The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1905-08-04
THE TAYLOR CASE.
Comments Clipped FroA the Columns Of the
Stats Press.

Several OF the STATE newspapers nave
made remarks concerning the plea for
mercy presented by the ladies of ITALIA
hassee to the Board of Pardons in the
Taylor case. One or two seem to think
that Taylor was justly punished, but
Others speak plainly in criticism of the
board, while still others maintain a
rather puzzling silence. We reproduce
below few of the expressions noticed
in our exchanges:
Governor Broward will have to go to
lot of ice cream socials in Tallahassee
to gain the regard of those Tallahassee
ladies'. Miami Metropolis.
The Pardoninz Board got busy last
week and presented a conditional par
don to the murderero of Mark Bartleson,
but when one hundred ladies of ITALIA
hassee appeared before the board and
plead for a pardon for Walter Taylor,
who assaulted Congressman Lamar, the
board turned them away, and Taylor
has gone to the penitentiary. Madison
New Enterprise.
The Board of Pardons has refused to
interfere in the case of Walter Taylor,
sent up from Leon county for five years.
This was the result of an election row,
and Congressman Lamar got the worst
of it, Taylor had been accused of stuff
ing ballot box, but the executive COM
mittee exonerated him. He demanded
an apology from Lamar, and, failing to
get it, attempted to shoot him. But
the board redeemed itself next day by
pardoning Williams, who killed Bartel-
son at Miami some two years since. -
| Lake City Index Taylor did not at
tempt to shoot Lamar.
James Williams, who was serving a
life sentence for killing Mark Bartle-
son at Miami, several years ago-a most
deliberate murder, If our memory serves
US correctly-has been pardoned. Wal
ter l.. Taylor, who, after being called
some very vile name, assaulted Hon.
! w. B. Lamar, and for this offense was
sentenced to prison for five years, and
no pardon can be obtained that he may
| be made q free man, to care for his
wife and FIVE children, who are in
want - Gainesville Sun.
The State Pardon Board, in the hard
ness Of it's heart, mas refused to pardon
Walter Taylor, the young white man of
Tallahassee who made a criminal as
sault on Congressman Bill Lamar be-
fore Bill was married, and who was
sentenced to five years in the peniten-
tiary for simple assault with intent To
do vulgar murder. The day before
TAYLOR was taken off TO the penitentiary
it is said that 300 ladies of Tallahassee
visited the board and pleaded and wept
for Taylor's release, but the board
wouldn't bulge You see, it's some
different, this hittin' of a Congressman
that's popular, and who rarely, If ever,
| dresses for such informal occasions as a
street scrap. 1t amounted to little
short of lese majestic in the new Third
congressional district. -Palatka News,
Walter L. Taylor, Of Tallahassee,
who was sent TO the penitentiary for
| five years for an assault on Attorney
General (now Congressman Lamar,
arrived in Ocala under guard Saturday
afternoon, and is now at the Marion
farms. 1t would probably not be APP
propriate for the Star to say that Mr.
Taylor's sentence is undeserved, but
one thing is certain, and that is that an
offense of the kind is seldom so severely
punished. -Ocala Star
Mr.. Taylor must serve his full term
i of five years in convict camp, despite
the efforts of the hundred or more no.
BILE women who petitioned for his par
don, going in body TO present the pc
tition, while men who have been guilty
of cold-bloOded, premeditated murder
have enjoyed the clemency of the par
doninR board. Mr.. Lamar, in reply L
touching appeal for his merciful Of
fees from a gentle, noble-hearted wo
man, who spoke for herself in behalf O.
the wife and children of the condemne,
man, declined 20 act because he though
it would be "inconsistent" for him I,
interfere to influence the action Of tn
pardoning board Thus is brought on
another Of the glaring inconsistencie
of public as well as private life, Unde
the circumstances, an assault mad
{ under excitement of a hot political cam
} paign. Mr.. Lamar might have been gen
, erous without offense to delicate sensi
I bilities, and the pardoning board woul
hardly have been censured for showinJ
{ mercy. - Leesburg Commercial
= The case was appealed to the Su
5 preme Court, but the verdict stood.
e was carried before the Pardoning Board
! and the members upheld the verdict o
r the circuit court. All having failed
the time had arrived for his departur
70 the convict camps, when the est
mable ladies of the Capital City locke
, down upon a helpless wife and fv
y helpless chilpren, the Oldest being onl
!, nine years Of age, and Immediately
= petition was circulated and signed b
! over three hundred ladies', asking tn
- l.. r. a