The age-herald., 1900-12-12
JOHN CAFFORO IS
 HELD NUT GUILTY Jury Clears Him of the Charge
 of Murder END OF A. SENSATIONAL CASE Killed Frances Barlow Lloyd in
 Butler County HE HAD BEEN TWICE CONVICTED First Trial ResuItd in the Death Sen. tence and Second In Verdict of
 Life Imprisonment -H His .f. tory of the Case
HE HAD BEEN TWICE CONVICTED

Montgomery, December u.-(SpeciaL)- | The end of one of the most sensational | cases in the criminal annals of Alabama was reached early this morning when a | jury of twelve men declared by their yer. dict that John Gafford, accused and twice convicted of the murder of Francis Bar. tow Lloyd, was not guilty, thereby restor- ing to him his liberty.
 The verdict was rendered between 3 and o'clock this morning, and by the flicker ing gaslight solemn scene was presented.
 After three years confinement, part of the time his life threatened by a mob, and twice convicted of murder, in the first in- stance receiving a death sentence, the most extreme penalty of the law, in the next re- ceving a life sentence, John Gafford steps from prison cell a free man. Before his arrest a mob sought his life. After his arrest the prisoner was brought to Montgomery to save him from the vio- lence of another mob that had gathered to take the law in it's own hands. This mob was composed of friends and neighbors of both Lloyd and Gafford After his first | conviction Gafford rested under a death sentence for six months or more waiting l for the Supreme Court to act on his case, but he never lost hope. He always contend | ed that he was an innocent man and the courts of justice would not let him hang. During all this trying period he held up, maintaining himself in wonderfully cool and nervy manner. If 1 am hanged" he would say, T shall die an innocent man." It was between and 4 O clock this morn- ing when the jury reached an agreement, after being out since s o'clock last night and Judge Denson was sent for and thd jury handed in its verdict through it's foret man, MT. c. R. Westcott. Not guilty"
 There was slight applause in the court room, where a few friends of the prisonef had gathered, and then all was over Gaf. ford took his acquittal quietly, but wat very happy over the verdict-a happinesl which he could not conceal. He was con ratulated on the result of the trial by hil friends.
 History of the Crime. The trial of John Gafford, charged with the murder of Barlow Lloyd, d newspaper man and a writer of considerable note, was begun in the Circuit Court before Judge Denson on Tuesday of last week. The case has attracted wide attention be- cause of the prominence of the parties in- volved. The ablest legal talent in the State was employed In the case, and from the beginning 1t was a warm legal contest. Among the counsel for the State was Con-
 
 District He was ably assisted by State Solicitor C. R. Bricken and Hon. Tennent Lomax. Among the counsel for the defend ant were Hon. James Weatherly, one of the most prominent attorneys in Birmingham, and Messrs. Terry Richardson of Troy and Charles Willlerson of this city. There were nearly hundred witness summoned, and the trial has been a long and tedious one.
 Congressman Stallings, who was leading for he ef pa aS-d prosecute the case. Five hundred dollars was made up by contributions from friends of the deceased to pay him to take the case. Congressman Stallings got the money and gave it to the widow of the deceased, who was his warm personal friend. He therefore gave his time and talents purely in what he believed was an effort to secure justice.
 The Gafford case Is one of the most in teresting in the criminal annals of Ala banla.
 Gafford was charged with the murder of Barlow Lloyd, better known to newspaper readers as Rufus Sanders" who had achieved quite a reputation as. a writer and philosopher. He was comparatively young man. but began his career as newspaper reporter when quite a boy, go- ing practically from the blow handles to the newspaper office. He was elected to the Legislature from Montgomery County, and afterwards returning to his old home in
 
 county to a term in the lower House of the General Assembly. He retired from active newspaper life to his farm in Butler to devote his time and talents to Writing Rufus Sanders Papers," which made for him quite a wide reputation and which, since his death, have been published in book form. He had also entered the lecture field. His papers, like those of Bill Arp, were full of good horse sense and souni philosophy and attracted wide attention to the author, who at the time of his death was comparatively young man. He had achieved a reputation second to no young man of his age in the South.
 The Killing.
 While riding from his little country home to Greenville, the county seat of Butler, where he had gone to get his mail, he was sGaot down by John Gafford, friend Of the family, between whom had existed friend- ship that dated back to boyhood days But Gafford had the reputation of being dan gerous man. and had killed two or three more men in his day. Lloyd too, was a brave, courageous man, and when neighbors learned that there was trouble brewing be- tween the two men, they had the gravest fears for the result
 Both families were prominent and highly
 
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