Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-11-13
The New Orleans Murderers Re
spited.

EDAANds
The two white men. Pat n. Ford and
| John Murphy, who were sentenced TO be
hung to-day at New Orleans, have been
respited by Gov. McEnery for thirty days.
1t would puzzle the Governor doubtless
to furnish a good reason Tor his action. II
is probable that bets are being made at
New Orleans that neither Ford nor MUIR
ply will be hung.
The Board of Pardons met last Monday
and considered the petition which 5000
citizens signed. asking that the sentence
Of the murderers be committed TO twenty
years Imprisonment. The board was
rather disposed 10 favor the request of the
petitioners, but were unable to find a
sufficient reason Tor so doing. The princi-
pal reasons for Communication were, first,
that of the five men who were charged
with having assassinated Capt. A. Fl.
Murphy only two, Pat. n. Ford and John
Murphy, were found guilty of murder.
The others, Thomas II. Ford, who planned
the murder, but who was absent when it
was committed, Willie Caulfeld and W.
Il. Buckley were convicted OF man
slaughter and sentenced to twenty years
in the penitentiary. Another reason was
that neither of the mnrderers was in good
health, and the chances were that they
would both die in prison II their sentences
were committed as requested.
1t is a fact worth noticing that when
the trial Of the murderers took place there
was such feeling against them that the
jury did not dare to acquit them, although
it is not improbable that they would have
been acquitted had the people been indIf-
ferent. There had been 50 many murders
in New Orleans, however, that there was
feeling that it was absolutely necessary
that the law should be enforced
Only few months have elapsed and
the very men who were loudest in their
demands for the punishment of the MUIR
derers are now begging that their lives be
spared. II is possible that if the sentence
Of death should be committed to Imprison-
ment, the same men, good citizens in their
way, would get up petition asking that
the murderers be relieved from any pun
ishment whatever.
A good deal of attention has been given
to these New Orleans murderers because.
being white men and having considerable
political influence, there is a pretty gen.
eral belief, not only in New Orleans but
elsewhere, that they will not be hung. In
New Orleans and some other cities public
sentiment does not appear to be strong
enough to insure the punishment Of MUIR
derers as they deserve, and the corse-
quenc is that murders of the most afro
cious character are very frequently COM
mitted.
The sentiment that demands that MUIR
derers and all other criminals shall be
punished as the law provides, must be
uppermOst before any community can
have that security for life and property
which must exist before there can be
Peace-loving people, and even
capital, will shun a community where
murder can be committed with compare
tive impunity.
At last New Orleans has chance to
show whether white murderers can be
hung in that city. If Ford and Murphy
escape the gallOws it will be pretty good
evidence that any white man can shoot
down whom he pleases there, whether in
anger or in cold blood, with almost abso-
lutte certainty that he will not have to
pay the penalty of his crimo on the gall
lows, and when that fact gets firmly
fixed in the public mind neither exposi-
tions nor jetties can save the city from
decay.