The age-herald., 1897-09-26
THE SLAYER OF FRANCIS BARTON LLOYD.
AFTER A LONG CAREER OF CRIME IS NEARING
 HIS LIFES CRISIS.
John A. Gafford, Who Can Count His Victims Easily, Though Many in Number, Is Now Standing
 in the Shadow of the Gallows.

MT. Monroe GolSCa, a brother or iile murdered men resides fin Montgomery, arl1 1t E said t1lsl. Gaffard has threatenei him, ai-l has only failed to. execute his threat m a failure to find him. There ar,e other murders and a long sirlng of henious offenses charged against John Stafford, which eRamp him as the "HolnD5s of the south.''
 phero are few people who accept his theory of desiresto protect his sister s honor and preserve his family name, for Gris past conduct, has shown that he cared very little for either The shoot ing of Lloyd is accounted for upon the theory that he thirsted for human blood, and had been without such excitement and notoriety as long as he could stand it. He gave himself up to the sheriff, 1t is true; but citizens of Butler county say he knew he could never get out Of that swamp alive, and if he had done so he would have bsen a dead man before another sun set.
 Gafford has visited this city frequently within the last year, and has a most un- savery reputation here. Last summer when Lloyil was first elected to the legis- lature from Butler county, he wrote to prominent gentleman of this city inform ing him of Gafford's presence around the city, urging that he kesp lookout for him. He was looking for Monroe Col son then, and would have killed him if ale had found him. Only a few months ago Gaffcrd was on a spree here and was arrested for disorderly conduct. Last winter during the session of the legsla- ture, Gafford landed in jail and Lloyd went down and paid him out and sent him to Birmingham, where lse remained for awhile and then returned to Green vile.
 About two months ago, the last time that Gafford was here, the story goes that he was on a. drunk and was broke. He attempted to make a raise next morning after the nights frolic by at- tempting blackmaii He approached B man to whom he was unknown and said;
 While I was drunk last night you asked me at the Exchange hotel to lend you BIO, but did not have but s5, which I loaned you. I am strapped this morn- ing; please pay me back"
 The man replied: T never saw you before and never borrowed a cent from you at any time or place."
 Gafford tihen, in @ catching manner, repeated his demand and said: You can't beat me; Iul do you in a minute. I have shot men before for less than that"
 But he couldn't bluff his man, who, be- coming angered, denounced Gafford both as har and deadbsat, and finally slap ped his jaws. Those who heard the con- versation expected Gfford to use his gun, but he made no effort to do so.
 This gives an instance of the many ways in which Gafford employed his crooked methods
 Gafford has waived preliminary ex- animation and will stay in jail here until the fan term of the Butler circuit court, when he will be taken to Greenville for trial
 Mrs Miller the sister about whom Gafford claims to have killed Lloyd, en- tirely acquits the dead man of any im- proper relations with her and will not do anything to protect her brother in the ewful deed he has committed. She has been compelled to leave her home down in Butler on account of-tflreats against ller by her refusal to stand by her brother and swear to a lie to protect him.
 Francis Barlow Lloyd was about s5 J county in 1S61--or 62, and was named for the gallant Georgian, General Fran cis Barlow, who fell at the first battle of Manassas. His grandfather was a prominsnt minister of the Primitive Baptist church, and the compiler of the hymn-bools now in use by that branch of Christians.
 MT Lloyd lived in Lowndes and But Ter counties until he went to Selma and took a position on the staff of the Selma Times and from there came to the Mont gomery Advertiser. He remained with the Advertiser several years, until he retired by his own voltion about six years ago. Fearing that the close con- finement would bring on pulmonary trouble he desired to get into the coun- try and breathe the country air of his native Butler hills.
 From his home near Greenvil!e he has given to the world those papers signed Rufus Sanders" which have given him a reputation extending far beyond the confines of Alabama. He also made quite a reputation as a lec- turer-the "Sage from Rock Creek" and in Texas he was almost as we'll known and popular as he was in Alabama.
 As newspaper man MT. Lloyd was careful, painstaking and interesting in everything he undertook, giving the greatest satisfaction to the papers which he served, and the public who read after him.
 His Rufus Sanders papers, gentle and quaint, have been the delight of thousands os readers of many papers, and it will be hard to realize that the kind and genial man who penned them met his death at the hands of a mur- derer
 MT. Lloyd. while living in Montgom- cry. was elected by the democrats to the legislature, where he made a good record as conservative and useful leg islator
 At the democratic state convention in 1894 he received a very large vote for secretary of state, and was very close to the present incumbent. Hon. J. K. Jackson. '-494
 There is scarcely any doubt that had r H.