The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1914-12-11
.ElOQUENTLY FRANK ASKS
. FORL|FE---IS SENTENCED
For Third Time Georgian is
Sentenced for Murder of Girl.
HE SPEAKS IN COURT
'eiis Judge That His Conviction
Marks New Era of Degradation
for the State.


for the State.
Atlanta, Ca, Lee. 9.-Leo M
Frank today was sentenced in the
Fulton County Superior Court to be
hanged on Friday, January %. for
the murder here in April, 1913. of
Mary Phasan. a IA year-oId factory
girl.
Before receiving sentence, which
was pronounced by Judge Ben II Hill
Frank made a statement to the court.
denouncing the spirit Of mob vio-
lence which pervaded the court
room" at his trial; declaring his
death would clay an indelible stain
upon Georgia's name for JUSTICE
and charging that James Conley at
the factory of which Frank was SUI
perintendent and who was the
states principal witness against
Frank, had committed perjury
The state was as follows:
May it please your honor, this is
momentous day-a day of far
greater 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 pronounce words that will CON
denim to death an innocent man.
Transcending in Importance the loss
o my own life is the indeliable stain
and dishonor resting upon the name
OF this state by reason of its judicial.
ly numbering an innocent man. The
Jnry's verdict of August %. 1919.
hnding 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 atmos-
phere seething with mob violence
and clamor for my life-a verdict
based on evidence absolutely false.
which under other circumstances
would not have been given a mo-
ment's credence.
Your honor, l deeply sympathize
with the parents OF Mary Phagap.
The brute that brought so much
grief upon them has plunged ME in
to sorrow and misery unspeakable.
and is about to accomplish nv undo
ing.
But this l know, my execution
will mark the advent OF new era
in Georgia, where a good name and
stainless honor count for naught
against the word of vile criminal
where the testimony of Southern wo-
men of ulimpeachable characer is
branded as false by the prosecution,
disregarded by he jury and he per
jured vaporing of a black brute
alone accepted as the whole truth,
where mob crying for blood invaG-
ed the court room and became the
dominant factor in what should have
been a solemn judicial trial. Oh,
shame-that these things be true.
Life is very sweet to me- IT is
not an easy thing to give up the love
of dear ones, OF wife and parents. of
true, death has no terrors for me.
/ go to my end in the full conscious
ness Of innocence and in the firm
conviction that, as there is God
in Heaven, my full vindication must
come some days. With the dawn of
that day, there will come to the peo-
pie of Georgia full realization of this
horrible mistake, a mistake ire
execution OF an inno-
cent man. victim of perjury, pre-
judice and passion"
Today marks the third time Frank
has been sentenced to death for the
Phagan girls murder. Resentence
Is in accordance with the State Su-
preme Courts refusal to set aside
the convictiol on the ground that
Frank was absent from the aour.
room when the verdict was return
ed.
1t was learned anre today ;hnt
Franks attorneys have hal under
another plan to ge; his
case once more before the courts.
They decline to say what their plan
is but lawyers who have followed
the case predict that an effort Will be
made to take the case before the
United States Supreme Court on the
ground that spirit of mob
violence prevailed at Franks trial,