The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1885-05-23
TINE FORD CASE.

The Decision of tiAe A4eEyeH- Gs0EF'
AHirmed-EveryE Exception o
g1ile Appellants Oyerruled amt
Set Aside Verdlicl of the 8ur.
no Stand.
n. o. States.
4 Justice Poche, rs the organ of tn,
Supreme Court, at ll:40 O'Clock, real
the decision in the case of 7. J. Ford
Pat Ford, VIM. Caulfeld, VIM. Fl
Buckley and John Murphy, who wert
convicted in the Criminal District
Court, last March, Pat Ford aud John
Murphy of murder, and the others Oi
manslaughter. The two former were
sentenced to be hanged, 8nd the Other
three were sentenced to twenty years
at hard labor The case was reviewed
at length. The
APPLICATION FOR = CHANGE OF vENu
was considered, and the law on the
subject quoted. The question pro-
pounded To the witnesses, if in their
opinion the accused could get fair
and impartial trial, was excepted to,
but the argument of the attorneys was
uDsOund. The overriding of the en-
ception was therefore sustained, as
per authorities in parallel cases. The
taking of the testimony in writing was
not compulsory with the lower court !;
the remedy of the attorneys for de
Tense WAS 10 compel the taking of les
timony by the lower court in writing,
by mandamus of the Supreme Court.
As this was not done, this bill of ex-
ceptions does not hold.
The numerous bills of exceptions
were denied, especially the point of
public excitement This was based on
NEWSPAPER TESTIMONY,
and the court held that the public IN
derstood that such reports were, after
all, merely the opinion of one man,
and the defense, under this head, did
not make bill of exception to the
denial Of continuance, which would
hold.
The objection TO jurors who had
read of the case were not sustained,
the court holding that, at the present
day, newspapers gave such publicity
to crimes that it would almost be i'm
possible to select a Jury which had
never heard anything about the case,
and if the Judge did make any error,
it did not affect the case of the &C
cused
The nineteenth bill, objecting to
the testimony to
PROVE A CONSPIRACY
was oyerruled. When a murder is
charged against several persons it in
wolves the idea of conspiracy, and
proof of cause is admissible
The overriding of the effort to in
troduce testimony as to the character
of Cap Murphy, was concurred in. 1t
would be as plea of self-defensc, and
the law gave no one the right 10 kill n
man simply because he was bad
man. Twenty-six bills of exception
had been reached by twelve o'clock,
and not one had been maintained.
The objection to the reading of Mnr-
phys statement, by the District At
tornc, was held good, and all others,
up to the thirty-fifth and last, rad sue
cessively been denied the defense.
THE VERDICT.
This one was on the point that the
verdict was rendered on Sunday. This
was carefully reviewed and authori-
ties quoted, showing that District At
torney Adams argument held good,
that it was purely ministerial TO re-
ceivc the verdict.
On the question Of mixed verdict,
the court held, in substance, that any
man indicted for murder could be
convicted simply of mansIanghter, and
in the case of several prisoners, in
dicLed for the crime, that it WAS com
petent for the Jury to find mixed
verdict of murder and mansIaughter
as to the prisoners.
IN CONCLUDING,
Judge Pocbe said that every obiec-
ton had been carefully scrutinized,
and it conld not be found where the
lower court had erred, and that there
was no further remedy for the nnfor-
tnnate prisoners.
The news was received with great
deal of suppressed excitement. Many
of the friends of the Fords were in the
room at the time, and fully expressed
themselves outside on their opinion Of
the Supreme Court. Several of the
Fords' counsel were present, but from
none of them did a remark of any
character escape. One was asked what
chance the prisoners now had, and he
sententiously replied: accumulation
of sentence by the Governor; that's