Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-03-21
FREED BY BECKHAM.
The Stafford Case Causes Considerable
Excitement and Leads 70 Q Ora.
matte Scene In Court.
A Long Search Before the Writ OF Rabsas
Corpus Is ssrved-JudRe Beck
hams Address.

Attorney T. J. Powell worked on 8
writ OF habeas corpus Yesterday morning
and completed 1t between and O'Clock
The affidavit made by J. z. Fogg set
forth that he was citizen
of Tarrant county, and had
in his employ one Robert Stafford,
also a citizen of Tarrant county.
who was Illegally restrained of his liberty
by Marshal Sam Farmer, Monroe jock.
son and Sam Lane, officers OF the city,
without color or warrant OF law, and
PRAYED that the eli ;ers named be cited to
| sppesr in court snd produce the body
Of said Stafford. Frank Crosby st once
drove out to Judge BeckhAm's residence,
and that OH :Ial granted the writ, making
the return at 10 O'Clock yesterday morn
ing, and told Crosby to put the writ In
the hands of Sheriff Shipp at once, which
was done. The Sheriff started out to find
the parties named, but could not learn Of
their whereabouts. They had left the
room where they had Stafford confined
when seen by GAZETTE reporter
and no one seemed to
know of heir whereabouts. Sheriff
Ship made report to Judge Beckham Of
the fscts, and he w's very indignant.
"Thirgs have come to pretty psss when
the writ of hsbeas corpus cannot be
brought into effect in this country, and
civil officers are prevented from
serving It," said Judge Beck
hsm, who then instructed the Sheriff
20 employ all Of his deputies In the search
for the prisoner and his cap!ors. The
DEPUTIES at once went to work and did all
in their power to ind the men
but failed. By this time the
status OF affairs WAS known all
over the cityiand the one subject OF con-
versstion was the Stafford case. About
O'Clock Deputy Marshal Joe Witcber
found the officers and prisoner at 8
private residence on the South Side and
gave them notice of the writ. Farmer,
Jackson and Lsne st once
took Stafford to the court
room, and as the people
saw them coming they crowded to the
court room which was soon filled. Judge
Beckham was on the bench and the OBJ
servers could see that he was quite In
diguant at the actions OF the officers.
County Attorney Carlock made answer
for Marshal Warmer, who sWore to 1t that
he held Staff ord In custody on the inf r
nation given by F L Marshall, that the
prisoner was fugitive from justice and
setting forth the facts about as published
in TIE GAZRTTE yesterday.
Judge Becknam .fter hearing the sworn
answer Of City Marshal Farmer to the
writ, interrupted the counsel for the prls'
oner, and said in substance as follows
The answer shows on its face that the
- FrI1
liberty, and he is discharged from cus-
todY. The judge then said he had some
thing to say to the officers who hSd had
charge of the prisoner, to al the officers
OF his court, and to those in the hearing
of the court He stated that he had
issued q writ of hAbess corpus directed to
City Marshal Farmer and others to bring
before him the body OF 4 bert Stafford
and show csuse why the said Stafford was
, deprived Of his liberty; that from infor
! msticn that had reached the ears OF the
! court and the tardy obeYauce OF the wri'
, there seemed to have been ct least al
evesion OF said writ; that the hAbea'
corpus was a right guaranteed TO esct
, and every citizen, that it had been Wreste(
/ from kings and won by the blood
3 of men; that it was q constitutional RICH
and one of the greatest protection citi.
zen can have in his individual liberty
Thst any evasion of the writ after onc'
issued Is an outrage upon the rights OF
: citizen, &c sted that he had ordered
one OF the police force Of the city brough
T before him and ipqu:r d of him th'
e | whereabouts Of City Marshal Farmer ant
the prisoner, but that official was unable
to give him any Information OF
| the suhiect He further steteC
that the seizlrg Of the prisoner
: iu this instance was wrong and an out
rage. Not that he (Judse Beckham) be
1 lieved in aiding guilty men to escape, ent
r he here referred TO those who kne ~ bin
A.. to sustsfn the assertion that he was Size
| in enforcing the law, but to depriys az.
e citizen OF his liberty in such name
: was Wilful trespass upon II
: sacred right guaranteed to in
uuoer the law. He ,FflAeI
said that wiliul evasion OF the writ W
p contempt of court and those guilty Q
: such a breach laid themselves liable to o
punished by the court: That he wOuit
i take no action upon the case in that waY
d that these guilty of such breach alsC
e laid themselves lieole to answer to
J. charge from grand jury.
e As he delivered these re N srks the Juog
i was very pale and his lips quivered VIII
0 motion. The man was truly grand as
defoed the rights of American citizens
aud his words admitted of no con
T strucIiou out that the humblest CIT
e zen in the land should hav
/. all constitutional riehts guaranteed him
n AS he spoke the court room Was still
j. death and every nerve OF the listener
Is was strained, so intense was the intere:
y in the occasion.
After the address the prisoner wake
q out and he and his attorney, Mir. Powell
2, were congratulated ~ host OF friend
d on the outcome of the affair.".
WHAT STAFFORD SAYS.
J. Soon after his release warm friend
d ST. fforo's went to him and told him Thu
re- if he Wss guilty now WAS The time
- leave, and il he needed any money
In would furnish it to him. Sts6ol
l. thanked his friend but said
Of WAS well pleased with Fort Worth, thu
9 ne was innocent Ct any Grim
Is that 9 Just Judge sat upon the bench ar
8, that fearing nothing ne should renal
or right here. Lsteron others went to nj
and urged him to go IL he were guilty. 81
In cslmly he tsld them he would stay rig
a. here, that he had done nothing and W.
D; - u.ntpd in UiuOfs- or any Dla