The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1915-08-19
FRANK LYNCHED BY MOB
TAKEN FROM STATE PRISON By
MOB MONDAY.
Was Carried to Mary Phagan's Home
Town and Hanged to Tree.-Mob
Quiet and Orderly.

Marietta, Ga, August 17.-Leo NJ.
Frank is dead, a victim of mob law.
Shortly before o'clock this morn
ing he was hanged to an oak tree in
woods two miles east Of here, af-
ter having been removed from the
Georgia prison farm one hundred
miles away late last night by band
of about twenty-five men. Thus end
ed the career of the man who for
two years had maintained his in
nocence of the murder of Mary Pha-
gan.
Frank, on his ride to death, was
clothed in a silk night shirt, with the
letters IL. M. F. embroidered over
his heart. When found today a
white handkerchief had been placed
over his face and a piece Of brown
cloth bound around his limbs. His
hands. were bracketed before him and
his feet were bound with a piece Of
rope. The hangman's knot lay
against his right jaw.
Discovery of the body was made at
$3.50 this morning by searching par
ties, which had been organized after
Franks removal from the prison
farm became known. The news
spread with lightning-like rapidity
and within half an hour hundreds Of
people, including scores of women
and children, from Marietta and the
surrounding countryside began to
arrive to view it. This continued
until Coroner Booth arrived three
hours later.
Judge Appeals to Crowd.
Objection was made by some, to
the coroner's announcement that the
body would be cut down at once and
taken to Marietta. Cries of Don't
move the Jews body till we shoot
it full of holes" were heard. Then
former Superior Judge N. A. Morris,
of Cobb county, appealed to the
crowd.
LET there be no further violence" "
he pleaded. 'The work Of the mob
is done. Leo M. Frank has given his
life for the crime he is alleged to
have committed. Do not mutilate
the body. Let it be sent to his
mother. 1 appeal to your better
judgment and I ask all who agree
with the course I suggest to raise
their right hands,
For a moment the crowd seemed
to hesitate as the speaker concluded.
Then simultaneously hands appear
ed everywhere. A moment later the
swish of knife cut the rope that
held Franks body suspended three
feet above the gound. 1t was quick
ly placed in an undertaker's wagon
and started to Marietta. Two score
automobiles loaded with people i'm
mediately followed.
Body Put in Automobile
Officials evidently feared the earl
ier mood of the crowd might return
and some form of vengeance result.
To avoid this possibility, the body
hurriedly was taken from the under
takers wagon at the edge of Mariet-
ia, placed in an automobile with for
mer Judge Morris and hurried to At
lanta.
With the departure of the body
the excitement that had stirred the
town, rapidly diminished. The dense
crowds that had filled the streets
during the early morning hours thin
ned quickly, and by noon only an oc-
casional small knot of people discus
sing the lynching was to be found.
The scene of the lynching was
within 200 feet of the roadway and
within a few hundred yards of two
farm houses. Occupants Of both. said
they had noticed nothing unusual
during the early morning hours.
However, William J. Frey, former
sheriff, in whose woods Frank was
hanged. living half mile further
east, said four automobiles passed
his house shortly before 7 O'Clock
this morning, each containing six or
seven men.
Never Thought OF Lynching.
Il paid no particular attention to
them," Mr.. Frey. added, "and the
possibility of a lynching did not oc-
cur to me-"
After the disposal of the body
officials turned their attention to an
investigation of the crime. Coroner
Booth empanelled jury and an
nounced that Cobb county commits
sioners at called meeting a short
time previous had empowered him to
hire a special attorney for the in