The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1920-09-25

these. That an attempt TO obtain
pardon would be made
has been known for months, and Gov.
Cats letter TO Mrs Norris at Tampa
d week ago was direct confirmation
As for another Indictment hanging
over Mendenhall's head, it cannot be
used If the man is let out on condi-
tional pardon STAR
The Star tells Us that in all prob
ability the women were still conscious
when the match was applied. So far
rs the editor of the Star knows, the
match may never have been applied
and If It was, history is full of ex-
amples Of men who have done awful
deeds and repented and become useful
and exemplary citizens after. ST.
Paul is an example Of what a man
can do and change and there are many
other cases, and even If Mendenha1l
was once the criminal he is pictured,
and even if he had not been driven to
desperation by the worst cases of
vampiring and blackmaiI in the his
tory Of the state, there Is no reason
why he should always remain a Grim
inal because he was once one. We
believe he would be one of our best
citizens If he was allowed his freedom
and ne ii too brainy man to keep in
bonds Progress.
+ THE jury, which heard all the evil
ldence, believed the match was app
lplied, and its belief was of more
weight than that of the editors of the
Star and Progress put together. Many
lpeople well acquainted with the trag-
edy, and the stage on which it was
Iplayed, spoke of the possibility of both
women being tortured in the fire be-
fore their lives became extinct. It is
Icertain by the time Mendenhall left
Tampa and the time he was found at
home in Clearwater, he was a fast
worker 1t is also a well known fact
that the human being is one of The
most tenacious in holding to life A
Imam with mortal wound often lives
| for hours, and some mortally wound
led can be unconscious, and yet be
brought to consciousness again by the
keenly agonizing torture of fire. Any
competent surgeon will confirm this
statement to the Progress editor. Il
lis certain that it had not been long
latter the two women had been strick.
len down before the flames Of The
blazing auto were wrapt around them
and there is at least a probability
that there was consciousness enough
to cause great suffering to the dying
mother and daughter before deatE
Icame. Starr
4 Men who serve a few years in the
lpenitentiary have all of that sort Of
life they want even under the hu
name treatment they are receiving al
the farm today, and when such mer
Iare freed under conditional pardon.
they are going to be considerabl,
more careful than the average citizen
| As to his release being an incentiy,
to others to commit crimes, this is to.
weak an argument to come from th,
apen of man as intelligent as Editol
Benjamin and we are surprised a
leven his prejudiced mind conjuring III
such vision. John MendenIaII Is
man of like passions as the rest o.
Ius; he probably loves liberty as vel
Jas any other man, and he will probab
| Nv some day try for a pardon. IL,
has not done SO up to the presen
time, but when he does we hope h,
Igets it and that provision will b,
made to quash the other indictmen
that is hanging over him. Progress.
/ We are glad that Mendenhall ha.
met such congenial friend and ad
lmirer in the editor of the Progress
| Perhaps it's our prejudice, which tn,
leditor of the Progress, whom we Hav,
never met, says we have in larg,
measure, that prevents our appreciat
ling Mendenhall. Very few of the mel
land women we know regard him will
other than horror and aversion. Per
haps this is because they are not Xix,
the editor of the Progress, who seen
to have been smuggling up to Men
ldenhall like Lazarus nesting in Abra
lhan's bosom.
4 But we can't help noticing thii
points to the double standing of NOR
ais IN the next world as well as this
There wasf Susie Eliot, a spoiled girl
but no more SO than many In almos
every town. And she meets Menden
i hall-handsome. suaye, experienced
money making MendenhaIl. Whicl
made the first move we don't know
! but the man should always take tn
blame, whether it il his or not. No
so, Mendenhall He struck the cir
down and, according to orthodox re
ligion which he teaches his Sunda,
school class, destroyed not only he
body but her soul. For Susie Elio
died in her sins. The deathshot d
| blow paralyzed her brain so III coul,
not send the message, sGod forgiY,
me, : to her stiffening lips. And the
her sad and stained little soul slippe,