The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-12-14
TIE NEW ORLEANS AssAssIxAT TON.
Recorder Ford, his Brother, md rive OF lis
Court OMcers Indicted.

NHw ORLEANS, Dec. 13.--Durlng the past
week tho Grand Jury have boon Investigating
the murder NJ Capt A. II. Murphy and have
examined lol witnesses. This afternoon the
Grand Jury had all the accused persons
brought into court. and. one by one. confronted
with witnesses. by whom all but one were fully
identified. At p. NJ. the Grand Jury pre-
scented true bills against Recorder Thomas J.
Ford. his brother. Patrick J. Ford. Court ON
GERS W. Z. Caulhcld and w. II. Buckley Police
man John Murphy. porter Of Recorders Court
Baptiste ]. Favelto. and Court Offlcer Charles
Bnder. for wilful murder. The accused per-
sons are In the parish prison. The trial VIII
probably take place in January.
Capt Murphy was assassinated at midday on
Dec. 1. In Claiborne street. while superintcnd-
ing gang OF men from the workhouse who
were cleaning tho street. He had previously
hada difficulty with Recorder Ford. and chal-
lenged him to fight a duel. The Recorder de.
clined to fight, on account OF his position Us a
ihsreu upon posted him on, ali The walls Of Tie
ci'y us a coward. Ford then brought Murphy
iino and long imprisonment. This enbit,ered
tho foe ing between tho two men. ana Murphy
On the day OF tGe assassination. Capt. Muir
ply, as no was sitting on the steps OK house
seated on either side of him. his attention was
called to two mon on the opposite SIDE 81 th9
wn he Was wachnr hse 81 men hree oher
men suddenly came aroundthe corner answer, ;.
n to s fSa . S1o ii T@G"@s
in-law The two men supposed to be the Ford
brothers carried four rsvolvers. ono In each
one Of the balls hitting the friend seated by his
side A. ne san same tine the 9ther nyo
sprang from 6is seat and. draw ing his revolver.
returned tho fro until all the barrels were dis
charged. Then he turned and fled pursued by
two Of his assailanis. The, man said to be Pat
ana the OTHER man, answering 10 tho descrp:
ton Of Recorder Ford. then stepped up, and
was 80 dsi G;IH With wounds no less h"n
three OF which we're mortal. that 1t was impos-
There weTe no witnesses of the affair beyond
Murphy's friends. who were too frightened to
recognize any Of The assnilants and tho police.
including Recordsr Ford. Pat Ford. and nearly
all Of Ford's court officer SHINE persons in all.
four for The prosecution and five for tho de-
fence Not one Of tho forty or more persons
would at first identify the assassins. and for
several days the affair remained mystery. al
though II was generally believed that the Fords
were the principals In the tragedy.
- Capt. Murphy was Superintendent OF the
lie was re en ,? on s GenSresam"n Els and
had considerable political influence In the city.
the crime vas committed at I'll MD
ers, TO, day the, fact became known that the
state had worked up the case secretly. and had
succeeded in getting all the testimony 1t needed.
After hearing over one hundred witnesses the
Grand Jury 'ound true bills for murder against
twill ;hus 10 seen that siK OF the seven per s,
c0rs. and attached 10 court having specia!
jurisdiction oyer the protection ot lie and
case has been we'll WHITMAN manased By the state
which has succeeded. while the papers were
ssSsnss it for Gos , s ss ii S
Orleans did not know what WAS going on.