Omaha daily bee., 1915-08-25
FRANK HANGED BY
PARTIES UNKNOW IL
Coroner's Jury Returns Verdict
Without ANY Testimony About
Identity of Lynchers.
PANEL OUT BUT THREE MINUTES

MARIETTA, Ga, Aug. 24.-With-
out being able to elicit from any one
of eleven witnesses a single clue as
to the identity of any person con-
nected with the lynching of Leo M.
Frank, near this city last Tuesday
morning, a coroner's jury today re-
turned a verdict that Frank came to
his death by hanging at the hands
of parties unknown.
City and county officials testified
that they had endeavored diligently
to get at the facts OF the lynching,
but so far their efforts had been of
no avail.
The nearest disclosure as to what
happened in the oak grove near the
Frey gin came when ]. A. Benson, a
Marietta merchant, who drove by the
place soon after the lynching party
had parked its automobiles by the
roadside and had led Frank to the
tree where death awaited him, testi-
fled.
Mr.. Benson said he had a pretty
good suspicion" as to what was going
on, but he did not stop to see it and
he did not recognize anybody in the
party.
Doctor Is F:.sI witness.
Or. c. d. Elder, the fist witness, tes-
titled to viewing the body of Frank while
it was still hanging IN the oak grove
near the Frey cotton gin. Or. Elder did
not know Frank personally. but was told
the body was that of Frank. He was
not present when the body was cut
down. When he saw it he said the body
still was warm
do you know any of the circumstances
surrounding the hanging?" asked Mr..
Dorsey.
Absolutely nothing" replied the wit
ness.
"You were among the first to reach
the Ecene?"
'Yes, SIR
How many people were present when
you arrived"
Perhaps half dozen"
do you know who they were?'
Yes, sir
please name them?" requested Mr..
Gam.
las l came up two men were running
out OF the woods One of them was Joe
Carter and the other was man they told
me was representing the Associated
Press. also saw w. ]. Frey. Il. L
Robinson and w. A. Sans"
WAS Frank dead?'
Yes, sir. The death rigor had not set
in. however"
"was there any mutilation of the
| body?"
I mo. sir, The only mark saw was the
cut in the neck that had ben opened by
the rope"
Frank stranRIed 10 Death.
DIR. w NJ. Kemp, another physician
testified that Franks death was due to
/ strangulation.
! J. Bart Wing. a Cobb county commits
sioner. was the next witness. He also
of the lynching after the body was dis
covered.
! do you know anything about the
ihanging?" he was asked.
! Nothing"
| is Nhefe anything you Noulu IKE 10
state 10 the jury?"
Wing hesitated a moment and then
said:
Nothing. except that that morning on
the road 1 saw several automcbiles on
the Roswell road going in the direction
Of Marietta"
Gould you tell who were in the ma
lehnes?"
NO. sir; could not tell whether they
were ne groes or white people"
W. j. Frey, owner Of the place on
which Frank was lynched and regarded
as the star witness Of the inquest. was
next sworn. Mr.. Frey. an ex-sheriff oI
the county, took the stand in his shirt
sleeves. He is a very large man OF about
IS. with a short brown mustache and
rorid complexion.
Mr. Frey" asked Acting Solicitor Dor
lsey. were you among the first 10 dis.
cover the body?'
When ! got there with Gus BensoI