The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-09-24
HERE is MORE ABOUT
DOUBLE HANGING
STARTS ON PAGE ONE

make good job as he didn't wani
any mishap.
Ponsen bid the crowd good bye
thanking them for the consideration
they had shown him. He said he had
found lots of good friends, and hoped
they would do something for his wife
and children.
Rev. Bishop and Ensign McAteer
| held a short service on the scaffold,
the former reading letter from Mrs.
Tuggle. mother of the murdered man,
the letter being as follows:
Il, and all members of my family
are praying that God viii forgive and
save the souls of the two men who
killed my son. 1t Is the desire of us
all that they pay for the crime with
their lives as directed by the courts. =
Ponsell and Martin both expressed
willingness to die for the murder
which they committed and asked for
giveness of their victims relatives and
prayers of all West Florida people.
Rev. Shoemaker, after rendering a
closing prayer, asked the condemned
men If they realized their sins and
was answered in the affirmative; ask
ing them If they had repented, they
again answered YES" and were ready
and willing to die. He then asked
everyone to forgive them and to make
it known by the raising of their
hands. The hands of many people in
the crowd Immediately went up.
At 1910 the trap was sprung and
is minutes later the men were pro-
nounced dead, their hearts having
ceased to beat. Death, however, was
evidently instantaneous, both necks
having been broken by the fall.
After the hanging collection was
called for to be divided among the
children of the condemned men; hats
were passed and the sum Of $270.32
cents was contributed
Mrs. Martin, wife of Jake Martin,
was present and witnessed the hang
ing. Mrs. Ponsell, wife of the other
condemned man, was also at Crest
view, but did not witness the execu-
ton.
Mrs. Ponsen has two very pretty
children, one of three years of age
and the other just year old. A we'll
to-do elderly man approached Mrs.
Ponsell and offered to take one of
them off her hands. but she promptly
refused, saying that she intended to
raise them herself, thanking him for
his offer. Mrs. Martin also had her
child with her.
George Everitt of Bay Harbor,
brother of Mrs. Tuggle, and an uncle
Of the murdered man, was the only
relative of John Tuggle present at
the hanging.
Il. G. Newson, of DeFuniak Springs,
for whom Martin had worked, received
a letter from Martin a few days ago
requesting him and his wife to come
and see him, stating that he had forged
two checks and that he wanted to-
straighten things out. Martin also
said that he owed a man working for
the Singer people in Pensacola 30
cents, and got a man in the crowd to
agree to pay it for him when he went
to the Escambia city.
Confessions to the murder of John
Tuggle were written and signed by
both Ponsell and Martin, as follows:
"Crestview, Fla, Sept. 20, 1921.
"As the 23rd Of this month is the
determination of my life on this earth,
I wish to make this statement before
1t is too late to let oth2% know that
/ am thankful that I can truthfully say
that since / have been cleansed from
SHALL SIN have found a peace
that I have never experienced before.
IT am glad that I have found by
reading the 55th chapter of Isiah, the
s, Z, and 9Th verses; and the sixth,
eighth and eighteenth chapters Of
Matthew, together with the eighth
chapter of Romans and many other
passages in the Holy Bible. that I am
forgiven of my sins, and these chapters
will. if read and consulted for under
standing save any sinner; in fact If
you will read them and apply the
of their teachings to your
souls sin will have no hold on either
man or woman; more especially is
this so If you will read the twentieth
chapter of Exodus and practice it as
God wills it to be.
81 sincerely trust that this message
will reach the souls of many men and |
women who are now suffering in sin. |
Il am now your brother in the care
Of Christ Jesus.
Written this the goth day of Sep
tefnber, in the death cell of the Okla
Ioosa county Jail.
(signed) u. B. MARTIN"
Following is a statement which Pom
sell made and which Martin said was