Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-06-01

mend and the Governor to commut,
Franks sentence TO life imprisonment
This. however. l will not do until tn,
defendants application shall have beer
filed and the Governor and the prison
, commission shall have had opportunit,
! TO view the record in the case
1T is possible that showed undue
! Difference to the opinion of the Jury IN
! this case when l allowed their verdict
/ TO stand. They said by their verde,
! that they had found the truth was
, still in n state OF uncertainty. and SO
expressed myself My search for the
| truth. though diligent and earnest, had
! not been so successful In the eXer-
| else OF judicial discretion, restricted
and limited. according to my inter
! probation of the decisions of the re-
viewing court, l allowed the jury's
verdict TO remain undisturbed. l had
no way OF knowing it was erroneous.
after many months of continued de-
liberation, | am still uncertain Of
Franks guilt This state OF uncer-
tainty is due to the character of the
negro Conley's testimony. by which
the verdict was evidently reached.
Therefore. | consider this a case in
which the chief magistrate of the State
should exert every effort in ascertain
ing the truth. The execution of any
person whose guilt has not been salts
factorily proven to the constituted au-
thorities is too horrible to contem-
plate. do not believe that person
should NEE; with the extreme penalty
OF the law until the court, jury and
Governor all shall have been satisfied
OF that persons guilt Hence. mt the
proper time | shall express and enlarge
upon these views directly to the Gov
crnor and the prison commi ssion.
However. if for amy cause | am pre-
vented from doing this. YOU are at
liberty to use this letter a; che
hearing"
Thu reading of Judge Roan's letter
was attended with unusual interest. as
its existence had not been publicly
known until yesterday, and the con-
tents had not been divulEed previous
to the hearing today.
STATEMENT OF MRS. FRANK
Is CHIEF NEW EVIDENCE
The statement @. Mrs. Frank fol-
lows:
II am Georgia girl. having been
born and reared in Atlanta. and have
lived in Atlanta all my life. My
In Dalton, Ga. and has lived all her
life in Georgia All ot the relations
OF my generation, boys and sirls,
were born in Georgia, and from my
association with them | was accus-
toned the difference and courteous
treatment which is characteristic OF
the Southerner in general and Geor-
Sian In particular.
with the ideals which I had. and
", ich had tod "
Eirlhood. | expected in my husband
nothing less than that to which | had
been accustomed. and TO which every
woman looks forward. and which !
fully realized in my husband.
when not occupied with his bust
ness, the only time he spent away
from mo was when he was occupied
with his charitable work, which took
him away from home about once or
twice n month.
our married life has been exceed
inEly happy, and has never been
married by the slightest cloud He was
regarded and loved by my parents as
n son: and was always courteous. gen
tie and most respectful in his relations
with them, and our families have al
Ways been on intimate terms.
SPENDS MOST OF DAYS
WITH HER HUSBAND
when my husband was first ar
rested on this charge, and was de-
tanned ut police headquarters on Tues
day, April %. 1913. hurried to the
police barracks, accompanied by my
father and hrother-in- law. ! was not
allowed to GO up 10 see my husband
and remained in the Office of the pro-
baton officer from whence my friends
prevailed on ne 10 return home. Be-
ing assured that my husband would
he released ut any moment, remained
a; hone. but as soon as 1t became ap-
parent that n" would he detained in
definitely. | went to him Immediately,
and have been going to him every day
since. and spend most of the day with
him in jail.
"On the 2sth OF April, 1913, my
mother and I had tickets for matinee
10 grand opera. and in order to get
there on time we sat down to table
at ITO, before my husband came home
To dinner, and at about l:l5, father
came in and sa, down at dinner with
MS About 1880. mother and ] left the
house, and my husband and father
were left at the table eating Re-
turning home from the opera at G:3O.
found my husband already there
There was nothing unusual in his
manner or appearance to attract my
attention.
That evening after supper num-
Der Of friends Of my mother and father
came over 10 the house TO play cards.
My husband and did not play. but
he sat in the hall reading. | watched
tn" game for while in the dining
room and then would 20 into the hall
and talk to my husband. and would
then go back again TO watch the game.
! My husband read in the hall until some
time after 10 o'clock, when he went
upstairs to take a bath. | followed
him a few minutes later, and we re-
tired about 1890. We were awakened
ahou, 6:i5 by the telephone ringing
n1lNI GAL nhHEl