Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-13
IRVING FORD'S TRIAL
There Nay Be Few Days Delay in Get
ting Started
The Murderer's Father IL Missing
From His HOme-Insanity to
Be the Defense.

1t may be that the trial of Irving Ford,
the self-confessed murderer OF Elsie Kreg-
10, Will be delayed for several days. The
counsel assigned to defend the man, Messrs.
Arthur Peter and r. Newton Donaldson,
late yesterday afternoon notified Clerk
Smith of Criminal Court No. that they
would move that the trial. set for Monday
next before Judge Cole, be postponed for a
short time, explaining that they feared
they would be unable to prepare for a trial
then. They afterward saw District Attor-
ney Birney, who told them to file their
molten, IL they decided to make it, at once,
as he would waive the two days notice re-
quired by the rules. Up to a late hour this
afternoon they had not done so, but it Is
understood that they will ask Judge Cole
to postpone the trial for a short time, In
order to eI able them to mere fully prepare
the prisoner, defense, which will be, 1t is
said, that of insanity.
In speaking of the matter to Star re-
porter this afternoon Judge Cole said no
request for delay"has yet been presented to
him. He does not know whether 1t Will be
or not. but he explained that unless the
expected motion should be based on very
strong grounds he would decline to delay
the trial He will grant no postponement
made merely for the sake of delay, and In
any event no postponement of the trial will
be made for more than few days. The
judge intimated that while Ford Is entitled
to and will receive perfectly fair trial.
the community is equally entitled to and
will certainly receive as speedy trial OF
the man as will be possible under all the
circumstances.
Prisoners Condition.
Referring to the published statement that
Ford's sleep is light and broken with
means, Warden Leonard of the District Jail
stated to Star reporter today that the
man not only eats WELL putting away dou-
BILE rations at every meal, but that he
sleeps soundly and peacefully as any
one he ever saw. He appears to realize
that there is no possible escape for him
from death at an early day on the scaffold,
and has apparently determined to take the
Tatter coolly and philosophically. 1t is
either that, think the prison officials, or
the wretch's sensibilities of low a
degree that he is incapable of remorse or
mental. suffering.
The trial of Ford, in order to better ac-
Commodate the crowds expected, will take
place in the old criminal court room, where
the Pollard-Breckinridge and Guiteau trials
took place.
Looking for the Father.
AS stated in the dispatch from Burnt
Mills, Richard Ford, father of Irving Ford,
is reported missing. Last night his daugh-
ter reported to the police that he had dis
appeared. The police in the different pre-
cincts have been notified to look out for
the missing man. He Is fifty-fve years old,
black and heavy built. The conduct of
the son and the presence of so many arm
ed men about the house for two days
seemed to have very depressing effect on
the man at the time, although he SYM
pathized with the parents of the murder
ed girl and expressed the hope that if his
son had done what was charged he would
be. caught and punished. Still the trouble
weighed heavily on him, and it is feared
that his mind has become affected and he
has wandered off in the woods.
Lizzie Ford, the murderer's wife, this
morning took a basket of clothes to her
husband at the jail. The prisoner has not
yet recovered from his fright and is already
making preparations to die, although his
trial will not take place until next week.
Chief Clerk Sylvester of the police de-
partment has received $50 from Chief
Paris of the fire department for the family
of the murdered girl