St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1885-10-03
OPEIOUsAs, LA, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1885.


their active participation in the murder
of "Cap" Murphy, is being tritied with
and ieOpardized by the criminal stu
piditv of the blatant fools who are try
ing to save them-just as surely as the
attempt to tamper with justice bribery
of Jurors and patent snbOrdlnatlon OF
Witnesses ensured their deserved sen
tence to suffer the severest penalty or
the law. We feel compassion for tne
unfortunate men doomed to die IN
expiation of blood /; sorry for them ana
for their innocent families. we reel
still more sorry for the family OF Ghe
victim.
In several parish papers we have
read stuff that explains to us the low
esteem in which the press OF Louisiana
is held throughout the Union. very
few such are sufficient to create q bad
impression of State morality In the
mind of an intelligent student, and l6
is incumbent upon the professors OF
higher aims to contradict these state
ments and expose their fallacy. WhilsG
individually, as opposed to the theory
of CAPITAL punishment, we might be
| willing to spare Pat FOrd's neck, we
would never share the guilt of Murphy's
assassination by endorsing the pleas
set forth by his supposed advocates.
By lucky coincidence, the Shreve-
port Times which carries as much
weight as any paper without the mum,
cipal limits of New Orleans, happened
| to strike the right chord i'll time TO
drown the yelping of the most Wormy
whelps of the litter The Times says
If these men had secured change Of venue
| and q fair trial had been given they would all
have suffered death. The fact that the verdict
| reached was compromise and that the plan,
| ner and plotter of the brutal murder escaped
with a light punishment is no reason why l33 the
| two that are under sentence OF deaCn shouIu
not be executed.
| We do not thirst for any vengeance except
which seeks to secure the gooo OF socletg. ~ ~ ~
| is horrible thing to see two men hung by the
| neck until they are dead: but 1t .ls far more
horrible to see husband and father prutally
| murdered in the public streets Dy a panu ~ "
/ assassns. We would be willing to concone
| the crime of Pat Ford in some measure, II ms
act had been brave and manly defense OF 1ls
! brothers character, Bdt there was only era
1 ven coWardice III his action. man OF natlye
| bravery would have sought the sIanderer SIN
! gle and alone; but Ford did nothing OF Lhe
| kind. 1t was the vengeance OF numbers, anu
1 mean and cowardly vengeance.
! THE evidence for the prosecution was clear
| and conclusive that four men combined 10 XIII
| one This fact robs the murder of every ex-
tennatng 1eatarf @ f tneaG hIance s1 ao of one
1t may be that the trial was had IN the midst
| of an embittered, ensanguinen community
1
public clamor induced the compromise verdict:
| but when we are told that because three OF the
murderers have escaped Just death penalty'
Il the remaining two should not pe exc
cuted, we must protest. Ihls klnn OF logic
| does not appeal to US.
The press and the public are not
bounding these miserable men to dis
| graceful fate. 1t is the blood of many
murdered crying from the ground.
| Too often have assassins escaped the
| law, and it was this fact that iashed the
populace to fury. It was the startling
| proof that an official, sworn to execute
| the law, should lead an organized band
| to break it. The people would deserve
| to be butchered like sheep, had they
| tamely acquiesced in the mockery OF
the first trial. The threats made had
their foundation and justification IN the
accidental disclosure of attemps tC
bribe and bulldOze jurors into a verdict
| of acquittal, and in the palpabie perJu-
~ of witnesses for the defense. 1t was
| for the preservation of the lives of in
| dividuals that the community spoke.
| That Pat Ford and Tom Murphy should
be hanged may not be right in face OF
| the comparative lenienCy dealt out &c
the DlotteT of the crime; but his escape
from the halter and their illiteracy does
not palliate guilt.
Gov. McEnery hanged three negroes
lately in Iberville parish, the completely
l OF two of whom was certainly less &C.
tive than in the case which now en-
treats his clemency.
/ The very Ignorance of Pat Ford anC
/ John Murphy, that made it possible fol
them to be whistled to the massacre o.
a human being with whom they had NJ
quarrel, as dogs are set to run down
i rabbit, ID q source of danger to tht
commonwealth. Pat Ford's devotion
to his unworthy brother was carried Il
\ an extreme that imperils individual ex
istence. 1t is said that John Murph,
can barely read aud write that he wa
imported and given q position in th'
city employ not many months befOr
this lamentable affair; but this is q
Dreiudicial to his safety-that unde
such circumstances he should act tn
bravo in the land that gave him bread
is better not to refute the excuse.
We would cheerfully forgive thes
men the galloWs, were it positive tina
, executive clemency extended towart
/ them could not be used as pretext TO
communication of the sentence of til
, instigator OF the terrible deed whic
} they are condemned to expiate, an
{ that the hackneyed though correct CT
of g political influence would not 3
again corrobOrated by the inCOntestibi
] evidence of the liberation OF c0ntirme
criminals