Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-12-17
TEE NEW ORLEANS ASSAssINA.
TEON.
Recorder Ford. his Brother. and Five Of
bis Court Officers Indicted.


NEW ORLEANS. December 13-During the
past week the grand jury have been investigating
the murder OF Capt \. H. Murphy. and have ex-
amined lO3 witnesses. This afternoon the grand
jnry had all the accused persons brought into
court. and, one by one, confronted with witness
ses. by whom ali but one were fully identified.
At o. tn the grand jury presented true bills
against Recorder Thomas J. Ford. his brother,
Patrick J Ford. Court Officers W f. Garfield
and " Fl. Buckley. Policeman John Murphy.
porter ~ recorders court faptiste J. Favelto,
and Court Officer Charles BadeT tor wiIIfu muir
der. The accused persons are in the parish
prison The trial will probably take place in
January.
Capt. Murphy was asSassinated at midday on
December /. in Claiborne street. while superin-
tending gang of men from the workhOuse who
were cleaning the street. He had previously
had q difficulty with Recorder Ford and chal-
lenged him to fight duel. The recorder de-
elined TO f@ht. on account OF his position as q
peace officer and criminal judge. and Murphy
theTpupon posted HIM on all the walls of the
city as coward. Ford then brought Murphy
before his court and sentenced him to a heavy
fine and long imprisonment. This embittered
the feeling between the two men, and Murphy
was in constant expectation of an attack.
On the day of the assassination. Capt, Muir
ply, as he was sitting on the steps of house
at Claiborne and st. Philip streets with friend
seated on either side OF him. his attention was
called to two men on the opposite side OF the
street. officers in the court of Recorder Ford.
While be was watching these men, three other
men suddenly came around the corner answer
Ing to the description Of Recorder Thomas
J. Ford. Pat Ford. ms brother. and his brother
tn-law- The two men supposed to be the Ford
brothers carried four TevOlvers one in each
hand. with which they opened upon Murphy
one Of the balls hitting the friend seated by his
size At the same time the other two men on
the other side of the street opened fire also.
Murphy. who was wounded in two places. sprang
from his seat. and, drawing his revolver re-
turned the fire until all the barrels were dis
charged. Then he turned and fed pursued by
two of his aSsailants. The man said TO be Pat
Ford brought him down with shot in tile back
and the other man. answering TO the descrip-
fi0n of Recorder Ford. then stepped up and
shot him twice i'm the head Murphys BODY was
so disfgured with wounds no less than three of
which were mortal. that it was impossible to re-
cognIZe him.
Taere were no witnesses of the affair beyond
Murphys friends. who were too frightened to
recognize any OF the aSsailants. and the police
bein. at fault. made large number Of arrests
Including Recorder Ford Pat Ford, and nearly
all OF Fords court Otficers-nne persons in all.
Nine men were also locked up as Witnesses
four Tor the prosecution and five for the de-
tense Not one of the forty or more persons
who witnessed the assassination could or would
at first identify the assassins and for several
days the affair remained mystery. although it
was generally believed that the Fords were the
principals in the tragedy.
Capt. Murphy was Superintendent of the work
house and conspicuous local politician. He
was relative of Congressman Ellis. and had
considerable political influence in the CITY,
Although the crime was committed at mid
day in p0pulous neighbOrhOod it seemed i'm
possible to get any one 10 identify the murder
ers. To-day the fact became known that the
state had worked up the case secretly and had
succeeded IN getting all the testimOnyit needed.
After hearing over one hundred witnesses the
grand jury found true bills for murder against
the persons named
1t Will thus be seen that six Of the seven per-
sons indicted 10y the grand jury are peace off,
Gers. and attached to court having special ju-
rsdictiOn over the protection oflife and proper
ty. 1t is generally admitted that the case has
been We'll managed by the state. which has sue
ceeded, while the papers We're denOuncing it for
doing nothing. in getting up evidence so quiet
~ that even the press of New Orleans did not
know what was going Oh.