Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-12-10
FRANK SENTENCED TO DIE
ON FRIDAY, JANUARY e
Will Pay Death Penalty by Hanging
for Murder Of Mary Phagan
in April, 1913.
MAKES STATEMENT TO COURT
Condemned Man Again Asserts His
Innocence and Denounces Spirit of
Mob Violence Which Pervaded
Courtroom at His Trial.

ATLANTA. GA, December Cleo
NJ. Frank to-day was sentenced in Full
ton County Superior Court to be hang
ed on Friday; January %, for the MUIR
der here In April, 1913, OF Mary Pha-
gan. n fourteen-year-old factory girl
Before receiving sentence, which was
pronounced by Judge Ben II. Hill.
Frank made n statement denouncing
the spirit OF mob violence which per-
vaded the courtroom" at his trial, de-
claring his death would LAY an in
delible stain upon Georgia's name for
Justice and charging that James Con-
ley, negro who was the States prin-
cipal witness against Frank, had COM
mitted perjury.
To-day marks the third time Frank
has been sentenced to death for the
PhaBan girls murder. Resentence is
in accordance with the State Supreme
Courts refusal to set aside the con-
yiction on the ground that Frank was
absent from the courtroom when the
verdict was returned.
Frank was taken from the jail to
the courthouse under an escort Of
deputy SHERIFF. The prisoner walked
into the courtroom with a firm step
and faced Judge Hill with the calm
ness which has characterized him
throughout his fight for life.
INDELiBLE STAIN WILL REST
UPON NAME OF THE STATE
In reply to the usual query by the
court II he had any reason to give
why sentence should not be passed
upon him, Frank made the following
statement:
May 1t please Your Honor. this is
n momentous day-a day of far great
er Importance to the State of Georgia
and to the majesty of the. law even
than to myself. for, under the guise
of law, Your Honor is about to pro-
nounce words that will condemn to
death an innocent man. Transcend
Ing in Importance, the loss of my own
life is the indelible stain and dishonor
resting upon the name OF this State
by reason of its judicially numbering
an Innocent man. The jury's verdict
of August %, 1913, finding me guilty
of the death of Mary PhaGan. did not
thcn, and does not now, speak the
truth. j declare to Your Honor and
to the world that that verdict was
made In an atmosphere seething with
mob violence and clamor for my life,
a verdict based on evidence absolutely
false. which, under other circum-
stances. would not have been given
moments credence.
II deeply sympathize with the par
ents of Mary Phagan. The brute that
brought so much grief upon them has
plunged me into sorrow and misery
unspcakable, and is about to accom-
plish my undoing.
But this / knew, my execution VIII
mark the advent OF new era in Geor
gia. where a good name and stainless
honor count for naught against the
word of vile criminal: where the
testimony of Southern white women of
unimpeachable character Is branded as
false by the prosecution. disregarded
by the jury, and the perjured vapor-
ngs of a black brute alone accepted
as the whole truth; where mob cry
ing for blood invaded the courtroom
and became the dominant factor in
dlcial trial. oh, shame-that these
things be true!
LIFE is VERY SWEET;
DEATH WITHOUT HORRORS
Life is very sweet to me. 1t is not
an easy thing to give up the love OF
dear ones, of wife and parents. of
every-loynl friends. Though this be
true, death has no terrors for me. l
go to my end iii the full conscious
viction that. as there is God in
heaven. my full vindication must come
some day. With the dawn OF that day.
there will come TO the people of Geor-
gia full realization of this horrible
mistake. a mistake irretrievable-the
execution of an innocent man, victim
Of perjury. prejudice and passion"
1t was learned here to-day that
Franks attorneys have had under con-
sideration another plan to get his case
once more before the courts. They de-
cline to say what their plan is, but
lawyers who have followed the case
predict that an effort will he made to
take the case before the Supreme Court
on the ground that a spirit of mob
violence prevailed at Franks trial, de-
priving the defendant of Z due process