The Anderson daily intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1915, 1914-12-10
SENTENCED TO Be
|HANDGEO JAN. q
COURT SETS DATE FOR LEO
nj. FRANK TO BE PUT TO
DEATH
FRANK MAKES
A STATEMENT
Denounces Spirit Of Mob Violence
Which Pervaded Court Room
at His Trial.
By Assoeiated Pres,

Il
ATLANTA, Ga, Dec. 9.--Leo. III.
| FRANK today was sentenced in the
FULTON county superior court to be
hanged ON Friday, January 90. for the
murder here In April. 1918, Of Mary
Phagan. 14-year old factory girl.
/ Before receiving sentence, which
was pronounced by Judge Ben II. Hili.
Frank made statement to the court.
denouncing the spirit of mob violence
which DsTEgded the court rc..n,r az
his trial; declaring his death wouia
lay an indelible stain upon Georgia's
name for Justice" and charging thar
James ,Conley. the negro sweeper at
the factory OF which Frank was supe.-
intendent. ard who was the States
principal witness against Frank, had
committed perjury.
| Tho. statement was as follows:
| May 1t please your honor, this rs
momentous day--a day OF far reach
Ing Importance to the State OF Geor-
gta and to the majesty of the law even
than to myself, for under the guise OF
law your honor Is about to pronounce
words that will condemn to death an
innocent man. Transcending in inn
portance the loss of my life lis the in
tdeiibie stain and dishonor resting ~
on the name OF the State by reason ..
| Its iudicially numbering an innocent
man. The jury's verdict OF August rs.
1913, finding me guilty of the death
OF Mary Phagan, did not then and does
not now speak the truth. / declare to
your honor and to the world that that
verdict was made In an atmosphere
Iseething with mob violence and clan1
or fer my life a verdict based on eyt-
dence absolutely false which under
other circumstances would not have
been given a. molieEt's credence. i5
Your honor. I deeply sympathize
with the parents OF Mary Phagan.
The brute that brought so much grief
upon them has plunged me into sUr-
row and misery unspeakable. ana Is
labout 10 accomplish my undoing.
But this know, my execution will
mark the advent. OF new era in Gecr-
gia, where o good name and stainless
honor count for naught against the
word of a vile criminal; where the
Testimony OF southern white women
| OF unfmpeachab1e character is pfana-
ed as false by the prosecution, sifsre-
igsfded by the Jury, and the perjured
|yaporinSs OF q black brute alone ac-
lcepted as the whole truth; where n
mob crying for blood invaded the court
room and became the dominant factor
| in what should rave been 8 solemn
judicial trial. Oh, shame that these
things be true! 30 Sis
Life is very sweet to me. It is not
an easy thing TO give up The love Of
dear ones, OF wife and panents. Or
even loyal friends. Though this be
true. death has no terrcrs for me. !
| 80 70 my end in the full iisconsciousness
OF inn0gence and In the ilrm convic4
ton that az there lisa God IN Heaven,
my full viRGicatipns must come some
day. With the dawn OF that day. there
VIII come toe the people or Georgia
q Iulf realization OF this horrible mis-
take. D mfHtake frretrisysb slse.
lexecT don Of an innocent man, q vic.I
| tim OF perjury. prejudice and passion =
Today marks the third time Frank
Aas been sentenced to death for the
SssafAn girls murder. Reaenfsnes IL
I'm aecordance with the State supreine
Ec0nrtss refusal 70 jlet aside the con-
ytctiCn on the aronAd that Frank was
lahaent from The court r0oin when the
verdict was retnrned.
II Naa learned here f0siay that
Ffanl ~ attorneys have had under COM
gcoNTIgtfisi, on FAaE slx.)