The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-02-06
THE CONTRAST

The stories of two widely different
tragedies held first position in all the
leading dailies of Monday
One-the loss of three lives by the
breaking of the ice bridge at Niagara
us re-to1d on another page of today's
issue. The magnificent struggle of the
man to save his helpless and terrified
wife, his every movement proving
heroism and self forgetfu1ness in the
face of a danger that would have par
alyzed a weaker morta1-is one Of the
noblest lessons that has been spread in
print before the peoples gaze for
many day. 1t is true that he did
only his duty. and doubtless also true
that there are millions of men who
under circumstances would have done,
or tried to do, as WELL And there are
other millions who would not, and it
isn't necessary to remind the close
student of the worlds events that they
are the ones who usually take up the
greatest amount of space in the re-
cord.
The dispatches told the same day Of
the death of a man and woman. who
with no danger to threaten, and with
plenty of powerful friends to help,
preferred to lay down and die rather
than live and either suffer the con-
sequences of their misdeeds or make
atonement for them. What a pitifu1
contrast is Frederick Noble, drifting
on the tide of euthanasia into the
ocean of oblivion with the woman he
had pulled down from one home and
couldn't sustain in another, to the
man at Niagara, who. after, his super
human struggle to live, showed how
brave1y he could die. One could al
most wish that his shattered body will
never be found. but that he and the
woman he died, with and for, c1asped
in an embrace death couldn't break,
might sleep forever where their STAY
er and monument, the river. surged
above them. while the ceaseless thun-
der of Niagara chanted their requiem
Here's the other story with the
moral that all may see and few will
heed:
New York, Feb. 5-Death brought to
a sordid end the romance of Louise
Lawrence Suydam. the millionaire's
wife, and Fred Noble, the plumber
son, Sunday, leaving a lesson which
may be drawn from declaration
made by Mrs. Suydam-Noble to q
friend few days ago.
my friends" so Mrs. Suydam-Nob1e
is quoted, you and 1 and Fred may
laugh sometimes at old things like
law and moral codes and religion
when they say thou shalt not We
may think that phrase was writer
for the weak-spirited and for fogies
But that phrase is right. Law anG
moral codes and religion are right
What they say we should not do we
can not do without suffering. I hav,
learned that. I have had my lesson.
know the wages of sin is death-ant
in many cases those wages demand
more than death-he11 on earth"
That the young couple-the million
aires wife and the plumbers SON
learned their moral lesson and entered
into the suicide pact few days afte
their romantic marriage, is the genera
belief expressed today. Close friend
of Mrs. Suydam-Noble claim she wa
never happy with her new husband
and that young Noble wearied of
and surrendered to Encouragement
Yesterday they were found in thei
apartments, lying in front Of
gas range, dead from asphyxiation
They had left no farewell note. Mrs
Suydam knew. so her friends believe
that no final message was necessary.
The romance. the beginning of whic
was never really known. first cam
to notice five months ago, when Mrs
Suydam fed from her husbands pala
tial home in Blue Point, L. l.. wit
young Noble. There followed a chap
ter of fearful entreaties from the hus
band that his wife return. She ig
nored him, declaring that she ha
found happiness in the humble apart
ment of a workman. Next came di
vorce proceedings, and when she ha
been freed by the mfllionaire's lega
initiative, Mrs. Suydam was welded t
the young plumber.
Friends say Mrs. Suydam neve
loved the youth she took for secon
husband, while Noble felt her car
dfnal affection remained for Suydam ]
is believed the suicide pact was enter
ed into few days after the marrfag e,
While Suydam secured a divorce,
is claimed he did not abandon hop
that there might be a reconciliation
He was among the first to reach tn
Noble apartment yesterday after tn
bodies were found.