Weekly commercial herald., 1885-11-20
10 sAvE LIS BRoTHER.
Judge Ford Declares that He, and
Not His Brother Pat. ls the MUIR
derer Of Capt. Murphy.

New ORLEANS, Nov. l2.-An inter
view with the late recorder, Thomas J
Ford, now in the penitentiary, is pub
lished this afternoon, in which he con-
fesses that it was himself and not his
brother, Pat Ford, that killed Cap
Murphy. He said: II fired two shots
before he fell, and be was not exactly
down after the two Grst shots were
fired. AS l reached him ] fired the last
shots, but how many, l was so excited
that cannot say"
NEW ORLEANS, Nov. l2-Concern-
ing the murder of Capt. Murphy, Ford
said son the first trial Andy Flem'
ing, Madam Celicoar, Richard Joel,
Smith and two or three others, whose
names don't recollect, testified that
l was the one that shot on
Dumaine street and that l fired
the fatal shots. Well they were
right. did fire the fatal shots. | ran
down from the engine-house at rapid
stride, quite as hard as | could, upon
hearing several shots fired. AS soon
as heard the shots ran to the door Of
the engine house. | saw crowd rush
ing in the direction of Dumalne street
There was dense smoke and | could
not we'll distinguish persons, but | saw
one very tall figure, and jumping at
conclusions, | set it down for Cap
Murphy. l saw him coming up Clai-
borne, in the direction Of Ddmaine
street, with "a pistol in his hand, and
he would have continued up Claiborne
had he not seen me. | am sure that
the sight of me made him turn into
Dumaine street, and he had scarcely
turned into Dumaine when | cut
across the street. Directly, and as
Fleming testified fired on Murphy
from the corner. | was or the Erato
side of Dumaine street, at the first
shot, and | crossed the street and over
took him and followed him as
described, until he reached little shed,
Where>he fell.
Referring to the conflicting testi-
mony on the trial, Ford said it was
only those witnesses who knew him
and Pat personally that testified
correctly that it was him, not Pat,
who did the shooting. When as k
ed if there was any conspiracy
Ford said, "No, not a bit of it. l
went to the engine house on business.
L heard shooting. ran out, recog-
nized Cap Murphy, and believing that
he had killed some friends of mine,
not the parties who have been arrested,
and that he was escaping, | shot at
him. My feelings were worked up
over the memory Of the great injury
he had done me, and seeing him com
ing face to face with me. and recogniz
ing me, l fired. | regret exceedingly
that he did not have a chance to speak
before he expired, for then he would
have laid the blame at my door, for it
was | who killed him. 1t was not the
cold-blooded and dastardly murder that
is pictured, because he had his gun
out when he saw me, and | had not,
and he certainly diviaed what | was
rushing at him for. Ford said "Pat
on trial acknowledged the killing, be-
cause ne saw what a bitter feeling
there was against me-" lie says he
makes the confession because the board
of pardons fad refused 10 commute the
sentences Of Pat and Murphy, and says
Murphy knew nothing of the affair
and wasn't armed at the time. Con-
Guiding he said: IF they hang him
or my brother, it will be a judicial
murder"