Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-03-13

day, IN q IchnlnR thOfohtniHi"f ~" ~ ~
presence 0f PROBABLY a hundred persons.
Murphy was seated htnoon uat DAY on
the doOrsteps al the corner Of ~ Ann
and Claiborne streets, experimenting a
gang Of forty OF lity men from the WORK
house engaged In cleaning out tne Cihi-
borne canal, when two men with drawn
REVIEWERS turned the corner and opened
nrc NJ him. he ran into the middle OF
the street and drew bis own weapon,
firing aud retreating slowly TWO more
mel. Joined the assallants NJ The corner
and when he 6nally turned 10 Ddmalne
street the party IN pursuit Of him mum.
brred six or seven. On Dumalne sbot
hnally brought him down. one OF the
pursueTs walked up TO The PROSTATE
body, turned II over with bis feet, cmptied
bis revolver In Il aud, making sure that
Murphy was dead, walked on, the entire
party Of assasslns disappearing WIN MN
ns mystcriously as they had come
There was great excitement AZ hrst,
when II was announced that the murder
ers could not be traced or found. Later
on however, the police got clew. Judge
r. j Ford, recorder Of The city, WIS ar
rested on suspicion Pat Ford, his brother
Onlcrr John Murphy, his cousln-- the two
men hanged tp-day--and Buckley, Caul.
field, RAIDER aud Farretto, all either clerks
or officers Of FOrd's court.
The high position Of most Of the &C.
cuscd, the fact that they were
officers Of the law aud for the
maintenance OF peace, aroused
the puplc feeling IN the matter. hut fof
his feeling there would never have been
n conviction, which was secured with the
greatest dilliculty and only by the united
effort OF the press and the public
The trial that followed was the most
exciting ever known IN Louisiana. Ford
had money aud friends, political Influence
aud backing. The people Of NV Orloan'
on found how rotten their criminal sys'
tenn was. Never was so much perjury
bribery aud corruption seen before M IN
this case The states witnesses were
bought up, while other witnesses sworc
IN Ford's favor who were miles away
from the scene when the murder was com
mlttci, The secrecy Of the iury.room
WIS farce. Two Of the jury had been
"pncud' by FUtds friends, aud were
roidy TO work the others. one OF the
deputy shcrns was also under pay, and
carried notes and letters to tho jury
room, Offering heavy brides Tor an nc.
qulttal, by tho interest accident, u mis-.
trial was secured. Then the whole truth
came out through the confession Of on,
Of the Jurors, An investigation was
made Of the matter which resulted IN
eight ndlctmo ats, i've Of the witnesses
for perjury, aud two Jurors and on,
deputy sheriff for bribery.
On the second trial of the case, through
tho influence Of the press aud public
opinion, Il verdict Of guilty was found
Tom Ford, Buckley aud Caulhcld OF man
slaughter, and pat Ford aud Murphy q
murder, and sentenced TO bo hung, No
even after conviction did the Furdt
abandon hope, They got up u petition
for pardon containing 1000 names Of thci
followers, friends and sympathizers. Th'
board Di pardons met to consider thei
case, but refused II pardon, As the time
Tor their hanging, November 10, drew
near, they begged 40 plleously for mere.
aud for longer tlmo TO prepare them
selves for tho next world, that tho gov
crnor granted them a respite OF lly,
weeks.
Finding that the situation was lookin
very unpfomislng, the FoIds played thcl
trump card In the confession made b.
Judge Ford that he and not his brotht
| was the murderer of "Cnp" Murphy rhi
confession seemed Impossible AZ nrst.
dozen witnesses had seen Pat Ford XII
Murphy Pat himself had confessed IN
crime on the trial, and u dozen witnesses
above dispute, proved conclusive ult
for judge Ford And yet his contosso
was borne out by corrohomtiye evidenc,
aud was nearly universally believed. III
brother had confessed TO the killing
"Cap" Murphy tn save him, As for III
| witnesses, thoy were deceived 10y II
great rt sembIunco between him aud Ii
brother lie was not with the assassin
II Is true, but squares away when II
shooting began He rau 10 the scene
the light, and ran face TO "a,
with Murphy, lie, II was, WI
shot him In tho heat and cxcitomel
OF the moment, The Judges coniessiu
came too late TO save his brother. IN
board OF pardons was again called 4
gothor TO consider tho case, but again r.
fused to recommend pardon. NJ
governor was hnally prevailed upon
g'Ant another respite until March 4
Nj even thuu, with the galluws bclo
. tnem, did the condemned men ahandc
i hope, aud even when they mounted u
, scaffold they had some idea that ''rom
! Ia whom they had absolute conndonc
would save them,
7, Judge Ford always attributed his co
! vlotinn to tho oxposltion Tne murder
! Murphy occurred Just before the oxpol
+ toD, last year, and created great de
. OF unpleasant comment IN the Northe
/. press, al WAS sacrificed to the expo,
, tlon,n said Judge Ford, "rhe people
4, New Orleans wanted TO appear vlrtuou
\ waited TO parade before the world
r furnishing orimc promptly, and and II
. friends we're the victims OF this sudd
Z nuthuvtn
. Fat Ford leaves wife and four SIN,
I children In destitute circumstances, 4
: fortune, as we'll as that of the Judge al
u The other prisoner being swallowed
in the trial VI this case, There are fo
e deaths already traceable TO this cas-
4 Gap" Murphy, killed Pat Ford aud Jul
II Murphy, hung aud one OF the witness
. died In the Parish prison from cxpoSu
/ Three other persons, Tom Ford, Caulnp
Il aud Buckley, arc serving out terms IN 1
n ponitrntlar eight other persons a
e under indictment for perjury or briheT
4 aud hnalN niue members Of the OF
\ council are under sentence
:. imprisonment IN the parish prison
u contempt of court, Co make an Hpprop
: alton Tor the payment OF the fees In Il
= case.
o The trial MAS long, bitter md SAW