New Britain herald., 1915-08-24
NO CLEW FOUND 10 ]
 FRANKS LYNCHERS
9oroner's Jury Says He Met Death at Hands Of Parties Unknown

Marietta, Ga, Aug. 24-Without being able abla to elicit from any one of eleven witnesses a single clue as to the identity of any person con- nected with lynching of Leo M. Frank, near this city last Tuesday morning, a coroners jury today re- turned a verdict that Frank came to his death by hanging al the hands of parties unknown
 City and county officials testified that they tried to get at the facts of the lynching but so far their eff forts had been of no avail.
 "Of course you know these things are kept pretty close and are hard to find out said Mayor E. P. Dobbs of Marietta.
 Working Hard on Case.
 Deputy Sheriff Hicks and City Marshal Looney stated they were working hard on the case but at this time could throw no light on the identity of the parties who partici- pated in the lynching.
 The nearest disclosure as to what happened in the oak grove near the Frey gin came from J. A. Benson, Marietta merchant, who drove by the place soon after the lynching party had parked it's autom obiles by the roadside and had led Frank to the tree where death awaited him.
 MT. Benson said he had a pretty good suspicion as to what was going $on but he did not stop to see it ana Nhe- did not recognize anybody in the party.
 Text of Verdict.
 The text of the jury's verdict was as follows:
 State of Georgia, Cobb county "In accordance with the inquisition :aken this 17th day of August, 1915, and completed this 24th day of Au- gust, 1915, before John A. Booth, coroner of said county, upon the body of Leo M. Frank, who was hanged oy the neck until dead in a cluster of woods about two miles east of Mari etta, in said county and near what is known as w. J. Freys gin on the Roswell public road, upon the oaths of Dr. w. H. Parkinson, J. N. Can't, T. A. G. Heard, B. V. Greer, J. F. Shaw and G. A. Griffin, sworn accord Ing to law as jurors, and charged by , John A. Booth to inquire when and now and in what manner the said Leo M. Frank came to his death; that the said jurors aforesaid make and return
 
 ance to the aforesaid matters and :nings concerning which we were sworn to inquire by the said John A. Booth, coroner We attach the evil dence adduced at this inquest to this, our inquisition, and make the same a part of it.
 s I i've the jurors aforesaid, supon our path say that Leo, M. Frank did on he 17th day of August, 1915, in said county, come to his death by being hanged by the neck until dead, by un- known parties.''
 Do you know anything about the hanging?' he was asked.
 "Nothing?'' "Is there anything you would like to state to the jury?'
 . Hesitates Moment. :. He hesitated a moment Then he said, Nothing except that morning on the road I saw several automo- piles on the Roswell Road going in the direction of Marietta I had been fishing with Bob Cochran, a neighbor N We were in buggy and I had driven my horse into a creek to water him when three or four automob went by. We were forty or fifty yards off the road. Bob Cochran said to me 1 I wonder what all that crowd is' "I said, Looks like joy riders to me- '
 Gould you tell who were in the machines?
 No sir, I could not tell whether they were negroes or white people," Star Witness Sworn in l w. J. Frey, owner of the place on which Frank was 1ynched and l regarded as the star witness of the inquest next was sworn. MT. Frey l rn ex-sheriff of the county, took the stand in his shirt sleeves He is a very large man of about 45 with a short brown moustache and forid complexion.
 When did you first know anything had happened that morning?' Frey 1 was asked.
 1T think at about five o'clock that l morning by brother 1elephoned me the state prison farm had been broken into and Frank taken out"
 What did you do then?'
 Went About Business.
 "Didn't do anything; but went on about my business at home. Walter Gam, travelling man fro mAugusta was visiting at my place. I live right on the main road. MT. Gam and were in the field about 6:3O or 7 o'clock when three or four auto- mobiles came Whizzing by the place. They were about forty yards apart" How fast were they going?'
 well sir, they were going along pretty pert; I should say 25 or 30 miles an hour.'
 Then what happened?' Well sir having heard about the break at the prison farm, it popped