The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1886-03-17
.r,,yuy AND FORD SWUNG OFF.
.rsev Tried to Cheat the Gallows
v1th Bellsdonna-A Minute and
Correct History Of the Crime.

N.v Orleans, March I7.-Ford
nd Murphy were hanged here TO-
~ 1t ls:sr p. n.
New Orleans, March Is.-At7:3
=. morning when the keepers made
.Hort, to arouse Ford and Murphy
4, could not awaken them. After
!. examination by physicians they
,s.eluded that the men had taken
h.llsdsna. Ato:3o Murphy rallied,
nj Ford IL still unconscious.
THE CRIME
tr vh,eh Ford and Murphy were
A.arsd is without parallel IN the his
~ Of New Orleans. hehigh po'
tbou Of the accused and those asso'
ea.ed with them the boldness and
.,d.city of the CRIME itself. and the
sei,l, political and financial infiu-
,uess brought to retard and divert
jpsice made the trial noted. The
central figure was Judge Thomas ].
Ford, late recorder of the city OF
New Orleans, now serving out a
twenty years. sentence in the peni-
,enharv ior the part he played in the
murder. He was a shrewd politician
md the only thorn in his political
Aesh was Captain A. Murphy, also
cousin OF ex-Congressman E.
Iohn Ellis. The quarrel between
these men dates back four years.
Murphy was brought before Ford
charged with some violation of law
and Ford denounced him as hooi
lum city official. Murphy respond
ed with a challenge. which the Judge
declined. Murphy then posted him
throughout the city as coward, lia'
and thief, and proclaimed it so otter
that the Judge finally had him indict
ed for criminal libel. MURPHY
claimed up to the day of his deatl
hat he had in his possession ampl
evidence to prove that Ford was
thief and embezzler, but never ha'
an opportunity to produce this, 10
on the very day of his trial on charg
Of criminal libel he was murdered il
cold blood. The murder was don
in broad day in populous section o
the city IN the very face of hundred
OF law abiding citizens and the muir
derers walked away unknown.
On the morning of the nurdel
Dec. I, 1884, Captain Murphy wa
directing the labor of some nifty {
sixtv men At work cleaning Claybor
canal, The "cAptain" was seate
on the doorstep OF the house, corne
OF Clayborn and Stone streets wit
no thought Of danger, when two me
stepped around the corner and wit
out word of warning opened Fl
on HIM. Murphy fed up the sire
around the corner, followed by h
assailants. At the corner he e
countered two more men place
there to intercept HIM and they ope
ed FIRE also. Murphy continue
down Clayborn street, his pursue
Increasing until no less than twel'
were IN hot chase. On Duma
street he was finally brought to 4
ground and two of the assailar
walked up, turned the body owe
fired bullet after bullet into It, un
life was extinct and the body a no
rble sight to behold. The murde
ers turned from the victim al
disappeared. After an investigate,
Judge Ford, his brother, Pat For
his cousin, Officers John Murph
Buckley, Caul6eld, Favette a
Bader, hve officers of Judge Fort
court, were arrested as the murd,
ers. Alter a long trial Pat Fo
and John Murphy were sentenced
oe hanged, but Judge Ford car
forward and publicly stated that
was alone guilty OF the murder a
Murph, and his brother were inn
cent. The popular verdict, howev
was ut comes too late" and, as I
Ford was among the party of ass
SINS he was equally guilty of murt
and so the case rested. This is
story OF the murder of Capt
Murphy bv the Judge of the court
record, aided by the officers Of ,