The Palatka news and advertiser., 1915-07-09
CLEARWATER MURDER
MYSTERY CLEARING
j. j. MendenhalI, a Promin-
ent Business Man Charged
with Crime.
Motive has been Shown by Fact that
Victims were About to Prosecute
Him under Mann white
Slave" Act.

surrounding the murder of Mrs. ChaS.
w. Elliot and her daughter, Miss Su-
sic Eliot, of Tampa, on the old road
leading from Tampa to Clearwater,
last Friday night, is fast being clear
ed up.
The murder took place in an auto
mobile driven by Guy Stem2le, a
Tampa chauffcr, and occupied by the
above named ladies and j. J. Men
denhall, a prominent business man Of
Clearwater. The women were mur-
dered and the car set atre. The
charred bodies of the victims in the
ruined murder car were found later
by the authorities.
Guy Stemple told the following sto-
ry at the coroner's inquest on Sat
urday:
Mr.. Menjcnhall came to my stand
near the airy Kitchen Gin Tampa
last night about o'clock and asked
me 70 meet him at Tampa and For
tuue street at twenty minutes TO
eight ] had my top down 9nd he
asked me to put it up, and to go
around on the side street to do it.
asked him how long a trip we had and
said | only had five gallons of gaso-
lene. He told me we would need at
least ten more. l got them and we
went to Tampa and Zack streets,
where the young lady was waiting.
Then he told me to 20 to Mcgnolia
avenue and get the mother. We
drove down and got the mother. Then
he told me to go towards Green
Springs, and he stopped me ard told
me to take the old road. We had
gone about half a mile when | heard
crash and woman scream. | put
on the brakes and turned about In
my seat. l said:
"'My God, Mr.. Mendenhall, don't
do that
He said, You let me alone, Pm
loing this in sef-defense.
Then the shooting started, and
ran."
In its main details the story did
not differ from the one he told Ed
Haley and Rev. Ticknor when they
picked him up on the Tampa road.
fully three miles from the place where
the car burned, at about 1890 o'clock
on Friday night.
Claude Hammock, brother-in-law
of Mendenhall, testified that he and
Mr.. Mendenhall went to Tampa the
day Of the murder, leaving Clearwa-
ter about l o'clock in the afternoon;
they made several calls and with E.
R. Mendenhall drove out to the Men
denhall grove near Limonia, return
ing to the city about $50, and get
ting their supper at the Dairy Kitch-
en-. Edgar and | went to the NOV
ing pictures and j. j. Mendenhall
made arrangements to meet me la
ter" he said "He said he'd meet me
at the car, or if he didn't show up
there to go on to the head of the bay
on Moccason Branch. l was to take
the old Dunedin road, 300 or 400
yards beyond the old Green Springs
road, and wait for Mr.. MendenhalI to
come up, which l did. | got there
about9:25 and waited about Is min
utes. He came up and | said, we
can. go through this road, and we
did" Asked if J. j. Mendenhall
gave any reason for wanting him to
meet him in a desolate place in the
woods, the witness replied that he
did not, but he had supposed that he
had some deal on and he had asked
no questions. Asked if he heard any
shots, the witness replied that he
heard a noise that sounded like it
might have been a tire blow out, or
a pistol. Witness and J. J. Menden-
hall reached home about 11:30 o'clock.
1t was about 11:30 that Stemple ar
rived in Clearwater and reported the
trouble to the Sheriff, who went to
house and arrested him.
Mendenhall was in bed at the time.
Mendenhall, it has been shown, was
facing charges of "white slavery" in
which the governments case was all
made up by the U. S. Marshal in
Tampa-all but the affidavit of Miss
Susie Eliot, the victim, and which she
had consented to sign this week.
Mendenhall's relations with the girl
had been most intimate for some time
and 1t was only recently that the girl
had told her mother. For a time
the mother, because of the notoriety
which would come to the family name
through prosecution in the courts,
hSolIdtSu " permit IeE uduRnJer TO
sign the affidavit, but had finally
thought it her duty to prosecute, and
gave her consent.
The young girl some time back was
induced to 60 to Chicago with Men
lenhall, where they registered as man
and wife at prominent hotel. The
girl told her mother she was going
20 Plant City to visit a friend.
The Eliot's are well thought of In
Tampa. Mrs. Eliot is prominent In
church work and is lady of unques-
toned character. The daughter is
little reckless and has been going In
shady society somewhat lately.
Mendenhall is a married man with
a young daughter of about the same
age as his victim, Miss Eliot. His
wife is prostrated by the news.
The victims of the tragedy were
buried in the Tampa cemetery on
the funeral being held at the
rooms.
Mendenhall stoutly denies his guilt,
but under instructions from his law
yers, refuses to talk. But if ever
there was a seemingly clear case, it
is that against ]. ]. Mendenhall.