Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-10-05
Frank Palmer Of RusseIIviIIe,
Ala, After EIuding Officers for
Almost Quarter Of Century, VOL
unfairly Surrenders in Texas.
Goaded by Conscience and Tired
of Living a Fugitive's Life, Dave
GIenn's Slayer Stands Ready to
Pay Penalty for Transgression.

RUSSELLvILLE ALA, Oct. g.
Frank Palmer, OF Franklin County,
who had been sought by officers Of
the law for % years, presents
unique figure in that he has given
himself up to the law and wishes TO
be tried for the murder OF Dave
Glenn, whose mutilated body was
found in a pike road near here in
1891.
Palmer was living in Dallas Coun-
ty, in the Texas Panhandle, at the
time he decided to come back to his
native State and face the crime OF
which he had been accused in his
youth. He had been in West Texas
roughing Il on ranches and in Mexi-
co. prospecting for gold. but always
he had felt the ban OF the law, so he
sent "a message to Sheriff Hargett,
of Franklin County, saying:
II am tired OF lodging the law
When Texas officers placed Pal
mer under arrest and when Sheriff
Hargett arrived one bright Sunday
morning the same words fell from
the lips Of the fugitive.
Glad 10 Return.
81 am glad 70 go back to Alabama,
because | am so tired"
Palmer is only 40 years OF age, but
he looks so. Anxiety and conscience
have cut premature lines OF age In
his face and streaked his hair with
gray To the same reason can be
attributed the weary bend OF his
shoulders and a pallid complexion.
Now that he Is about to face the
bar OF Justice and is back among
his own. Palmer IL no longer tor
tured Having lived for 20 years
under the shadow OF tenacious, cling
ing fear that was far worse than
living death In a prison cell, he sim
ply smiles and smokes his pipe in
satisfaction In the little brick jail in
Russellville.
For % years as a cowboy miner,
farmer and clerk, Palmer held within
himself the great secret. He SHE'D
at the personal questions any chance
acquaintance might ask him; he an
Hwered queerly with a stified voice
when friends spoke OF his native
State, and his pulse beat faster when
an officer gazed squarely into his
eyes
Fugitive Since IS.
A score Of years is a long time for
man to dodge the law for crime
he was accused OF committing as a
boy OF IS, and Il is a long time to be
exiled from home and friends. II Is
enough that an aged managed with
fear and Worry-is now within the
confines OF the State that he has
Stunned. He has come back to face
a crime that most OF his old neigh
bors had forgotten the details OF.
In custody and irons the prisoner is
shnV, hn n
rove the West He want a trial be-
fore his old friend and then chance
30 start all over again." where he
IS known.
Complacent and almost happy, ne is
through with turmoil. Back again
within a stones throw OF his boyhood
home he dwells again in the days
when the flames of youth were ram
pant and the red blood surged at a
headlong pace.
The records in the case which have
lain in the county courthouse so long
have yellowed with age. When the
news of the dramatic surrender came
the clerk was forced to go to the
vaults and seek the indictment among
dust covered papers.
Death Of Rival.
One Of the oldest county officials
tells the story as follows:
Dave Glenn and Frank Palmer 49,
year-old youths, had been friends
from boyhood They were the sons
of planters in Franklin County. II
was the village gossip that both loved
the same little farm girl. She was ID
slim and pretty. with an angels inno-
cence in her eyes.
Then one morning the village seeth-
ed with the excitement of bloody
tragedy. Dave Glenn had been found
with the top Of his head blown off
and Palmer had disappeared. 1t wa:
as though he had dropped from the
face OF the earth, and though the
years passed no trace was received
or II one was heard OF. II proved to b,
a false clew. High and low, every
where, police circulars made a drag
ne: and the States were combed in ;
futile effort to find the fugitive
During the years that Palme
roamed the range. living in DOLBY hut
and eating from chuck wagons. h,
still dreamed of romance. but tn,
young girl who is alleged to hav'
been the innocent cause OF the trag
edy forgot. and in the Intervening
years married another. When he re
turned Palmer scarcely recognized a
his youthful sweetheart the sweet
faced matron whose fair form ha,
long since lost it's trim lines in worl
and worry over the care OF her Chill
dren
Hopes To Be Freed.
The prisoner hopes to be freed o
the stain of murder when he answer
the charge Of the State. For % year
he has lived within the law. His If
has been clean, and on this fact tn
defense will base its greatest claim a
to why he should not spend the re
Vnuypaar pF r,ic Gaus n
Old friends of Palmer have aske
that the matter be taken up witt
Governor Emmett O'Neal, but Paine
insists on a trial, Time win weigl
heavily in his favor. as material wit
nesses. grand jurors and others IA
miliar .gith the case have long sine
died.