The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-02-01

Tom BuiDrd Acquitted.
the MAN wB0 sBOr A JUDGE on rue SUPREME
BENCH or KENTUCKY POUND NOT GUILTY Oh
THE GROUND or fNsASITY-END or MOST
CELEBRATED CASE.
LOUISVILLE, KY, January 30.--CoIone'
Tom Buford has been acquitted after stand
ing trial for a second time for the murder Of
Judge Elliott, OF the Court OF Appeals, tie
highest court in the State. THIS case has
attracted universal attention. IL was on The
morning OF the 27tb OF March, 1873,
that BufoId attacked his victim and
shot him down In cold blood, while
n charge remained In bis gun Tor
an associate Judge on the Supreme bench
of the State. The trouble was about
tract OF land In Henry county. adjoining
Franklin county, in which the clpiial u
situated. II seems that Miss Mary l'uford
had purchased, through means largely FUR
nisbed By her brother, this tract OF land,
and had made partial payment OF s2O,O0o.
| leaving tue same amount 10 he paid, ana
that In the mean time 1t was discovered that
the title was defective. There was q long
litigation, and the result was that all the
money put in the land was lost. During
the tendency OF the suit Miss Mary died,
and her brother persisted in saying that the
EtroubIe about The land killed her. Duiord
qualified as administrator, aud thus became
| in law what he had always been in fact, The
defendant in the action.
HOLDING TIE FORT WITH A Gun.
After the sale the sheriff OF Henry county
undertook to Dust Buford from the farm,
hut was met at the door with q dOube-bar-
rel shotgun and promise on the part OF
Buford that he would certainly kill the first
man who crossed bis threshold. Negotia-
tons we're entered into, and 1t was formally
agreed that BufOrd might remain in posses
sion until the cause was decided IN the
Court of Appeals, to which 1t had been
taken, and he on his part agreed 10
WELD peaceable possession II that decision
should also be adverse. After thorough
argument and consideration, the Court
OF Appeals, sitting at Frankfort. tue
State capital, early in 1878 afnrmed
the Judgment OF the lower court. TDe
opinion was delivered by Judge Eiilott:
Buford's counsel, not yet satisfied, obtained
from the court rehearng, rare occur
renee. and the case was again argued, ana
few DAYS before the murder had again been
affirmed, the opinion this time being de-
liyered by Judge NJ. Ii. COfer, one OF Judge
Eiliott's colleagues, and being substantially
the same as the former opinion. Tom Bu-
ford was in Frankfort at the time, ana on
the morning OF the 9th OF March called on
,Judge Cofer at his house, 10 see whether
the case was finally ended, aud learned that
1 it was. The Court OF Appeals usually
sits from IL to O'Clock, and it was only
a few minutes after the later houf
that Judge Elliott and Judge Pryor, an.
other OF his colleagues, were in the habit OF
reaching the Capital Hotel. where they
boarded. and almost invariably coming from
the courtroom together. On this day IL
hanpened that court adjourned 4 few min
utes before 1, and that judge Pryor came
on alone. He met Buf0rd sitting on the
hotel steps. who stopped him and talked for
a minute or two about his case, when the
Judge passed on with a friend who bad
come up, and BufOrd then went INTO nj,
room. got his shotgun and 9amc-bag, and
came out 10 the steps again about the time
that Judge Elicit came along, accompa-
med by Judge Hines, the fourth member OF
the court.
TIE FATAL SHOT.
As Judge Elliott stepped up.Buford Sa-
uted him with the remark that he was 90
ing snipe-hunting, and invited the Judge to
accompany him, and upon bis declining.
said: "Well, won't you take drink,
them" and before the Judge could reply
he had emptied one barrel OF the gun. con-
tanning q load OF buckshOt, into the Judges
body, causing instant death. He then sur
rendered himself, remarking that the load
in the other barrel was intended Tor
, Pryor, aud also handed the police
man who took charge OF him an enye-
lope, which contained paper dated that
morning, in the nature OF VIII, Deglh-
ming: Whatever may happen me desire
that my niece. Anne .. Wallace, shall nave
all my property" 1t is supposed by many
that it was BufOrd's intention 10 Kill D0tn
Elliott and Pryor. and was only prevented
by their accidental separation and Pryor
arrival little earlier than he expected, and
that he then expected TO be at once hanged
by the pOpuace, which accounts for the pc
Iculiar manner OF commencing his will. OF
course the entire Safe stood aghast at hi,
tragedy. A month later an Indictment
was found against Buford. A change Of
venue to Owen county was granted,
and. the trial. which came OIL III
July, resulted in a verdict of murder in the
first degree. Buford was given lifc.sen-
tence in the Denltentiary. An appeal was
taken on various errors, ana In December
following new trial was granted. No par
ticuar effort was made 10 bring II about
until recently, and it was not until the llth
of the present month that the jury was COM
pleted and the trial begun. The defence
wa, based upon the alleged insanity OF the
prisoner. Yesterday Mr. Thompson, OF
Lexington, spoke four hours for the de-
fence, and Judge McManama followed with
the closing speech for the state. The case
was given TO the jury at ) O'Clock, and at
, late hour last night verdict OF not guilty,
, on the ground OF insanity, was rendered
. Thus ends Que OF the most celebrated cases