Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-03-26
THE LAW

Most Remarkable Criminal cases Ill Ihe
Annals OF the Country.
NEW ORLEANS, March 13.-Pat Ford
and John Murphy, under sentence OF death
for the murder OF \. II. 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
fully supported until the nooses were adj
justcd, when the trap was sprung, and the
nccks 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 a 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 rcproach of being the offspring
of a hanged felon. In the same letter he
left his curses upon Il 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 withoutn parallel il. the history of
cused and those associated with them; the
boldness and a%udacity Of the crime itself, and
tho social. political aud financial influences
brought to bear to returd aud divert Justice,
made the trial a duel between the State on
one hand and the defendants on the other.
. Tnsssen! Thorn aas"r I. # Ford dhe l sfesoa rscor Ter
of the city of New Orleans, and now serving
out a twenty-years' sentence III the penitenti-
N Mas i a sh ,ru pi't po 1T CANAAN and WAS !n. recognized 1tasuia: a rs
the boss Of the Fourth ward. and his III
tluencc was felt throughout the entire city.
to D'Sp ret n the eet sooa as will u o OF the ne pr %an" snd
loudly proclaimed as a model official.
ayeT' T fbat o nend tho5n him in his bev t5esh' , NOW
rance: This was Captain A. H. Murphy, or
Cap Murphy rs he was more. popularity
known also a politician, holding the position
He WAS Il cousin of eN-Congressman f. John
Ellis. came of q good family and was a man OF
u%ndaunted 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
%eno1nce him as a hoodlum city official.
the judge declined. Murphy then posted him
throughout the city as u coward. liar and
thief, and proclaimed it so often that the judge
finally had him indicted for criminal libel.
Murphy claimed up to the day of his death
that he had in his possession ample evidence
to prove that Ford was u thief and embezZler.
He never had an opportunity to produce this,
for on the very day of his trial on the crim-
inal libel charge, he was murdered in cold
blood.
The murder was the boldest on record:
done IN broad day, in Il popu!ous section of
the city, in the very face of hundreds Of law
abiding citizens. and the murderers walked
hand. On the morning of the murder, Decem-
Der ] 1884, Captain Murphy was directing the
labor of some fifty or sixty men ut work
was seated on the doorstep of II mouse
at the corner OF Claiborne and St. Ann
streets with no thought Of danger, when
two men stepped around the corner and,
him. Murphy ran Tito ihs lniddle Of the
street, drew his revolver and feturned the
fire. Each of his assailants were doubly
armed, and, not being able to stand the fire
from four revolvers, Captain Murphy turned
and fed up the street and around the corner,
followed by his ASSISTANTS. AT. the corner
stationed there to intercept him, and thew
opened fire also. Murphy then continued
down Claiborne street, his pursuers increas-
ing IN number at every stride. When he
turned into Dumain street NJ less than halfa
dozen men We're in hot chase, all firing as they
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 ofhis assallants then walked up,
turned the body over and fired bullet after
bullet into it until life was extinct, and the
body a horrible SIGHT to behold. large crowd
OF excited citizens had by this time congre-
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 INTENSE,
fled 10y the fact that the murderers were ap.
parentiy unknown and never would be
brought to Justice. Indignation knew no
bounds, however, when the law bounced upon
Judge Ford. his brother, Pat Ford, his cousin,
officer John Murphy and Officers Buckley,
Garfield, Favetto and Ba0er, five officers Of
Judee F0rd's court. rs the murderers. 1t re-
CURED all the intiuence of sober public opin-
ion to prevail against the prisoners even after
they were arrested, SO strong was their polit-
ical influence.
The district attorney, was nominated by
Judge Ford. and was his dearest political
friend. With plenty of money for the de-
tense. unlimited social and political backing.
bo at and audacity, it was a very hard
r.; Inc n'st trial WIS a complete farce from be;
defiant perjury. Five OF T'ord,s witnesses
IN and two OF the jurors for bribery. This
had a very salutarf effect. Fifteen ar
rests sv ha e now o;o, Erown out of the crime:
OF the accused, but it seemed impos-
sible to convict them. The district al
torncy. though Judge Ford.s dearest friend,
never for "a moment wavcrcd in his duty, and.
backed by public opinion. finally triunphcd
in his prosecution. Tho second trial was be-
gun. aud resulted in a verdict of guilty being
etio oohll IVA u IIJ "CIC SUI
fenced to be hanged. and Judge Ford, his
clerk, Caultied and Officer Buckley We're each
sent to the penitentiary ut hard labor for a
term OF twenty years. The Fords now took
the fight before the Board OF Pardons and the
Governor. Every means was resorted to, but
i'll vain.
A committee of one hundred whose duty it
is to see the laws enforced. appeared in oppo-
sition to the Fords before the Board OF Par
dons, and made such d logical and eloquent
appeal against Il pardon that their fate was
settled. This was on November 8, 1885, and
the men were to be hanged on the 18th. When
the news reached the prisoners they were
dumtounded. "For Gods sake give me time
to pray for my sins" screamed Pat Ford in
terror, when Informed or his fate and told
to prepare for death. His agony was so in
tense that "A respite OF thirty days was grant
ed by the Governor. Il new feature of the.
case was made public as soon as the
respite had been granted. Judge Ford
tEen came forward, and, although during
the first trial he proved an altbi, he
now publicly stated that he was alone
guilty of the murder OF Captain Mnr-
ply, and that his brother, Pat Ford,
was innocent. 1t seemed impossible to be-
lieve this story a.. first, but at last it was. es-
tubllshed rs fact, but without the result arr
ticipa,cd. The popular verdict was. 1T
comes too late; and as Pat Ford was among
the party or asSassins, he was equally
guilty, OF murder and so the case rested.
Pat Ford's constant prayer was not to be
confinement his mental condition became so
pitlful his friends could not bear to visit Hmm.
This is the story OF the murder OF Captain
MUrDhy hy n iteltr RIO Df 81 M IF rn.n,,I u;d-