Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-09


was better looking man than the picture
represented him. AS he stood behind the
bars, however, he was not a figure CT
beauty, and somehow gave one the impress
sion Of a Gagged animal.
Loved His Wife.
Ford was anxious to know whether his
family had been heard frcm and when they
were likely to come into town. Sergeant
Falvey was standing rear at hand, and
told him that they might come in some
time during the afternoon, and If 50 they
would be allowed to see him without de-
lay. He expressed considerable feeling
over the trouble he has brought upon his
wife.
do you love her, Ford?" asked The Star
reporter.
Indeed do. boss. 1 loves that woman
if 1 ever lovee any woman on the face of
this earth"
Well aren't you sorry that you ever
brought t1is sorrow and misery on her?'
Indeed / am, boss; but 1 guess the trou-
BILE is 1 didn't krow what 1 was doing
Lord knows 1 am sorry to leave that poor
woman without anybody to take care OF
her in this world. She is orphan, and
she's going to have a pretty hard time OF
it, am afraid
Well don't you think you ought to have
thought of that before you did what you
Gid last MonGay?"
Indeed and i wish l had stopped to
think, but the trouble with me was that l
lad heen thinking some that morning, and
1 guess the whisky had got into my BRAIN
l wasn't exactly drunk, but somehow L
didn't seem able to stop and think"
Irving why didn't you tell the truth
Yesterday"
Il did tell you the truth"
''Rut YOU told me yesterday morning that
YOU were In Sparrow's Point Monday after
noon"
Il know 1 was lying when told you :hat,
but 1 was telling the truth yesterday af-
ternoon. when 1 said what 1 had done to
that girl
You told the truth?''
Yes. sir
Well now you know just as we'll as l
do that you did not tell the whole truth
Ford insisted that his story was literally
and absolutely true, bat when some of the
discrepancies in his tatements were point
ed out to him. and he was shown how east
~ it would be to disprove others. he began
to weaken yisibly. Deputy Marshal Spring
man was Sanding the door at the
time, and urged upon Ford the ACCESSIBILITY
of telling every thing and clearing his con-
science. Springman assured him that when
he was turned over to the Jail authorities
they would take good care of him, and
would see that no lynching party would
ever get him out.
They could kill me before they would
ever get you, Irving" said Springman.
This seemed 10 reassure Ford consider
ably. He vas asked again where it was
that he first met and accosted Miss Elsie
Kreglo that afternoon. Again he insisted
that it was down in the hollow near the
stream.
why. Irving" said the reporter, you
know just as we'll as all of us do that If
Miss kreslo had been down in the bottom
she never could have screamed loud enough
to be heard at her house over the hill"
We'll. boss, she certainly did boiler
mighty loud
When was it that she screamed? Was it
before or after you cut herr
''It was before 1 cut her. 1t must have
been when l first caught hold of her. After
i had cut her she didn't say nothing. ex-
cept that | had hurt her, and she didn't
Say that very loud"
What did you do between the time when
You first laid your hands on her and the
time you cut her throat?
To this question Ford gave several eva
sive replies that were anything but salts
factory. He was beginning to look worried
and it was evident that in a moment more
ne would be ready to tell everything.
Where did you say you first met hero
Down in the hollow where l cut her
throat
but. Irving. they found your footprints
on the top Of the Mill and all the signs
showed that you and the girl struggled
together all the way down the side. How
are you going to account for that when
they get you up IN cOurt?'
This was too much for the poor devil
His fingers took tighter hold on the bars
and his shifty eyes glanced down toward
the floor as he said in a low ard scarcely
audible voice:
Final Confession.
We'll. boss. I'll tell you just how it was
i know what you people are going to do to
ne and suppose L might just as well tell
everything right out. Gcne it,"
You did whatg"
We'll. l done what you people think
idid Lsastways 1 tried to do it, and 1
AsuppOse it doesn't make so very much
fTiinerence to anybody now whether / was
able TO carry out what L intended to do. /
own up l tried to, and the girl screamed
like bloody murder. She not knocked
out, but was able to keep OH talking and
yelling. and she understood all right what
had happened. 1 tried my best, and if 1
DIDN'T succeed / don't suppose l ought to
get no credit for that, cause nv mind was
all made up to it,"
As soon as 1 found out how it was and
That If she ever lived to tell about il +
would be killed anyhow, L just went to
i
tried that cut her throat. 1t seems to me
cut four times. but theyse telling me they
found six cuts in her throat, 50 l suppose 1
must nave done it that many times She
Died like everything. but she wasn't dead
when l started to go away. and l didn't
Know until afterward that | had really
killed her.
Il am sort of glad l have told about all
TINS. because from what they tell me they
could have proved it on me anyhow and /
suppose ITS better for a man to go to his
hanging without any lies on his lips. OF
course. L know what you all are going to
do to me, and it's awful for a man to be
where l am at
AZ Ford finished this CHASTITY recital his
heareIf silently passed out of the corridor,
scarcely daring to speak for the pent-up
feelings within them. Ford fell back again
on his narrow bench. unable for moment
TO get his thoughts off what he had done.
ana as the free men walked out of the cor
rldor the groans of the miserable wretch
could be heard way into the sergeant's
room in the front of the building.
The Inquest.
The coroner's inquest will be held this
afternoon at the sixth precinct station.