Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1914-12-04
A VICTIM OF MOB
VENGEANCE
c. p. Connolly's Amazing De-
scriptiOn of the Trial of Leo
Nj. Frank for Murder in At
lanta-His Reasons for Be-
lieVinp Frank Innocent.

To the Editor of The N. Y. World:
In your excellent editorial in this
mornings World in behalf of fair play
for Leo NJ. Frank there is slight |
error of fact. Frank was in court |
when sentenced but was not in count |
when the jury returned its verdict.
When Frank was sentenced he was |
in no danger of lynching-the mob |
was satisfied to let the law take its |
course, because the law had been the |
obedient handmade of the mob. But |
before the verdict was rendered, the |
mob, breathing vengeance in the very
face of the court and jury, let it be |
known that it would tolerate nothing |
but verdict of guilty. "Innocent or
guilty, we will get the d Jew!"
was their cry, heard by numbers of
respectable citizens.
The Judge, on the bench and in the
presence of the jury, consulted with
the Chief of the State Militia and the
Chief of Police of Atlanta as to the
best method of safeguarding Franks
life In case of a verdict of acquittal.
The Judge even advised Franks law
years to remain away from the court
room when the jury should bring in
their verdict, for fear the mob would
hang both them and Frank. That
these eminent lawyers, men of the
very highest legal attainments and
reputation, correctly gagged the spirit
OF the mob is shown by the fact thai
they Gid remain away from the court
room. While the Judge was polling
the jury, in response to the request OF
these absent lawyers, the cheers of
the mob outside the courtroom so
] smothered the voices of the Jurors
that the Judge, sitting ten feet away,
could not hear the replies. These facts
are matters of record, admitted by the
trial Judge.
The right of defendant to be pres
ent at every stage of his trial is not a
purely technical right-it is a consti-
tutional right guaranteed by the
ages; and If there is one supreme mo-
ment when that right should be ire
yocably accorded, it is when the jury
look the defendant in the face and
condemn him to death. If that is not
! his constitutional right, overriding
all petty rules or legislative enact.
ments, then Magma Charta is nothing
but scrap of paper" to be torn up
at any time in the presence of any
mob ripe for violence. Not only was
this right denied Frank by the trial
Judge, but the reason for the denial
of the right is conclusive evidence that
no jury endowed with less than the
highest moral and physical courage
could give any man, innocent or gull
ty, a square deal or fair verdict in
such an atmosphere.
Years ago | was Prosecuting Attor-
ney in Butte, Mont. | have seen the
! mob spirit in all its forms, but | have
never known it in such rampant rage
as on that day in Atlanta when the
Public Prosecutor was carried on the
shoulders of those who, hooking the
modes of law, condemned the innocent
Jew to death. Innocent or guilty,
Frank had as much chance of escape
as wounded stag in trap.
The Florida Times-Union of Jack
sonvile said it would have been bet
ter had Atlanta burned Fronk on the
State Capitol grounds than to have
gone through the forms of law and
enacted so hideous an injustice.
After a study of every phrase of
the Frank case for weeks, am as sat
isiied of this mans innocent of this
crime as / am of nv own innocence
OF it. The Judge who tried Frank
declared from the bench that he could
not make up his mind from the evil
dence that Frank was guilty. | do
not know any one who has ever stud
led the case who has not arrived at
the conclusion that Franks guilt is
impossible under the evidence adj
duced against him. tried to discover
onel awyer in Atlanta who believed
him guilty. / was curious to know
on what he would base his judgment
found only one who was in doubt
OF Franks innocence, but who was
certain that there was no sufficient
evidence against him. Even this law
yer spoke of Franks trial as q. dis
graceful farce. "No Jew in modern
times" said distinguished lawyer
and a partner of the man who prose-
cuted Frank, "has been prosecuted as
this Jew has BEEN"
C. P. CONNOLLY.
East 0ranne M i Nn,r o.