Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-09
Irving Fcrd Tried to Outrage His
Victim.
he CONFESSED FULLY TODAY
The Terrible Struggle on the Side
of the Hill.
THE CORONER's INQUEST

Kreglo. made supplemental confession this
morning which clears up all matters OF
| doubt in connection with the atrocious
| crime
| To Star reporter this morrtng Ford ad-
mitted In so many words that ne ATTEMPTED
an outrage upon the person Of the unfo--
/ tunate girl. but his attempt was unsuccess-
| full though not through his fault
Ever since he was first arrested Ford had
| denied over and over that ne had committed
| the murder for any other reason than that
| he was provoked at the girl. who he said
was sassy to him and threw a stone al
him. 1t is true that no one believed that
| part of his confession, and, as stated in The
| Star yesterday. there was sufficient evidence
| to prove the falsity of this explanation In
| his confession made in the presence Of a
| Star reporter yesterday, Ford insisted that
| ne hrst met Miss Kreglo in the hollow or
bottom near the brook whore she was after
| "ard found This he said. Notwithstanding
the fact that on the little hill back OF The
sueam We're conclusive proofs that the
struggle had commenced more than a hun
| dred feet from where she was found
During the afternoon yesterday and
through the night Ford stoIdly stuck 20
| his story, though he admitted dozen
| times to different people that he was the
that his object was rape proved fruitIess.
| There was no doubt for moment that
such was his object, but Ford shuddered
and shook at the thought of what would
be done to him if he admitted that detail
of the crime. He had evidently heard
stories of southern lynchings, and the in
human punishment " hich has on occasion
l,een meted out to such criminals and he
saw visions of a midnight lynching, or q
slow, agonizing death at the stake. He
realized full well that there was no earthly
chance OF his escaping the gallows, and
tears himself a man resigned 10 his
fate. A legal hanging, with witnesses and
all the ceremonial that goes with such a
function, together with the opportunity 10
have his picture printed in the papers
| again, and the chance to make few last
remarks from the scaffold, all constitute a
ceremony possessing certain theatrical fea-
| tLres that appeal somewhat TO his i'm
| aginauon. But when it came to the thought
| Of being pulled out suddenly and unex-
pectedly on dark night and strung up %
the nearest telegraph pole, he fell back in
horror.
This is the evident reason why Ford so
lcng refused to tell the exact truth in con-
| nection with his dastardly deed.
Watched Closely.
Last HlSpl "nen FOru began to realize
that no attempts would he made TO lynch
him, he threw himself down on the mar
row bench in his cell and slept Rtfully until
morning. Occasionally he gave utterance
to deep long drawn groan, which show
ed that even in his slunler he could not
get out of his mind the realizing sense of
his position. Through the hours of the
night policeman sat or stood in front of
the grated door of his cell to put an in
stant stop TO any attempt at seif-destruc-
ton. Two policemen were stationed in the
rear Of the building, and two in front, and
an extra reserve OF men was kept in the
| rooms upstairs lest there might be any
demonstration during the night.
These precautions were unnecessary
however, for nothing was farther from the
wretched mans thoughts than the idea OF
fastening the death which he now sees so
near. He is utterly broken by fear but
he will hang on to his life until the last
moment. Nor were there any signs of un-
usual demonstrations in the neighborhood
of the station house. The people of Wash
! ington have been worked up over this
| murder perhaps to q higher pitch than
! over any crime since President Garfield
was murdered, but at no time has theye
! been any serious talk of interfering with
| the regular course of the law.
This morning Ford said that he had slept
/ badly, and when day broke he more
| of a shaking and shiverng wretch than at
any time since his arrest So far he has
| not let drop one word expressive Of gen
uine regret for his deed or of sympathy
for the bereaved family. 1t is all animal
fear for his own personal safety.
| For man of his size and brutal nature,
| Ford's fear has been extreme, and at
times his expressions of dread seemed hor-
| rbly ludicrous From the first, the police
who have been working on the case, from
Maj Moore and Inspector Holinberger
! down, have expressed the belief that,
| sooner or later, Ford would break down
| and confess everything. His admissions
| yesterday were all that necessary un-
der the circumstances, but at the same
| time the officers of the law were anxious
| TO have every possible detail cleared up be
yond the shadow of a doubt. Even so, his
confession this morning came rather in the
nature of a surprise.
Condition This Morning.
Ford was sitting on the bench in his cell
| when The Star reporter went back to speak
to him this morning. Yesterday there was
no general attempt to exclude the public,
and all were given a chance to see the
prisoner who desired TO do so, but this
morning orders went forth that Ford
should be isolated, and no one allowed TO
see him, excepting those who had leglti-
mate business there. Even the policemen
in the station who were not assigned to
DUTY in the neighborhood of the cell were
forbidden access to that part Of the build
ing.
Ford recognized the reporter, who was
with him several times yesterday, at the
photographers and later at the station
when he made his first confession. He rose
and came over TO the grated door, and dur
ing the conversation which ensue1 he kept
his powerful, bony hands tightly clasped
about the iron bars, IL to gain support
for his shaking form. He said good morn
ing pleasantly enough, but showed that he
was even more nervous than he was yes
| terday. He was first asked how he liked
the pictures of him which had been print
ed in the newspapers.
Il only saw one" said Ford, land thai