The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1905-12-13
PHONE 2oA.
Bonnie EdmundSOn,
Owner.

viii occur to you that it would have
been better to have taken your life
rather than to have subjected you to
the punishment inflicted upon you.
The sentence I am compelled TO inn
pose upon-punishment for life in
the FlOrila state prison-that is a
terrible sentence for any man, es-
pecially for a man brought up as you
have been, a man who has had the as
sociatiOns that YOU have had. who is
as intelligent as you appear to be,
and you demonstrated when YOU were
a witness upon the stand in Mariana
You viii be compelled to associate
al your life with criminals of all
Classes and crimes. You are removed
from association of your family, from
your mother and wife. You are COM
PEELED to do hard labor all of your
life. no matter how long you may live
and believe you stated In Mariana,
that you were only twenty-three years /
old?
Defendant Replied tYes sir ! am
only twenty-three years old"
Perhaps from the depths of the
misery of your condition. 1T viii aD-
pear to YOU that they would have
shown you more mercy if they had
taken your life than in sending you
90 the Florida state prison for the
term Of your natural life You have
now, only two hopes In life-One is
that YOU may escape from the state
prison, the other that You may be
pardoned by The pardoning board of
this state or course they have that
power. and they execute il If they see
fit; that is a hope held out to you as
long as YOU live.
If YOU should should avail yourself
of this other alternative and make
your escape, you viii be a haunted
man for the balance Of your life, al
ways expecting that some man viii
KIN YOU in attempting to arrest you.
You could never have the association
of that devoted mother who has fol-
lowed YOU through these trials. YOU
could never have the association of
that devoted wife. who has also fol
lowed YOU through these trials. or of
that father whose love for YOU has
forced him to the same course. but
YOU would be an Outcast from your
family and friends. and as I have said
Won would be continually haunted by
this fear Of some one pursuing YOU.
and worse than this if It has not yet
reached your consciousness that YOU
have killed two men-it viii vet do
so-you cannot but realize it. If it'll
De true. as YOU say-that you remem-
Der nothing of your acts upon that
oay-that the demon of liquor had so
possessed YOU and so neutralized your
mental powers that You did not know
what YOU we're doing-still you are
sober now. and have been sober dur
ing these trials. and YOU cannot doubt
that it was your hands that snapped
me threads of life of John White and
Edwin Dansby and as you say. you
may have had no realizing conscious
ness Of your act. yet 81 viii come
later You are young now. and y0uri
thoughts may be diverted by turning
60 other matters, but the older YOU
get. the more your thoughts will re- 4
vert TO this horrible day in July when
you took the lives of John White
and Edwin Dansby. It is a serious
thing. and it is a punishment that
would be inflicted upon you even iii
no other punishment were inflicted .
In after years your conscience will be
your accuser, and you would feel this
ishment imposed by the courts had
not been inflicted upon YOU
You have yet another hope. YouI
have securea forgiveness from two
lurles 10 some extent for your acts.
but there is another and Higher Pow
ct tn2n any jury who las pronounced f
this law, Thou shalt do no MURDER
from Whom you must obtain forgive
your thoughts ia thar direction now
that YOU may obtain forgiveness from
Him for the lives you have taken.
It IS the judgment of the law and
the sentence of the court that Won
William F. Williams. do be confined
at hard labor in the states prison for
the term of your natural life."
A EfThpANTEEU cgrpE EOD Bft -.