The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-08-25
WOULD V|ND|CA1E HIS State.
GOVERNOR OF GEORGIA OFFERS
REWARD FOR CONVICTION
OF FRANK LYNCHERS.
Executive Announces His Intention of
Doing all In His Power to Bring
Members of Mob to trial for Their
Bloody Deed-No Preparations Had
Been Made at Hospital to Guard
Frank from Outside Attack-No
Further Investigation at Prison.

HtioAtu, va, aug. lo.-ION. NAT T..
Harris Of Georgia, after a consultation
with members Of the State prison
commission. tonight issued in the form
of an interview a statement on the
lynching of Leo M. Frank. The gov
ernor declared he would do all in his
power to bring to justice the per-
petratOrs of the unfortunate occur
renee"
The statement points out that the
State prison farm at Milledgeville was
not constructed with the idea of with
standing an attack from the outside.
The farm was intended only for sick
or feeble convicts unable to do work
with the chaingangs on the county
roads. There is no stockade about the
farm and the only protection from
without the buildings is wire fence
The question of providing additional
guards at the prison after Frank was
sent there had been considered with
the prison commission, Gov. Harris
said, but the idea in mind was to pro-
tect Frank from his fellow prisoners
rather than from an outside attack.
The danger Of such an attack, it is
stated, was thought remote after the
first month of Franks confinement
had passed.
A month ago, Gov. Harris said. he
Ireceived a secret message to the ef-
feet that an attack was to be made
| upon the prison farm on a given
night. This was the time when he
ordered a company of militia held at
the Miledgeville armory. The gov
ernor declares his action at that time,
although it brought censure. upon him
In certain quarters, postponed the
lynching for a month" The censure
Is said by the governor to have come
from persons who thought the gov
ernor's action a reflection upon them,
and it Is said an indignation meeting
was planned at Marietta near which
place on Tuesday morning last the
lifeless body Of Frank was found
dangling from the lower limb of big
oak tree. ."'' -
Gov. Harris statement makes it
clear that Frank had not been re-
moved from the hospital when he was
abducted last Monday night. 1T had
been supposed he was sleeping with
the other prisoners in one of the big
dOrmitOries when he was awakened
by members Of the armed band which
afterward put him to death almost
within view Of the Phagan home.
Still weak from the wound in his
throat. inflicted by a fellow prisoner,
Frank was dragged from the place by
four men. In their haste the men let
the scantily clad and frightened pris-
oner fall in the prison corridor after
they had taken him from the room of
which he was the sole occupant Later
they dragged him humping down the
front steps of the institution and
hurled him into one of the waiting au-
tomobiles.
In addition to issuing his statement
to the press on the subject of the
lynching, Gov. Harris tonight signed
DrnNla M finn
IS1.SOO for the first three persons con-
victed Of participation in the killing
of Frank. There is only $4,000 avail
able in the reward fund Of the Stata
for the year 1915. 1t was thought
at first the governor would offer this
entire amount in sums Of $500 each
for the first five men convicted. He
later changed the sum to $500 for the
first three men convicted.
The reward proclamation is care
fully drawn to avoid stating the exact
place where the lynching occurred. 1t
is generally supposed Frank was put
to death on the old tree near the Frey
gin In Cobb county, two miles outside
of Marietta, where the body subse-
quently was found swaying in the
early morning breeze. The belief has
been expressed in some quarters re-
Gently, however, that the lynchers
may have strangled Frank further
down the road toward Milledgevlile
and saved the body for final disposi-
tion until they were we'll within the
Cobb county line. 1t was in Cobb
county that the Phagan girls family
lived and it generally is accepted that
the lynching plans were laid there.
In view Of the doubt as to the exact
location Of Franks death the reward
proclamation is made to read that
the prisoner was violently taken from
the hospital Of the State penitentiary