The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1886-03-19
THE LAW INDICATED.

Il
! New Orleans-The Doomed Men Take
/ Poison and Are Executed in an Unc0n-
| scious Condition--History of One of the
Most Remarkable Criminal Cases in the
/ Annals of the Country.
/ New ORLEANS, March 13.-Pat Ford
and John Murphy, under sentence of death
!, for the murder of A. III. Murphy were dis
covered unconscious in their cell Friday
morning, and physicians being summoned
/ they declared the condemned men had
been poisoned With powdered belladon-
ma. All efforts to arouse them from
the fatal stupor proved futile, and
| at 1910 O'Clock they were borne to
! the scaffold, seated on the trap, and care
i fully supported until the nooses were adj
| justed, when the trap was sprung, and the
necks of both were broken by the fall. The
sheriff had appealed to the Governor, in
! forming him of the condition OF affairs but
| the latter ordered the execution OF the
men.
| In Ford's pocket was found letter adj
| dressed to the Sisters of Mercy and all the
writer's religious friends, stating that he
| took the poison in order to spare his chill
dren the reproach of being the offspring
of a hanged felon. In the same letter he
/ left his curses upon number of persons
who had been active in opposing the COM
mutation OF his sentence to Imprisonment
| for life.
| The crime for which Ford and Murphy were
| hanged is without q parallel in the history of
| New Orleans. The high position of the ac-
! cused and those associated with them; the
| boldness and audacity of the crime itself, and
| the social, political and financial influences
| brought to bear to retard and divert justice,
| made the trial a duel between the State on
~ md md fhn dffnx1 dan re, ftrar fhSart
Judge Thomas /. Ford, late recorder
| Of the city of New Orleans, and now serving
| out twenty-years sentence in the penitenti-
| airy for the part he played in the murder. He
| was shreWd politician and was recognized as
! the boss of the Fourth ward. and his IN
huence was felt throughout the entire city;
| Despite his record as boss" he managed
| to get the good will of the press and
| public alike and was at one time
| Loudly proclaimed as model official.
ever that annoyed him beyond cndu-
/ rance This was Captain A. HI. Murphy, or
| Cap Murphy as he was more popularity
known, also poit: clan, holding the position
/ OF superintendent of the public workhouSe.
| He was "a cousin of ex.Congressman E.. John
Ellis, came of good family and was man of
undaunted courage and conviction. The quar-
| rel between these men dates back four years.
| Murphy was brought before Ford, charged
| with some violation of the law and Ford
denounced him as hoodlum city official.
L 4uuIpnJ ICopOnucu WIFI IL CUdllt.iRG WHICH
| the judge declined. Murphy then posted him
| throughout the city as a coward, liar and
| thief, and proclaimed it so often that the judge
finally had him indicted Tor criminal libel
| Murphy claimed up TO the day of his death
! that he had in his possession ample evidence
| to prove that Ford was thief and embezzler.
he never had an opportunity to produce this,
| for on the very day of his trial on the GRIM
lnal libel charge, he was murdered in cold
| blood.
| The murder was the boldest on record !;
| done in broad day, in populous section of
| the city, in the very face of hundreds of law
| abiding citizens and the murdererS walked
away unknown. Their smoking pistols still in
| hand. On the morning of the murder Deem.
Der l, 1884, Captain Murphy was directing the
| labor of some fifty Or sixty men at work
| cleaning the Claiborne canal. The captain"
was seated on the doorstep of a house
| streets with no thought of danger, when
| two men stepped around the corner, and,
without word OF warning, opened fire on
him. Murphy ran into the middle of the
street, drew his revolver and returned the
| fire. Each of his ASA lants were doubly
armed, and, not being able to stand the fire
/ from four revolvers, Captain Murphy turned
! followed by his aSsailantS. At the corner
he encountered two more men who had been
stationed there 10 intercept him, and thev
| opened fire also. Murphy then continued
| down Claiborne street, his pursuers increas-
/ ing in numbers at every stride. When he
| turned into Dumain street no less than half a
! ran. and the discharge OF their firearms Gre
/ ated CONSERVATION and wild alarm. On Du-
main street he was finally brought to the
| ground. Two of his aSSaIlantS then walked up
turned the body over and fired bullet after
bullet into it until life was extinct, and the
| body horrible SIGHT to behold. A large crowd
| gated but the small army of murderers
| turned from their victim and disappeared as
mysteriously as they had come. The deepest
| popular excitement was aroused and intensi-
hNyf h0 f0Af ffnf
| parently unknown and never would be
| brought to justice. Indignation knew no
bounds, however, when the law pounced upon
| Judge Ford his brother, Pat Ford his COUSIN
| Officer John Murphy and Officers Buckley,
| Garfield Favetto and Baoer, five officers of
| Judge Fords court, as the murderers. 1t re-
/ CURED all the influence of sober public Opin-
| ion to prevail against the prisoners even after
! they were arrested, so strong was their polt-
| ical influence.
The district attorney was nominated by
Judge Ford, and was his dearest political
| friend. With plenty of money for thede-
| Tense, unlimited social and political backing.
boldness and audacity, it was very hard
| matter to secure conviction.
The first trial was q complete farce from be-
ginning to end. There were open bribery and
| defiant perjury. Five of Ford's witnesses
| iff and two OF the jurors for bribery. This
4 mad a very sautarf effect. Fifteen ar
rests had now grown out of the crime.
The evidence clearly demonstrated the guilt
|
| sible to convict them. The strict at
| tOrney, though Judge Ford's dearest friend,
never fora moment wavered in his duty, and,
backed by public opinion, finally triumphed
| in his prosecution. The second trial was be-
| gum aud resulted in a verdict of guilty being
| found: Pat Ford and John Murphy were SEN
| fenced to be hanged, and Judge Ford, his
clerk, Caulfied and Officer Buckley were each
| sent to the penitentiary at hard labor for q
| term or twenty years. The FOrdS now took
| the fight before the Board of Pardons and the
| EXynr moo nS4xaG tod 90 r,<
/ in vain.
committee of one hundred whose duty it
is to see the laws enforced. appeared in oppo-
! stion to the Fords before the Board of Par
dons, and made such logical and eloquent
appeal against pardon that their fate was
/ settled. This was on November 9, 1885, and
the men were to be hanged on the 18th. When
| the news reached the prisoners they were
| dumfounded "For Gods sake give me time
| to pray for my sins,'' screamed Pat Ford in
terror, when informed Of his fate and told
| to prepare for death. His agony was SO in
| tense that respite OF thirty days was grant
| ed by the Governor A new feature of the
case was made public as soon as the
respite had been, granted: Judge Ford
then came forward, and, although during
the first trial he proved an alibi, he
now publicly stated that. he was alone
| ply, and that his brother, Pat Ford
! was innocent. 1t seemed impossible to be-
lieye this story at first. but at asst it was es-
/ tablshed as fact but without the result an
ticipated. The popular verdict was ut
comes too late; and as Pat Ford was among
the party of assassins, he was equally
guilty of murder" and SO the case rested.
| Pat Forc's constant prayer was not to be
hanged, and during the last moments of his
confinement his mental condition became so
pitlful his friends could not bear to visit him.
rms is the story of the murder of Captain
Murphy by judge of court of record, aid
ed by all the officers of his court for VII ca
| two men have been hanged and three others
are now serving out twenty-years' sentence
at hard labor.
Fortifying Halifax.
BosToN, March ia special from Hall
fax to the advertiser states that on ac-