The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-08-31
FORD PROTESTS INNOCENCE.
HANGING AT CAMBRIDGE OF THE
MURDERER OF FRANK KELLAR.

Ford Was Caught Redhanded, Al
most, and With the Watch, Pistol
and Money of the Victim fn His
Pockcts-Goes TO the GaIIONs Say
ing lie Never saw the Man Whom
He Is Accused of MurderfnE-An
Account of the Crime by which
Frank KeIIar Was Done to Death.
cambridge, Ca. Aug. S0.-JOhn Ford,
the murderer Of Frank Kellar. and who
was convicted of the murder at the last
May term of the superior court, was
hanged here to-day in the county Jail
by Sheriff Patterson at 11:io O'Clock.
Ford was dressed for the execution, and
brought out of his cell in the front room
OF the jail where the trap was situated.
and allowed to make statement. He
declared his innocence, offered up a
prayer and sang a song.
The sheriff then placed the black cap
on and fixed the moose around his neck.
At 1913 o'clock the drop fell and he was
pronounced dead in eighteen minutes.
his neck having been broken.
During the morning, rnrOugh courte-
sy extended by Sheriff Patterson, your
correspondent was allowed an interview
with the condemned man. in which he
declared he was innocent. He said he
was well aware he did not have more
than an hour to live and that God knew
he was telling the truth when he claimed
his innocence; that he had never seen
the man whom they claimed he had muir
dered, and for whose murder he was
then awaiting execution of the sentence
OF death; he expected TO be hung, but he
would die an innocent man. He said he
had made peace with nis maker and was
ready to die.
During the interview Ford seemed per-
fectly calm, in fact quietly smok-
ing his pipe. He displayed no emotion,
even while upon the scaffold awaiting eX-
ecution. He rested well during the night
and ate a hearty breakfast.
Quite a crowd came 10 town TO witness
the hanging. which was private. Only
few were allowed to witness it. The ex-
ecution was performed by the sheriff in
a very satisfactory manner.
cambridge, Ga. Aug. SO-on March
s last brutal murder was committed
near ChattahOOchee, Fla, just this side
of the Florida line in this county, the
victim being man named Frank kellar,
his home being at Geneva, o., which
he had left only few days before COM
ing south in search OF a place to locate.
He landed at ChattahoOchee, Fla, and
az once began to look about him and
see II he could find a location.
Upon the date mentioned the deceased
was seen near the place where the muir
der was committed, dragging batteau
from one lagoon to another presume
bly, for the purpose Of looking for some
variety of swamp timber, and was hailed
and interrogated as to what he was doing
with the boat. He replied he was look
ing at the country. Some words passed
between him and the parties whose
boat he is alleged to have broken loose,
and then had in charge The parties
then separated.
Kellar, who was afterward murdered,
went down the river in the direction his
body was found several days later, and
this was the last time ne was seen alive
When found the deceased was lying
on his back shot through the head. His
pockets had been riied of every cent Of
money and his watch stolen. His body
was found by the two young men whose
batteau they alleged he had broken
loose, and was using.
A coroners inquest was held, but no evil
dence was produced to show who the muir
derer was. The news of the murder
spread like wild fire, and trusty colored
man having seen suspicious looking
negro in the neighborhood of where the
murder was committed, flush of money,
and with a fine gold watch and pistol.
whispered his suspicious to his white
friends, who promptly arrested and
searched the william, finding in his pocket
the watch of the murdered man, which
was identified by his father who had been
notified, and who had come south to iden-
tify and secure the body of his son. The
negro had made way with the pistol and
money, loaning the money out to various
negroes. When arrested he gave his name
as John Ford. He was a medium sized
black, aged between % and 30 years, and
claims 10 hail originally from Western
North Carolina, though no one here knows
anything of his past history.
When asked how he came with the
watch he told many different stories, say
ing it was given him by his wife, then
again that it was given him by colored
man for putting him across the river in a
bateau, and many such other unreasona-
BILE statements.
Ford was brought to cambridge and
placed in Jail to await the action of the
superior court, which convened in May,
where he was convicted OF murder in the
first degree and sentenced to hang on the
18th of June. During the governors i'll
ness his attorney petitoned for respite
for thirty days. The thirty days having
elapsed before the governors recovery,
his respite was extended to Aug. 80.
The murdered man was aged % years,
was a man of considerable means, his
home being in Hancock county, o. He
was soon to be married. He came south
on prospecting tour, intending to sell his
interests in Ohio and transfer his invest
ments south.