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

teft BGteSCltte fOT nome JheS NOR
ming. Can not get your despatch
TO HIM" ! then received from o.
p. Lyle the following dispatch
in answer to mine: "Ldst night
the attorney General and prom
i,aent citizens and tavyers APP
pedled to Goce4mor, bit no ardil.
Ford must daeP' ] then receiv-
ed the following telegram from
Moores,at Memphis, where he had
gone to receive the pardon OF res
pite, should it be granted, and
forward to Marion, Ark. twelve
miles distant. The Sheriff had
been requested to wait till the
last moment before executing
Ford, and he complied with the
request. Moores' dispatch is as
follows: Game last might. Lyle
remains to see If the skulking
Gogernor aciU ts1,Ys up. Euery-
body, including political friends
Of Miller, dssapprore Of has hid
ing ont for ten days. Iacrite you
fully. My feelings orercome me.
Mach feeling here. 7(Memphis.)
| replied to Moores' dispatch, and
he answered as follows: We did
all mortal men could do. Coz
ernor gone ten days. Secretary
refused to tell whereabouts" "
Just after 8 o'clock Friday night
| received from Moores the fol-
lowing telegram: "Ford died de-
claring has Innocence. Express
ed himself as ready and scilling
to die. Wants has remains sent
home. Shall I do 1T? Ansacer
at once" l at once answered, re-
questing him toforward the body,
which he has done. 1t will reach
Fayetteville this { Monday eve
ming. My telegram to Fordyce
and Whitthorne did not reach
them. They had become dishear-
tened and left for home after the
Governor ''fatly refused the res
pite." ] failed to mention that /
received a letter dated May 22d
from Hon. j. K. Eakin, one of
the Judges of the SuprcmeCo
who tried the case on the tran
script. The letter is as follows:
"DEAR SIR-YOur letter with enclosure
''came night before last, and have sent a
communication TO the Governor expressing
my dissatisfaction with the proof Of Ford's
guilt. He is not in town now, but is ex-
"pected back in time to act upon the matter
"Belieye me, that / fully sympathize with
CHS family and friends in their deep affiic-
''tiOn. You have done all you could as q
"friend and lawyer. hope you will have
success, but do not know anything to JUS
''tify me in giving hope on one side or dis.
"cOuragement on the other"
On last Saturday evening, 29tE
inst, / received a letter from
Moores giyingmore ofthe details
The letter is too long to publish
in full, but / take the liberty of
making the following extracts
"The Mayor, FIetcher), F. w. Compton
'Col. RObt. A. Howard, w. L. Henderson
attorney General for the State, and 9th
"ers did all they could to get ]. w. Joblin
"Private-Sec. and son-in-law of Gov. iIIer
ito sign Miller's name to temporary respite
"They made review of all our papers ant
"became excited and argued as a friend of
''the Governor he should do it. Everybody
Showed great interest, and could the Gov
sermon been found he could not have resist
led the demand for respite till November
"Niller unquestiOnably hid out, a nd his Sec-
"retary would not or could not give us any
idea as TO where he could be found. = :
'The only clue to his whereabouts was that
'he was in one of several counties in the
northwestern portion of the State on horse
"or private conveyance. We were assured
leach day the coming morning would bring
''him. Our citizens are quite indignant.
"left Lyle to see if at the last moment he
"wOuld not turn up and dispatch me. /
"sent Sheriff word to hold till last moment.
"Kennedy went over and will give full ac-
"count Of sad affair. l hope you all will
'nOt reproach any one for not doing his du-
'ty. No one could have done more than
twas DONE"
/ have made this reply to
your request longer than / de-
sired but it seemed to me inn
possible to abridge more; and G.
ven now / have omitted the
statement of many points going
to show Ford's innocence. The
question that troubles me, as it
doubtless will you, why did the
Governor SO act I? This / leave
for each to solve for himself in
view of the facts. 1t is due to
you, to Ford's family and to
myself that | state the facts.
Ford, an innocent man, has
been executed. Isaw his moth
er yesterday. I cannot and will
not attempt to describe her
shrieks and agony. Hundreds
of the neighbors gathered in to
hear my report, which ] gave,
stating the facts. Women, old
men and young alike wept. The
scene beggars description.
Gov. Miller said if he should
him to hang in view of
the facts he should consider
himself Ford's murderer.
Additional facts of great i'm
Dortance have since that time
oeen found and placed in his
'ffice for inspection.
l can only say as a fact that
lie has framed the sentence of
lis own condemnation. Ford's
pirit, like Banquo's ghost, will
lot down at his bidding. And !
n the darkness and silence of
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