Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-03-18
HANGED AT LAST.

| Execution of John Murphy and Pat Fore
| ut New Or1eans--They Nearly Cheat tn,
Hangman by Taxing Poison = The Cul
prits Launched Into Eternity While In
Semi-Comatose Condition Resume o
the Crime.
CINCINNATI, March PA specia
dispatch from New Orleans states that
John Murphy, and Pat Ford, sentenced
to pay the extreme penalty of the law a
that city to-day, took large doses of bella
donna this morning, and were found in a
precarious condition. They were uncon'
scious, and had to be carried to the scat
fold. They were hanged at 1851 p. m.
After the mems limbs had been pin
Toned and they were placed in chairs, each
was lifted by two strong men and the pro-
cession to the scaffold began. They car
ried Murphy in the lead, took him on the
gallows, removed the chairs and lay him
in half-sitting posture, his back apd
head leaning against the wall. He looked
CHASTITY, and the falling rain-drops wet
his face. Then they laid Pat Ford beside
him. He was speeches., helpless and
without motion.
The door back of the gallows opened
with harsh sound, and tall figure robed
in black domino and wire mask stepped
out. It was the executioner. When he
stepped on the platform Ford opened his
eyes for one moment and caught glimpse
of the dangling rope above him.
With movements rapid and expert black
caps were drawn over their faces, the
moose adjusted and the man in black dis
appeared. One word &C.," and the two
bodies shot into space. No time had
been lost, and the law stood vindicated.
Ford, being heavy man, went down
almost perpendicularly and came up
with sudden thud. The jerk on the
rope peeled the skin off the left side of
his neck. He pressed his hands to-
gether, shrugged his shoulders, several
times, heaved his chest, stretched out
his limbs, and ceased to move.
Murphy swung out at an angle, whirled
back toward the wall, twirled around,
extended his limbs, and the ball of his
foot rested on the pavement of the Jail
yard. Then he drew himself up, shook
his frame, and touched the ground
once more, convulsive twitch passed
over his body, he drew up again, and
then grew still.
At 1:15 p. M, after the expiration OF
twenty-five minutes, they were pro-
nounced dead by medical experts and cut
down. The neckS of both men had been
completely dislocated.
There is no cleW to the manner by
which the men secured the poison.
Sheriff Butler had feared such an attempt
would be made, and visitors were care
fully searched and watched. He believes
they must have procured it some time
ago.
During the execution and for some
time prior, crowd of from two to five
thousand people were gathered around
The Jail, and when the bodies were
brought out by the undertakers, fully five
thousand people followed them to their
homes. There was no unusual excite
ment in the city during the day, but
crowds gathered around the bulletin
boards, and eagerly bought extras to
learn the latest news.
The crime for which these two men
paid the penalty to-day has become the
most celebrated in Louisiana criminal
history. 1t has involved most of the
politicians and several gentlemen of the
cloth, and bids fair to become apolltical
issue in the next State campaign.
Judge Thomas J. Ford was second
recorder of the city, and a man of con-
siderable influence, and at the then ensu-
ing city election would have been o
candidate for Mayor.
A. H. Murphy was an amateur pugilist
and held a minor position under the city
government. He was quarrelsome
fellow, and had been before the court q
dozen times for disturbing the peace, but
had scores of friends among this particu-
lar class.
When Murphy appeared before Ford's
court, the latter gave him the full extent
of the law and Endorsed on the COM
mitment that Murphy was notorious
hoodum and beat. Murphy challenged
Ford to duel, and this failing, entered
suit for criminal libel. Ford did not wish
this suit to come to a trial, fearing his
political advancement would be endan-
gered, and employed his cousin, John
Murphy, to assassnate "Cap" Murphy,
but for some reason the plot failed.
Murphy's suit was postponed till De-
cember 2, 1884, and the day before the
trial while he was working gang OF con-
victs on the Claiborne canal Ford and
force of friends appeared upon the scene
and opened fire upon him. regular
battle ensued, some of Murphy's friends
coming to the rescue. Murphy was killed
during the fight.
In the first trial of the case the jury dis
agreed In the second trial the jury found
that Pat Ford and John Murphy were
guilty of murder, and that Judge Ford,
CauItield and Buckley were guilty of man.
slaughter The former were sentenced to
death and the latter to twenty years inn.
prisonment. The condemned were twice
but the Governor finally set to-
day for their execution.
Public opinion is much divided, some
that Judge Ford is the MUIR
derer, and consider it outrageous that his
tools should suffer the penalty of death |
and he escape with comparatively light
punishment.