The Cairo bulletin., 1908-05-25
ECHOES


John r. Ford was with his family
yesterday and they We're all happy
after many weeks of suspense as to
the outcome of the little trouble he
had gotten into from the killing OF
John w. Lewis. Mrs. Ford was par
ticularly happy She had probably
suffered more mental anguish than
did her husband. for she felt less
confident of the outcome Ford him,
self had the greater confidence, partly
because he was of masculine gender
and partly because he had been In
that sort of trouble before and had
come out all right Besides, he
knew he had some strong influences
at work in his behalf--many friends
and t'wn good lawyers.
Mrs. Ford had been very attentive
To her husband during his term in
the county jail She had visited him
nearly every day, riding up ON a
street car. She preferred to ride On
the car on which Robert Thornberry
was eonductor-"Old Dad" Thorn
berry, mild-mannered pleasant faced
fellow who talks to all the passengers
that ride on his car and knows them
nearly all by their first names-knows
their dogs and cats, too, and their
first names, also.
dad" had often said he sympa-
thised with Mrs. Ford in her trouble
las the public generally certainly did
and he had invited her to ride on his
car, which she nearly always did.
often allowing several other cars TO
pass to wait for Dads" car.
II was mere chance. Of course, that
Dad" became member of the jury
which tried and acquitted John r.
Ford. He "qualified'' under the law,
don't you know, and was accepted by
both sides. 1t may seem funny to
some people, but 1t only illustrates
the different impressions a man may
make upon other men. The defense
accepted "Old Dad for one reason
and the prosecution accepted him for
an exactly opposite reason. The de-
Tense thought him kind-hearted old
man who would not be able to intiiet
the death penalty upon a flea (unless
the flea was digging into his epldermis
I'm a particularly tender spot and GER
tainly would treat their client con
siderately), while the prosecution
scepted him because 1t believed him to
be a "convictor' he having been a
member of the Neilum jury whicl.
voted to hang that poor. relentless
black devil, only few DAYS before
he became a candidate for the Ford
jury. Parodoxical though 1t may
sound one can say, basing his con
clusion upon the outcome in the two
cases. that both the defense and the
prosecution in the Ford case seem to
have had excellent reason for thelr
opposite beliefs or impressions.
Incidentally II may be mentioned
that Kind Old Dad" was at one time
poundmaster of Cairo. He didn't
hold this important office very long
II was his duty to arrest truant cows
and tagless dogs. to collect pound
fees for the former and to, kill thf
latter. "old Dad" didn't like this jof
and didn't keep 1t long He got into
hot water on one occasion it is said
a big pan full of the stuff. which an
angry Amazon threw at him because
he had taken her COW and was try,
ing 10 lead the animal to the city
pound. And as for the killing OF
dogs-that was altogether against
his nature-he would almost prefer
to XII a man than to XIII a poor
dumb brute. Dad resigned his offi
eial position one day and went back
on the street car. But not till he had
become acquainted with his successor
or predecessor. one MOsely. and he
had SORT Of sympathetic feeling for