RI. Bright, r. Caldwell, FL.
Kelso, NH. Bonner, JAS. Francis,
J.W. Barnett, W.B. Lamb, j. ID.
Tillman, n. E.Petty, NV Wood
ard, W.S.Cole, MD. Hampton, *.
S.Thomas, I.T.Rodcs, II. o. Bag
ley, lie. Edwards, W.A.Miles;ST.
b. Kercheval, R.C.Kercheval, To
Gray, r. I. Holland, TIC. Iaittle, w
n. Wright, Chas. Waddle, j. M.
Wilson, w. f. Holman, Geo. b.
Boyles, Joe. G. Carrigan, NJ. N.
Whitaker, w. G. Bright, and
w. n. Whitaker.
Ed. OBsEBvER-In answer to
the request made by many of our
citizens to furnish for publication
the facts and circumstances CON
nected with thesL Ford case, =
and especially to @giye the rea-
sons why the unexpected result
was brought about" have to say
that the "facts and circumstan-
ces" from first to last are nu-
merous, and to give them fully
and in minute detail would per-
haps require more space than
would be proper TO give for pub
LEGATION i'll the newspapers. / will
attempt, however, as briefly as
possible to give them. AS to "the
reason why the unexpected result
Of his execution was brought a.
bout" l am at a loss to give them,
since the Governor gives none,
and l have no. definite informa-
ton. What | might state on this
point would necessarily be con-
illusions Of my own deduced from
the facts and other information in
my possession. Some of the in
formation have consists not on
Iy of facts but in some measure
Of the conclusions Of others de-
duced from those facts. 1t is
proper, therefore, l conclude, that
| should give the facts and let
each one derive his own cOaclaS-
sions as to the "reasons" which
led Governor Miller to take final
action in the matter.
Without any knowledge on the
part of L. L. Ford's family OF
friends that he was in trouble, in
the latter part of December, 1879,
he was tried and convicted by a
jury of Crittenden county, Ark,
under the charge of being in some
manner implicated in the murder
ofJohn Broadway, who lived near
the Mississippi river in Critten-
den county. He was sentenced
to be hung on the 9th of Feb,
1880. The case was taken by
appeal to the Supreme Court at
Little Rock. Some time in the
month of january last his family
learned of the situation. His ia
ther, in much distress, came to see
me and ask advice as to what
should be done. / at once wrote
| to Messrs. Frierson & Whitsell,
attorneys at Marion, (who, as /
was informed, appeared on the
trial in Ford's defence,) for infor-
nation and especially for any
facts that might have been adj
duced on the trial showing Ford
to be guilty. They replied, Civ
ing a brief history of the trial,
stating in substance that he was
convicted ON the evidenceof John
Potter, the accomplice, almost
wholly uncorroborated; that they
were taken wholly by surprise by
the, introduction Of Potter as a
witness; that they had no notice
or warning that it would be done
and that they announced ready,
believing and with every reason
to know that there was no evil
dence against Ford, and thatFord
would necessarily be at once dis.
charged; that after they had an
nodnced ready to GO into Ford's
trial the Attorney-General enter
ed 'nolIe prosequi' as to Potter
and put him ON the stand, when he
gave in his evidence duplicating
Ford, which resulted i'll his con-
yiction by the jury composed in
part of colorcd and in part of
white men. Potter heard the tes-
timony ofthe other witnesses and
was not put under the rule. At
ter this and before the trial Pot
tertold the lawyersdefendinghi him
that he knew nothing against
Ford in the matter. / then wrote
several letters to Ford to which