The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-05-24

ATLANTA NAY -Hs--f 'hf'l NtN''
before In the history Of the United
Ststes has there been such a country
wide demand fof clenency for q con
victed person "a Ia being made for Leo
". Frank. under sentence Of death here
for the murder Of Mary Phagan. As
soon as tho United States Supreme Court
decided that there wss no legal reason
for upsetting the verdict of the Georgia
courts the country aNoke 70 the fact
thst there was no Judicial hope for
Frank and that the only chance TO save
him from death oil the gallows was by
an appeal to tho Prison Commission
and to GOV. John NJ Slaton for elem.
ency
The general opinion seems to he that
the Prison Commission win recommend
commutation and hat Gov. station will
CONFIRM the recommendation In fact
II is said that two of tho three members
Of tho Prison Commission have declared
that they intend TO vote for commute
tion.
Every day since the Supreme Court
destroyed Franks last judicial hope let
ters and kilograms have been pouring
In to the Governor and the Prison Com
mission. In one day az many AS 3.5oo
letters and kilograms ave been received
AZ the Capitol and tho number IL steadily
increasing A. MAY n. tho date on which
the Prison Commission will take up the
case. draws near.
Already more than 500. 900 messages
have been received and 1t In predicted
that before final action is taken moro
than a million names will be submitted
%, tha 1srtant IHaV,NVNt.g .nI s.Axs
Slaton in reference to Franks appeal
for a Communication of tho death sentence
TO one Of imprisonment for life.
One of tho bulkiest petitions came
from Cincinnati. Miss Eleanor Black,
a member OF the STAFF of 4 Cincinnati
paper, brought a petition signed hy
5000 Ohioars. requesting that clemency
he shown to Frank. The young woman
had 10 have 4 stalwart negro to lug the
petition from her taXicab into the
Capitol.
When the messages relating to Frank
first began coming a large dry goods
boz was procured and the communica-
tons were placed in II. That box was
large boxes have been packed with com
municstiors In rcgard 70 the case.
Fcw trg~ Death Sentence. q
Tho unanimity Of the appeals IL re-
nsrkablc, OF the thousands Of mes
sages received IL is said that only about
twenty urgc that the death sentence
he carried out. The others ask either
that Frank he psrjoned outright OF
that at least his sentence be commuted
to life Imprisonment.
The MESA ges arc notab Ole not only for
their number but also for the promi-
hence of the men who have sent many of
them. United States Senators. Cover.
nors and members OF Congress are
among those who have appe led for
clemency for Frank.
Senator W. u. Borah IL one of tho
petitioners in Franks behalf. he declar.
ing his opinion that the death sentenc,
should he committed Philander &
Knox, eN-I'nited States Secretary Of
state. has written from Pittsburg askinG
for clcmency. Myron T IIerr'ck. cN,
Ambassador to France and ex-Governo'
OF Ohio. has urged GOV. Slaton TO say,
Frank from the gallows.
Letters making the same plea hay,
come from Senator Reed OF Missouri
Senator G.. s. Thomas Of Colorado. Sen
ator Newlands OF Nevada. Frank Walsh
lations Commission Fred 4. Delano
member OF the Federal Reserve Board
and Mayor Rolph OF san Francisco.
Among the Governors who have ap
pealed for Frank are Brumhaush orPenn
s%ylvania. Hall OF louisiana. Haifeld O
West Virginia and Ferris Of Michigan
Gov. Ferris bases his appeal on tn
ground tina he il opposed to capital pun
ishment, but tho others say that the
do not believe that the evidence justific
tho hanging Of Frank
Il " .A4l 81. 81 rFsAr ,,a, Al
letters from Governors are remarkabl
in that they break a precedent tina
has prevailed since the establishWer
of the American Government. II
asserted that II has been the custoi
that the Governor OF one state shout
remain silent concerning a problem wit
which another Governor has 10 dea
particularly in the matter Of clemenc!
State Legislatures also are urgin
that the death sentence be commute'
Gov. Slaton has been notified tha
the legislatures of Pennsylvania, Wes
Virginia. Texas and Tennessee hav
passed joint resolutions IN Franks L.,
half.
But it is not only from other stat.
hat petitions are being received f'
Frank. Thousands OF Georgians a.
signing pleas In his behalf. II is sal
that practically every banker in A
l,n'a and MANY in other Georgia elite
have requested clemency. Nearly a
Of the lawyers in Atlanta will urE