The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1915-06-24
FRANK DOOMED TO
DIE TOMORROW, IS
SAVED BY S[AT0N
Georgia Governor commutes
Death Sentence to Life I'M
prisonment- Prisoner
Spirited Away.
RESPONSIBILITY TOO GREAT
Act May Mean obscurity For
Him, Says Executive, But
Could Not Have Blood
on His Hands,

Atlanta, Ga, June 21.-Leo NJ
Franks death sentence was committed
to life Imprisonment today by Cover
nor Slaton. Announcement of the gov
ernor's decision came several hours aft
er Frank had been secretely taken from
the Jail here and hurried to the state
prison farm at Milledgeville. Frank
was sentenced to be hanged here to-
morrow for the murder of Mary
Phagan in April, 1913.
Governor Slaton still was at his
country home when he announced his
decision. In making the announcement
the governor dictated the following
brief statement:
"All that l ask is that the people of
Georgia read my statement of the
reasons why l committed Leo NJ.
Franks death sentence to life i'm
~prisonment, before they pass judg-
ment.
Couldn't See Him Die.
Feeling as 1 do about the case. !
would be a murderer if 1 allowed this
man to hang. 1t means that | must
live In obscurity the rest of my days.
but I woul rather be blowing in a
field than to feel the rest of my
life that I had that mans blood on
my hands"
Governor Slaton was completing a
long statement, giving his reasons for
his action, and this, he said, would be
made public later.
Two hearings We're held here on
| clemency, one before the state prison
commission May 81 and the other be-
fore the governor. The latter hearing
extended through several days and
ended June 16.
Fight for His Life.
Before the prison commission oral
| argument on Franks behalf vas made
by his ounsel and the jurists, lawyers
and prominent citizens of Georgia, Illi-
nois and Massachusetts,. Petitions
bearing hundreds of thousands of
names from various state legislatures,
societies and committees and thou
sands of Individual letters urging
the commission. In opposition to the
application there were filed a letter
from Solicitor Dorsey, who prosecuted
Frank. and a protest from citizens of
Cobb county, Georgia, where Mary
Phagan formerly lived. The commits
sion recommended against clemency.
Franks counsel, prior to the elem
ency appeal, had made seven unsuc-
cessful attempts before the county SUI
perior and state supreme courts to OBJ
tain a new trial., or to nave the verdict
set aside. The federal district court
refused to grant a writ of habeas cor
pus and the United States supreme
court declined to grant a writ of error
for review Of the case. and also denied
Franks appeal in habeas corpus pro
ceedings. -Four times the sentence OF
death was passed upon him.
Frank Spirited Away.
Leo M. Frank. under sentence to be
hanged tomorrow for the murder OF
Mary Phagan, vas secretly removed
from the county Jail here shortly after
midnight last night, and taken under
heavy guard to the state prison farm
at Milledegeville, upon orders of Gov
ernor Slaton. The governor said pos
itively he a not officially acted or
announced his decision upon Franks
application for communication of his
death sentence to life imprisonment,
but that he expected to do SO within a
few hours. He said he a ordered the
prisoner removed to Milledgeville as a
precaution against any demonstration
which might result from any decision
he might make. The action was re-
garded here as a strong indication that
he intended to grant clemency to
Frank.
Franks removal from the jail here
was carefully planned and the officers
We're able to exclude neWspaperInen
and others who might nave recognized
their prisoner. Leaving the Jail by a
rear door shortly before midnight they
went in an automobile to the terminal
station where a deputy purchased
tickets for the party to Macon. Frank
was not haadcuffed and vas without
the heavy spectacles he usually wears.
"A black slouch hat was pulled down
| over his face. The few persons who
were In the railway station at the time
failed to recognize him and it was more
than an hour after midnight before tho
report was circulated that he had been
removed from the cell he had occupied
| for many months.
Telephone connections with the coun-
ty Jail here had been cut off and iaiI
officers refused to verify the report.
Governor Slaton was at his country
home several miles from the city ana
telephone connection with his home al
so had been cut off. Mrs. Frank de-
clared b knew nothing Of any move
to take her husband to MiIledgeville
and Franks attorneys said they had
not been notified of 1t as did Solicitor
Dorsey. who prosecuted Frank.
People Are Reused.
When early reports that Franks sen
n had been COMMITTED began to cir
culate, crowds began to gather on the
principal downtown street corners. The
arrest of a man who attempted to dis
mount a policeman by grabbing the
horse's refns, stirred one crowd to ex-
citement, and they followed the officers
to the hall, a block away. Speakers
started to harange the crowd from the
city hall steps, but were stopped by an
extra force Of police. It was stated
that a delegation was coming here from
Marietta. the former home of Mary
IsPhagan.
SULTAN OF TURKEY is