FORD, PAUL LEICESTER American author, was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., on March 23, 1865, the son of Gordon Lester and Emily (Fowler) Ford. His delicate health led to his being privately educated, his tastes being formed largely by long hours spent in his father's library, then one of the finest collections of Americana in the world. The en vironment of a select social circle and extensive travel on both American continents and in Europe fostered and intensified his cultural interests. At the time of his death, when but 37 years of age, he had gained distinction as an editor, bibliographer, historian and novelist, his edited works and writings totalling more than 7o. In American literature he is most famous for his historical novels The Honorable Peter Stirling (1894) and Janice Meredith (1899). He was shot on May 8, 1902, by his brother Malcolm Ford, who in turn committed suicide.