Chapter 13
Later, Bob left to file his story. The local paper would carry the sensational story of Carl's confession and suicide, but more than that, the story would be filed with A.P. so that every paper in the country would carry it.
Jill had discussed it with him and they agreed that she should spend the evening with the family.
"You've done a lot to bring them into touch with reality, Jill, but now that you're getting ready to leave you have to help them prepare to fly alone."
"Yes, Bob, I can see that and I've been thinking of how to go about it. I think I'm ready now to do it."
Without telling all the details, she had indicated to Bob how she had opened doors of life for Lucy and her children. When she tried to be more explicit, Bob had stopped her.
"You did what you had to do, Jill and you did it extremely well. Let's not talk about it. I respect and admire and trust you. Please don't embarrass yourself with details."
On that note, he left to go back to his office and write one of the biggest stories of the year. As far as the local paper was concerned, it was probably the biggest story it had ever carried.
But it was more than a story. Bob wrote it in such a way that it became the beginning of a campaign to eliminate the death penalty.
A boxed item within the story kicked off the campaign.
"It has been proved beyond doubt," the item began, "that an innocent man was executed for murder."
"In presenting its case, the state showed that Mac Sheppard had committed murder. The jury, composed of honest and honorable men and women, found him guilty.
"Appeals were filed and refused. The state found this man guilty. Because of the structure of our laws, he paid the usual price. He was killed.
"We have now established that this man was completely innocent. If he were serving his sentence in a penal institution, the state could free him immediately. Perhaps he could be compensated for his loss of liberty, but that is not important.
"All the state can do now is vindicate his character. Because we have killed him, it must be a posthumous vindication.
"We can, of course, go a little further. We can tell his widow and her two children that we are sorry. We can point out to them that we deprived them of a husband and father through an unfortunate accident.
"It won't help much. It cannot renew a life that has been taken away through a terrible mistake.
"Is Mac Sheppard the first man who has been executed for a crime he did not commit? No. Will he be the last to pay this macabre price? No. There will be others.
"But how many more must there be? Is it not enough for all of us to know that our laws have murdered an innocent man? It should be.
"Our law? Yes, yours and mine. It will remain law until enough of us become sufficiently concerned to demand that it be changed.
"No matter how sure we may be that a man committed the act of murder, there can be no valid justification in our committing murder to get even with him. Surely humanity has risen above mere vengeance.
"Do we want to protect society from men who kill? Then let us place them in an institution where they cannot kill again.
"When we accept this principle, we shall have reached the stage where our society will never again have to say to a grieving woman and children...."Oops, we killed your man by mistake. Sorry about that."
Jill talked to the family for hours that evening. When they asked questions, she answered them. One of her recommendations was that Amanda and Jackson should go on to college. She stressed the point that they should attend coeducational institutions where they would meet other young people and develop healthy, normal interests.
They talked well into the night. When conversation ended, all were tired and ready for bed and sleep.
Jill would have stayed for the funeral, but Lucy insisted that she go back to her children and the beginning of her new life.
Before leaving the town which had become such a part of her life, Jill had a long talk with Bob. They talked of the past, the present and the future.
Bob told her that he would stay in town for two more weeks while his editor trained another man to replace him. After that, he would see her in New York.
They did not discuss the specifics of love and marriage, but only because both wanted to save that for a later, happier date.