The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1915-06-24
FRANK GETS LIFE TERN
BEGINS SERVING LIFE sen.
TENCE FOR PHAGAN MURDER.
Strong Pressure Brought to Bear on
Governor Slaton Results in
Communication,

tence at the Georgia prison farm for
the murder of Mary Phagan, the IA
year-old employee of the pencil fac
tory of which Frank was superin-
tendent. His hurried secret trip by
train and automobile from the At
lanta jail to Milledgeville preceded
by a few hours the issuance Of a
long statement by Governor Slaton
giving his reasons for committing
the death sentence to life imprison-
ment.
Frank was delivered at the State
prison farm at 4:30 o'clock this
morning and soon after extra edi-
tions OF newspapers announced the
fact here. Within a short time
crowds began to gather on down.
town street corners and within three
hours their demonstrations had re-
suited in calling out two-thirds of
the police force and later an order
closing all near-beer saloons and
clubs where liquor might be obtain
ed. At about noon a crowd, con-
servatively estimated at $500, gath
cred on the Capitol grounds and lis
tened to several speakers. Most of
this crowd later assembled in the
hall of the house of representatives.
where several speakers said they
doubted Frank had been removed
from Atlanta. -a.g
Committee Visits Jail.
A committee, Of flve was selected
to visit the Jail here and try to find
Frank. They reported that he was
not there. Then Sheriff Mangum,
who with deputies took the prisoner
to Milledgeville, gave the crowd his
word he had delivered him there and
explained; the trip in detail. The
crowd, which packed the floor and
galleries, then decided to make an
other demonstration downtown.
They marched to Five Points, in
the centre of the business section,
and then went to the city hall. AS
this had been the scene of demon
stration earlier in the day the police
took stern measures. Within few
minutes the list of arrests had been
increased to ten,, all charged with
failure to move on"
Mounted officers rode in circles in
the crowd, cutting them off in small
detachments. Apparently disheart-
ened by such methods, the crowd
gradually dispersed.
At Marietta, twenty miles from At
lanta, the former home Of Mary Pha-
gan, Governor Slaton was hanged in
efigy. An inscription on the dummy
read John Slaton, Georgia's traitor
Governor.
Issues Long Statement.
The governor went fully into the
details of why he commuted the SEN
tence, his Is, 5,000-word statement not
being completed until almost noon.
Frank did not know until a few
minutes before he started on his trip
that he was to leave his cell last
night. His heavy, distinctive eye
glasses were removed, which in it
self was somewhat of disguise. The
officers, however, placed a slouched
hat on him and he was not recogniz-
ed by the few persons at the station
at 1901 a. M, when his train left.
He was recognized when the train
reached Griffin and at Macon he was
reported to be very nervous, needing
the support of Sheriff Mangum when
he walked.
At the prison farm today Frank
changed his demeanor, assuming the
outward calmness that has character
lied him throughout the case. He
again protested his innocence, ex-
pressed gratitude to Governor Slaton
and said that he had intuitively be-
lieved he would at least get a COM
mutation of sentence. He was given
No. 965, donned suit denoting the
lowest grade prisoner and tonight
apparently had begun the routine OF
prison life.
Solicitor General Dorsey, who
prosecuted Frank, issued a state
ment tonight in which he declared
that the action of Governor Slaton
multiplying the judgments of the State
and federal courts and overriding the
recommendations of the State board
of pardons was unprecedented He
added that no defendant in his recol-
lection had had the benefit OF more